5 Talking Points From Saints 14 Warrington Wolves 12

A New Addition

Before we get to the business of another gloriously narrow victory over sad little Warrington there’s news on the recruitment front for 2019. Cronulla Sharks back rower Joseph Paulo joins Kevin Naiqama and Joe Bachelor among the new faces at Saints from the start of next season. Consider this from coach Justin Holbrook;

“I’ve watched Joseph for a number of years now and I admire how he plays the game.”

If Holbrook has been watching, and has had a significant part to play in the arrival of Paulo then perhaps suggestions that the coach might be off to pastures new are a little premature. Some rugby league publications have had it recently that Holbrook will quit Saints after just one full season in charge to take over at Parramatta Eels in the NRL. The Eels stink the place out in NRL terms, so to leave the top team in Super League for the bottom team in the NRL would be a strange move and one that would surely only make life more difficult for a coach who, despite showing huge bucket-loads of promise, is still in the early stages of his senior coaching career. He’s surely better off where he is for the moment and perhaps Paulo’s signing hints that he would agree.

And so to Paulo himself. He has played international RL for both Samoa and USA and has made 160 appearances in the NRL with Penrith, those stinky Eels and the Sharks. He is a former team-mate of one Ben Barba at Cronulla which may lead some cynics to suggest that his arrival is an attempted sweetener in the bid to retain the services of Saints outstanding fullback. Yet with a three-year deal in his pocket it is likely that Paulo will be in St Helens long after Barba is not. Some have questioned whether we need another import particularly in the back row, where the ageing Zeb Taia already resides alongside the much improved Dominique Peyroux. The latter may struggle to play a big part in the remainder of 2018 after breaking his arm towards the end of this one but is sure to feature prominently again by the time Paulo arrives. We also have some home grown talent itching to get a shot in that part of the team, with Bachelor hoping to break through alongside James Bentley who again turned out for Sheffield Eagles this week but has yet to make his Super League debut for Saints. Jon Wilkin may go around again next year while Morgan Knowles continues to improve also. Suddenly a team that looked short of back row options when Joe Greenwood and Atelea Vea were offloaded seems to have a surplus.

Down To The Wire….Again…

Poor, poor old Warrington eh? No, I know. But you can’t ignore the fact that once again they have been pipped to the proverbial post by a Saints side which for the most part was underwhelming, particularly in attack in the first half when they were held to a Cunningham-era zero on the scoreboard. Yet for all the jealous talk from fans of other clubs about how the current league leaders have just been lucky with injuries and a few narrow results going their way, Saints wins happen so often now that they cannot be put down to pure luck. It takes a certain amount of steeliness and determination to win when you are Parramatta-Eels-ing the place out against a quality Warrington outfit who will probably still have a say on two trophy fronts this term. Win when you are not at your best and you have the basis for a champion side.

Besides this is all too familiar territory for Warrington. They have a hilarious nasty habit of losing out late to Saints in Super League. Who can forget the three tries in four minutes with which Saints hit Wire from a desperate position in 2005? Or Sean Long’s drop goal which brought Saints a one-point win at Knowsley Road the same year but which unexpectedly brought the curtain down on Ian Millward’s glorious reign. Those wins came in the midst of a ridiculous run of 30+ Super League games in which Warrington just could not get the better of Saints. That run has ended since but the Wolves players would be forgiven if they could sniff a rather unpleasant aroma of deja-vu around their nostrils on Friday night.

Danny Cool, Wilkin Class……

This particular triumph owed much to the poise of Danny Richardson. Saints were awarded a penalty on the hooter, five metres inside their own half when Ben Murdoch-Masila’s brain exploded causing him to throw a lazy arm towards the head of Luke Thompson. It is worth bearing in mind at this point that Richardson had just missed a very kickable drop-goal which might have also won it for Saints, although both Tryone Roberts and Stefan Ratchford had spectacularly fluffed similar opportunities for Warrington late on too. Yet Richardson did not let that earlier miss phase him in the slightest, spotting the ball up from around 55 metres and sending it straight between the aitches for the winning points. While many claim that Richardson evokes memories of Long it was Matty Smith who sprang readily to mind when I saw Richardson running away towards the West Stand to celebrate the moment with the fans. You may remember Smith kicking a last-gasp drop-goal to beat Salford last season when Robert Lui had inexplicably turned the ball over on the last play of the game. Yet while comparisons with Long are premature Richardson showed here as he had done in victory at Headingley against Leeds earlier in the season that he can be a match-winner when the game is on the line.

