NEWPORT are in free-fall and so dramatic is their sudden decline that far from winning the Welsh/Scottish League title they could even struggle to qualify for next seasons Heineken Cup.

Only a few weeks ago they were being tipped for the title, but the reversal in their fortunes has been incredible.

Their Principality Cup quarter-final defeat at the hands of Cardiff has knocked the suffing out of them and as a squad they have gone.

And unless something is done quickly to stop the slide they will struggle to win another game this season, and that will place European qualification in jeopardy.

They have some tough games left with Cardiff at home, Glasgow away, Pontypridd home and Bridgend at home.

They have already tumbled from first to third in the table and unless they can rediscover their winning form they will fall further.

Even if Newport lose them all they cannot be caught by sixth best Welsh team Pontypridd.

But if Newport finish up fifth and Pontypridd win the European Shield competition Newport will not qualify for the Heineken Cup.

Newport took that Cardiff cup defeat badly and each defeat since then has been worse, Neath sticking 36 points on them and Swansea 52.

Yet Swanseas season had been disastrous as the champions fell from grace badly, whereas Newport had been Welsh rugbys pacesetters.

How that role was reversed at St Helens on Saturday night as the bad old days returned to Newport and they slumped to their worst defeat for over three years. The last time they conceded more points, ironically on the same ground, was on January 30, 1999 when Swansea won 60-38.

And it was their biggest margin of defeat since they were beaten 57-17 at Ebbw Vale on September 12, 1998.

Making Newports decline even harder to stop are their injury problems, particularly at half back where they are without Ofisa Tonuu and Shane Howarth, with Tonuus deputy Dale Burn injured.

Newport trailed 18-6 at half-time, both Swansea tries coming from mistakes as scrum half Sililo Martens grabbed two tries.

The first came after Jason Strange inexplicably threw a forward pass in his own 22, Andrew Powell and Andy Marinos failed to tackle number eight Hywel Jenkins and Emyr Lewis was wrongfooted by Martens.

And then Newport failed to gather an Ian Gough line-out take, and Martens was over again.

There was still hope at the interval, but it didnt last long as Swansea simply stepped up a gear and piled on another 34 points.

Major backer Tony Brown stayed away from St Helens, the first time he had deliberately stayed away in the three years he has poured millions in.

Swansea: K Morgan, B Lima (G Henson 76 mins), M Taylor, S Gibbs, captain, (S Winn 69) S Payne, A Thomas, S Martens, D Morris, G Jenkins (P Dunkley 68), B Evans (J Marsters 69), T Maullin (J Thomas 69), L Jones, H Jenkins, G Lewis (J Bater 73), D Thomas.

Scorers - tries: S Martens (2), M Taylor, B Lima, A Thomas; conversions: Thomas (3); penalties: Thomas (5); dropped goals: Thomas (2).

Newport: E Lewis, M Mostyn, A Marinos, M Watkins (J Pritchard 69), B Breeze, J Strange, L Lane, C Jones (R Snow 43), P Young (J Richards 45), C Anthony (A Garvey 43), S Raiwalui (captain), I Gough (M Voyle 63), P Buxton (J Powell 65), A Powell, J Forster.

Scorers - try: A Powell; conversion: J Strange; penalties: Strange (2).