The Magic Weekend has rolled around again folks, and a special bonus I am going to spare you the benefit of my wisdom on the concept as a whole and just get on with the usual stab in the dark at what might actually happen on the field.
Justin Holbrook has made just the one change to his 19-man squad since last week’s 36-18 Challenge Cup win over Castleford Tigers. Matty Lees returns from a two-match suspension after his red card at Salford to take the place of Kyle Amor, harshly handed a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle. The ball carrier was running backwards into Amor and although he has a duty of care and awareness around neck injuries is of paramount importance, it is difficult to see where else the Cumbrian forward had to go. He did not really exert undue pressure on the neck but some pressure is a near certainty if you are back peddling into contact.
Lees may well earn a place in the 17 then in Amor’s absence and that of long-term absentee Alex Walmsley. Luke Thompson and Luke Douglas are the form props while Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook has been chipping in usefully in that area too. Jon Wilkin has been scaring large portions of the fan base with discussions about yet another new contract this week and should start at loose forward behind the second row pairing of Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux, with Morgan Knowles on the bench. James Roby has no equal in the hooking role, not even in the international game with the announcement this week that Cameron Smith has retired from all representative football with immediate effect. Theo Fages is likely to be the first place Holbrook turns for relief of Roby if and when needed, and with Ben Barba back in the squad that might mean no place in the 17 again for Matty Smith.
Barba picks himself at fullback, storming as he is to the Steve Prescott Man Of Steel Award. His hat-trick at Castleford was in the file marked ‘gobsmacking’ and he might have the proverbial field day in the wide open spaces of St James Park against one of the Super League strugglers this week. Tommy Makinson has fond memories of Magic having scorched Hull FC for one of the tries of 2017 in last year’s 45-0 win at the event, and he will start on the right wing opposite Regan Grace whose length of the field effort against the Tigers appears to have quashed the conversation over his selection over the fit-again Adam Swift. Mark Percival and Ryan Morgan are the likely starters at centre amid rumours of Kevin Naiqama coming in from Wests Tigers. Oliver Gildart will not be making what would have been a controversial move from the DW Stadium having signed a new three-year deal with Wigan.
In the halves Jonny Lomax and Danny Richardson are forming an excellent partnership, complimented of course by the brilliance of Barba and the quickness of Fages off the bench. It’s a formula that is working well for Saints who top the Super League table with 12 wins from 14 games and a superior points difference to the rest of the division.
Widnes have no such form to reflect on. Though they were narrowly ousted from the Challenge Cup by Leeds in their last outing, their league form has seen them slip to ninth in the table with just three wins from their first 13 games. They have had a succession of injuries and won’t be encouraged by the news that Chris Houston has announced that he will retire from rugby league at the end of this season. Though that is probably great news for Phil Bentham. Houston is not currently available.
No Houston but Vikings coach Denis Betts does have Rhys Hanbury, Stefan Marsh, Charly Runciman, Patrick Ah Van and Tom Gilmore back on deck in the backs after all missed chunks of the campaign so far. Widnes also have Jimmy Keinhorst, whose loan deal from Leeds Rhinos has been extended, but not Ryan Ince who has put in some encouraging performances on the wing in recent weeks. Up front Hep Cahill is back in the saddle also, but Chris Dean misses out along with the Chapelhow brothers Ted and Jay. Tom Olbison is a definite one-to-watch as is hooker Danny Walker, while MacGraff Leuluai, Greg Burke and Aaron Heremaia are all experienced Super League campaigners. Matt Whitley’s reputation grows in the second row and Alex Gerrard is a more than capable front rower who could give Saints front line something to ponder.
Widnes have talent, but what they lack is the depth and the consistency of performance to really trouble a Saints side which is improving at an impressive rate under the tutelage of Holbrook. The League Leaders Shield is now a target that can be talked about openly, though if you asked Holbrook he probably wouldn't want to hear about it. A win here would put huge pressure on Wigan and Warrington, who meet each other in the game immediately after this one on Saturday afternoon. All of which may leave you thinking that Magic and its arbitrary fixture list distorts the competition somewhat. Well, yeah. But I said I wasn’t going to bore you with my view on that.
One other thing to note is that Saints will wear their special edition Autism Awareness shirt for this one, designed especially to raise awareness of the condition and hopefully a few bob too. It’s a worthy effort from Saints whatever you think of the design, and it shames the likes of Wakefield and Warrington who have chosen to dress up as Spiderman and Ant-Man for what appears to be no good reason other than that their mum’s have let them stay up past nine o’clock.
Saints should negotiate this hurdle fairly comfortably, although Widnes go in knowing that nothing less than a win will do if they are to keep pace with the top eight. Eighth spot is currently occupied by Salford Red Devils, who are four points clear of the Vikings in 10th. Ian Watson’s side are fortunate enough to have been paired with Catalans Dragons at Magic, making it doubly critical for Betts’ side that they pick up a win against Saints. But it just isn’t going to happen if all things remain equal, which as we saw in the Challenge Cup last weekend they often do not. Hull finished their game with Featherstone Rovers with nine men, while Toronto Wolfpack attempted to compete with high-flying Warrington with just 10 players for a spell on Sunday (May 13). If Saints can keep their discipline and play to their strengths they will probably run away with a victory in excess of 24 points.
Squads;
St Helens;
1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Ryan Morgan, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Matty Smith, 9. James Roby, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 14. Luke Douglas, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Luke Thompson, 17. Dom Peyroux, 18. Danny Richardson, 19. Regan Grace, 20. Matty Lees, 23. Ben Barba.
Widnes Vikings;
1. Rhys Hanbury, 2. Stefan Marsh, 4. Charly Runciman, 5. Patrick Ah Van, 6. Joseph Mellor, 7. Thomas Gilmore, 10. Alex Gerrard, 12. Matt Whitley, 13. Hep Cahill, 15. Danny Craven, 16. Thomas Olbison, 17. Samuel Wilde, 19. Greg Burke, 20. Macgraff Leuluai, 21. Jordan Johnstone, 23. Danny Walker, 33. Aaron Heremaia, 36. Wellington Albert, 38. Jimmy Keinhorst.
Referee: Liam Moore
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