Sean Long scored a try in each half and finished with 22 points in total.
George Carmont's converted try then put Wigan ahead before Sean Long's score gave Saints a 10-6 half time lead.
Saints went into the games without the likes of Paul Wellens, Matt Gidley, Sean Long, James Roby and Jon Wilkin.
The 21-year-old England international, who made his debut in 2008 before effectively replacing Saints legend Sean Long, has met Bath officials.
Saints clearly missed the inspirational play of veteran scrum-half Sean Long, who failed to make his comeback from a broken jaw.
He has seen his great friend Sean Long go to Hull, who St Helens face on the opening day of the season.
But a penalty from Sean Long, who scored five goals from five, and a late try from Bryn Hargreaves ended Rhinos' hopes.
Sean Long added the extras but six minutes later Leeds levelled when Kevin Sinfield touched down Danny McGuire's grubber kick and kicked the conversion.
Sean Long's tactical awareness is superb, and he's got other options behind him in Leon Pryce, Jon Wilkin and Kyle Eastmond to keep Leeds guessing.
Their record crowd went to watch a Saints squad packed full of world-class names such as Paul Wellens, Sean Long, Leon Pryce and Welshman Keiron Cunningham.
Saints were reeling at this point before Gardner gave them a lifeline when he took Sean Long's lofted kick to touch down midway through the first half.
He replaced the injured Sean Long for Saints in their opening play-off game against Leeds three years ago, nervelessly kicking three goals in a tense 10-8 victory.
The result was harsh on St Helens - and ensured there was no fairytale farewell for Sean Long and Lee Gilmour in their final appearances for the club.
However, any thoughts they had of coasting to a win were cast aside when Lauaki burst over and, soon after, Obst crossed after good work from Sean Long.
It took St Helens until the 17th minute to open their account, with Cayless powering over after Sean Long's cut-out pass gave him a route to the line.
Tyrer added the conversion and Sean Long put over a drop goal in the final act of a thrilling first 40 minutes to open up a five-point gap.
Sean Long's finest international performance back in Sydney in 2006.
St Helens took the lead on seven minutes when they were awarded a scrum close to the line after Dimitri Pelo was bundled into touch from a Sean Long kick.
The highly rated half-back, deputising for Sean Long at scrum-half, was at the heart of St Helens' slick display with his passes creating openings for Flannery and Wilkin to score.
Sullivan gave the Wolves an early lead when he burrowed over to score, but Gilmour soon touched down twice, once from a towering Sean Long kick, to put Saints ahead.
But they were keen to avenge their 52-22 hammering at Huddersfield in April - and were further boosted by the news of the appointment of Sean Long to their coaching staff.
Child, who is in his third season as a Super League referee, awarded 27 penalties during the game, as well as dismissing Hull FC player Sean Long and sin-binning Lee Radford.
Saints went ahead after four minutes when Ade Gardner went over in the right corner, but Wellens, taking the kicks in the absence of both Sean Long and Kyle Eastmond, missed the touchline conversion.
Gidley soon put the home side back in front when he latched on to a neat pass from dummy-half Keiron Cunningham to bundle over from five yards in the corner, converted by Sean Long.
But, having languished in the lower reaches of Super League in the last two years, the close-season recruitment of players like Craig Fitzgibbon, Mark O'Meley and Sean Long has helped turn the club's fortunes around.
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Hull KR's best moment came when Jake Webster intercepted Sean Long's pass, but Pryce used his pace to haul the winger down on the half-way line, much to the delight of the Knowsley Road faithful.
Hull were not without their chances, and tackles from Shaun Briscoe denied Lee Radford and Sean Long on the line, while Fox and Ben Cockayne did brilliantly to keep Jordan Turner out on the stroke of the hooter.
Eastwood looked the natural replacement for Sean Long, sidelined with a broken jaw, as he kicked six goals from eight attempts to further lay claim to the number seven jersey when the former Great Britain scrum-half leaves Knowsley Road at the end of the season.
But Sean Carpenter figures the only long-term solution is resumed hunting.
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