A word also for Wilkin, who as others wildly celebrated Richardson’s epic strike with the home fans stayed at the other end of the ground to shake the hand of each and every one of the stricken Wire players. Reminiscent of another classic 2005 sporting moment between Andrew Flintoff and a bunch of rather deflated Australian cricketers which may or may not have included Brett Lee. Class is permanent.

The 8s Unfold

Last week this column took what it perceived to be an educated stab at determining who Saints would face both home and away during the Super 8s. Their 10-point lead at the top of the Super League table should mean that only two victories will be required from their seven remaining outings to secure the League Leaders Shield, and we can now see for certain who Saints will face and where in the run-up to the semi-finals for which they had already qualified a week ago.

The order of the fixtures will not be released until Wednesday but Wigan, Castleford, Huddersfield and Hull FC will come to Saints while Holbrook’s men will have to travel to face Wakefield, Catalans Dragons and Warrington. Two wins from those should not be that difficult to find with Hull FC and Wakefield in particular struggling for form and Saints having won all of the corresponding fixtures in the regular season bar the trip to Trinity in April. Again much depends on the order of play but a currently floundering Trinity might be out of contention for the top four by the time of Saints visit and with revenge on their minds you would fancy Saints chances in those circumstances. Meanwhile Hull are in the middle of an implosion that has seen them handed a 70-point spanking by Wakefield followed by an equally disturbing derby defeat by Qualifiers-bound Hull KR.

Quite how Saints will approach these games will be fascinating. A visit from Wigan will no doubt stir the senses enough for a full-blooded effort regardless of what is or isn’t at stake by then, and the same should apply when Saints visit Warrington who will probably still be fuming at losing this one with the very last kick of the game. Huddersfield have massively improved under Simon Woolford likewise Catalans under Steve McNamara and Castleford are a match for any side on their day but you would get long odds against Saints failing to pick up the points they need to finish the Super 8s on top of the pile.

A Cup Final Rehearsal?

It is a surprising fact that in the 122-year history of the Challenge Cup there has never been a final meeting between Saints and Warrington. These two sides have won the cup 20 times between them but have somehow managed to avoid running into each other in the showpiece. In fact their last Challenge Cup meeting of any kind was 10 years ago when Saints ran out 40-34 winners on route to their last Wembley visit in 2008.

That could all change this year as both are favourites to win their respective semi-finals this weekend. When the draw was made at a time that now seems like a bygone age Holbrook’s side could feel extremely confident of getting past Catalans Dragons. They were a shell of a side at that time but a run of nine wins from 12 matches since Saints cruised past them 26-12 in early May has seen McNamara’s side ease in to the Super 8s when they seemed certainties for the Qualifiers for much of the season. Saints are still favourites to reach Wembley at the expense of the French side but it is no longer as straightforward as it first appeared.

Similarly Warrington should edge past Leeds Rhinos. For large parts of this one the Wolves looked the real deal, particularly defensively as they frustrated Saints’ array of attacking weapons for much of the night. Leeds halted a 10-game losing run by beating Widnes a week ago but a miserable year for the defending Super League champions continued when they were brushed off at the weekend by a poor Salford side playing for large parts with 12 men. Few would give the Rhinos a chance of beating Steve Price’s side at Bolton on current form but this is Leeds we are talking about, a team that is nothing if not a specialist in winning when the stakes are high. They have built championships on peaking when it really matters but they will need to go up several levels in a very short space of time if they are to get back to a first Wembley final since their 2015 treble year.

