It seems strange to contemplate that a club as big and with as rich a history as Saints have not been back to the Challenge Cup dance since Shannon Matthews was hidden at her uncle’s house, dishevelled mumbling toff Boris Johnson became London Mayor and some bloke named Orford won the Dally M awarded to the NRL’s best player. Yet this year there is a real feeling, with Saints standing insolently atop the BetFred Super League, that this could be the year that the red vee finally end their 10 years of Wembley hurt.
The prize for reaching the semi-finals is perhaps that bit bigger this time around, with the RFL announcing on Thursday that the last four ties will be played as a double-header at Bolton Wanderers Macron Stadium. Amid the groans from Leeds and Huddersfield (who need not have concerned themselves as it turned out) most fans agreed that this was a great way to try and boost the attendances for the cup semi-finals, which had been slightly underwhelming in recent years as a certain broadcaster ramped up its campaign to convince us that only Super League exists. With the clubs still demanding extra money from season ticket holders for these matches the public were starting to come around to that way of thinking. The double header idea may or may not help, but the RFL had to try something and should be applauded for taking what looks like positive action.
Back to the business in hand and Saints coach Justin Holbrook names an unchanged squad from that which travelled to Castleford and won 40-18 against the Tigers last week. One-man assault on the division Ben Barba has been passed fit after much breath-holding following his early exit from the win at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle, while Tommy Makinson is also included after missing out on the final 17 last week with an arm injury. His inclusion in place of Adam Swift looks just about the only likely change to the 17, with Matty Smith looking likeliest to miss out alongside Swift amid rumours of a switch to rudderless, coachless, pointless Widnes for the former Wigan, Salford, Crusaders and er....Widnes scrum half.
Makinson’s inclusion would see him partner Ryan Morgan on the right edge for Saints, with Mark Percival and Regan Grace on the opposite flank. Jonny Lomax was imperious at Castleford and is about as nailed on to start at stand-off as any player could be. Danny Richardson will continue at scrum half with one eye on an opening developing in the England senior squad for the test match against New Zealand in three weeks time. The Tigers’ Luke Gale and Hull’s Marc Sneyd remain injured, and cover is required should either of George Williams or Gareth Widdop go lame.
Saints pack is dominated by Luke Thompson, whose efforts each week make it look like there isn’t an Alex Walmlsey-sized hole in the front row. Kyle Amor returned to the side to great effect last week and will feature again, with Luke Douglas and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook completing the prop corps around the brilliant, superlative-proof James Roby at hooker. Dom Peyroux and Zeb Taia wreak a mixture of havoc and slapstick in the second row ahead of the recently head-banded, coffee-shifting former skipper Jon Wilkin. No doubt he will again be pilloried if he dares talk to his friends from the BBC again post-match, win or lose.
Saints bench will be completed by Theo Fages, who scored two tries in the win at Castleford and is fast becoming one of the most valuable utility players in world rugby, and Wilkin’s heir apparent Morgan Knowles for whom it is surely just a matter of when and not if he takes over the starting loose forward role from the gong-collecting veteran.
FC come into this one with a slightly stronger squad than expected, or that most of you reading this will really be comfortable with. Albert Kelly is the name that leaps off the squad list and gubs you around the chops. The former Hull KR man has spent the last few weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury but could return sooner than expected to boost the black and whites hopes. Bureta Fairamo returns from suspension while Carlos Tuimavave and England prop Scott Taylor are also included in coach Lee Radford’s 19-man selection after missing last week’s 30-12 defeat to Warrington. Josh Griffin and Fetuli Talanoa are still missing along with Sneyd, Jordan Abdull and Josh Bowden but this will be a far more experienced side than the one which built up a 12-0 lead against the Wolves before falling in a big, dirty second half heap.
Holbrook isn’t the type of bloke to rattle on about the past or notions of revenge, but it is worth remembering that nine of the 19 he has chosen for duty in this one were involved in the chastening 47-18 larruping that Saints received from the Airlie Birds the last time these two met in the Challenge Cup in St Helens in 2016. It was a humiliating day for the home side with many calling for the removal of then coach Keiron Cunningham which they ended up waiting a further 11 months for before the arrival of Holbrook. Hull went on to reach Wembley in 2016, winning their for the first time in their history before repeating the trick in 2017 to complete back-to-back successes. FC have not lost a Challenge Cup tie since they went down 24-6 to Leeds Rhinos at the Quarter Final stage in June 2015.
The odds are that, despite the prospect of a welcome return for several of their star men, Hull will not win this one. Saints have been flying of late, putting Castleford to the sword with a display of flowing rugby which reduced Daryl Powell’s bleating about referees to the mumblings of a confused man who doesn’t quite know the solution to his problems. A kind of orange and black Boris Johnson, if you will. Meanwhile Hull have been stumbling along since long before their injury list became unmanageable and face a real fight to get into the Super League’s final four ahead of the likes of the Tigers and Rhinos. Will they switch their focus to that and be slightly off in this one, or will they still consider the cup to be their best hope of silverware in 2018 and let the prospect of a third straight Wembley triumph inspire them?
While I haven’t booked my tickets for Bolton just yet, I’m taking Saints to win this one by around 14.
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, 10. Kyle Amor, 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, 23. Ben Barba
Hull FC;
1. Jamie Shaul, 2. Bureta Faraimo, 3. Carlos Tuimavave, 6. Albert Kelly 8. Scott Taylor, 9. Danny Houghton, 11. Dean Hadley, 12. Mark Minichiello, 14. Jake Connor, 15. Chris Green, 17. Danny Washbrook, 20. Brad Fash, 21. Sika Manu, 23. Mickey Paea, 24. Jack Logan, 28. Hakim Miloudi, 29. Masimbaashe Matongo, 30. Cameron Scott, 33. Joe Westerman.
Referee: Ben Thaler
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