5 Talking Points From Wigan 6 Saints 14

Missing Parts

In the build-up to this one much was made of the fact that Wigan were going in without several of their key men. A worried looking Shaun Wane had glumly admitted that all of Sean O'Loughlin, George Williams, Oliver Gildart and Liam Farrell would miss the second derby of the season while Joe Burgess, Dom Manfredi and Ryan Sutton were also ruled out. It seemed like the Wiganers didn't rate their chances and were getting their excuses in early.

Yet once the Saints 17 was announced it became clear that Justin Holbrook had problems of his own. Zeb Taia had been written off for at least a couple of weeks after injuring his thumb in the previous week's win at Hull FC, but as this observer took his place in a riotous North Stand at a DW Stadium filled with Saints travelling support there were a couple more unpleasant surprises to digest. Ben Barba did not feature and, who knows, may now never play in a Saints-Wigan derby on that side of the lump, while Mark Percival was another deemed not quite fit enough to take his place. It led to a recall for Ryan Morgan, omitted at Hull, and the continuation at centre of Tommy Makinson with Adam Swift keeping his place. Swift had scored four tries in his previous two appearances and must certainly have been pushing Morgan or Regan Grace for a start but it was the absence of Percival which ultimately solved Holbrook's dilemma.

Without Barba Jonny Lomax flitted back over to fullback from stand off and again did so effortlessly as Saints again showed that when their squad depth is tested they can come up with the goods.

Ashworth And Lees Step Up

With Taia out the pack needed shuffling as much as the back line. Morgan Knowles was promoted from his usual bench spot to start in Taia's second row slot which allowed both Matty Lees and Jack Ashworth to occupy a place on the bench. Ashworth has seemed like an almost mythical figure in recent years. A heaving mound of potential always seeming to be on his way to regular first team action without ever seeming to arrive. Ashworth had not seen Super League action since 2016 so to be reintroduced at this venue against this opposition was some kind of ask.

He responded with a stint that included 12 tackles and an impressive 8.4 metres per carry with a couple off tidy offloads. Lees too weighed in with 17 tackles and 7.83 metres per carry. He doesn't have the offload game that Ashworth, a one-time centre, can boast but Lees brings other attributes. One of the abiding memories of a tough encounter in which defences mostly held sway was Lees' bone-shaking hit on Talima Tautai. In tandem with Luke Douglas Lees knocked the stuffing out of the former Wakefield front rower. If there are any doubters about whether Lees can cut it at this level Tautai won't be among them. Luke Thompson has shown what can be achieved by young forwards at Saints under the tutelage of Holbrook. In danger of stagnating under Keiron Cunningham Thompson has been transformed into one of the league's best props in 2018, even managing to shrink the hole left by the injured Alex Walmsey. Where could Lees and Ashworth be in a similar amount of time from now if they apply themselves under a coach who seems to improve every player he works with?

What Might Have Been....

One player who won't get the benefit of Holbrook's mastery is Joe Greenwood. The back rower chose to leave Saints just before Holbrook's arrival having not managed to find a regular place in Cunningham's side. The lure of the NRL and the Gold Coast seemed infinitely more attractive than a career on the fringes at Saints and for a while Greenwood's choice seemed a sound one. He made 22 appearances in his first season with the Titans but became frozen out when Garth Brennan replaced Neil Henry as head coach. Now, much to our distaste Greenwood finds himself back on our shores trying to establish himself in another ever-changing environment at Wigan.

The absence of Taia denied us a direct comparison between Greenwood and the man who quickly replaced him at Saints in a much criticised deal last March. Yet Taia has proved to be one of the most successful signings of the Cunningham tenure. Meanwhile Greenwood seemed to float on the edges of his first derby on the dark side, churning out a respectable 78 metres on 12 carries and putting in 17 tackles without ever quite threatening to punish his old club for letting him get away. Greenwood may yet develop into one of the stars of Super League but you get the feeling he would get there a lot faster with the help and guidance of Holbrook than he promises to at Wigan. Another, as yet unidentified coach is about to take on the task of developing Greenwood and another period of transition seems on the cards for the talented ex-Saint.

Knowles States His Case

Morgan Knowles has long been touted as one of the biggest emerging talents in Super League. A future Saints captain, perhaps. Certainly a very likely successor to Jon Wilkin in the loose forward role as the former skipper gets ready to go full-time in the world of punditry and podcasts. Knowles has had to settle for a role largely off the bench so far under Holbrook as the coach continues to lean on Wilkin's experience and versatility, but with the absence of Taia Knowles was not about to waste an opportunity to start.

The Welsh international not only piled on 41 tackles in the game, more than any Saint bar ageless Westworld host James Roby, he also wriggled over for what proved to be the decisive score of the game early in the second half. That was one of two clean breaks and 72 metres for Knowles who, though maybe not a natural second row in the Taia mould, showed that he can be a huge contributor anywhere along that back three. It's all a far cry from how his season began, with the ignominy of that red card in Perpignan for a dangerous throw which saw him forced to sit out four games. Knowles spoke at a club forum in the days after that about learning from it and improving. He wasn't looking for sympathy or, as most fans did, to blame an official. And learn he has if this measured, assured and match-winning performance is anything to go by. Another tick in the box for Holbrook.

Saints And The Super 8s

We won't go over old ground about club chairmen bickering over the format of Super League. The Super 8s are here for now at least and amusingly they will not feature the defending Super League champions Leeds Rhinos after results went against Kevin Sinfield's side at the weekend. Those results also meant that Saints secured qualification for the top four and the semi-finals with one game still to play before the Super 8s get under way for what could be the final time.

What this says about the validity of the system is debateable but coming into the 8s in first place we can now have a guess at which teams Saints will face and where as they bid to secure the League Leaders Shield before playoff time. Holbrook's side will be at home to the team's finishing 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th while visiting the team's placed 4th, 7th and 8th. At the moment that would mean home games against Wigan, Warrington, Hull FC and Wakefield with trips to Castleford, Catalans and Huddersfield. Warrington and Castleford will switch positions if Saints beat Warrington on Thursday and Castleford see off woeful Widnes on Friday, while any of Trinity, Catalans or Huddersfield could still finish 6th, 7th or 8th. The Dragons have the toughest fixture in the final week of the regular season at Wigan, who need the points themselves to stop either Warrington or the Tigers sneaking into second. For their part the Dragons may prioritise the Challenge Cup semi final with Saints which is sandwiched in between the final regular season round and the first Super 8s fixture. Trinity and the Giants face each other and will secure 6th with a win and a Dragons loss.

But with so many permutations still possible it is arguable whether there is any real difference between finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th or even 6th, 7th or 8th at this stage. This isn't like England's World Cup group in Russia from which Gareth Southgate's side could clearly see a smoother path to the semi finals. It's complicated, which might be one of the reasons why change is again being considered. From a Saints point of view it should be business as usual. Get the few wins required to claim the League Leaders Shield and then use any games that remain sensibly to give us the best possible preparation for the semi-finals. That maybe doesn't whet the appetite much for August rugby league but few will care if Holbrook delivers a title in his first full season in charge.

Wigan Warriors v Saints - Preview

Bring out all the cliches that defy actual rugby league logic, fire up the pie-related internet memes and prepare to edge ever closer to the League Leaders Shield as Saints travel to Wigan to face the Warriors at the DW Stadium on Thursday night (July 19, kick-off 7.45pm).

Saints continued a winning run that stretches back to the middle of April with a 34-18 win at Hull FC last time out. It left them eight points clear of the chasing pack with just two rounds to go before the start of the 30.43% extra that is the Super 8s. Victory in this one, possibly Shaun Wane’s last home derby as coach of Wigan depending on the final league positions, would open up a 10-point gap between Saints and Wigan and have the latter more likely to be worrying about Castleford and Warrington coming up behind them than retaining any League Leaders Shield ambitions. It’s time to kill off this cherry and white irritant once and for all.

Saints will have to do that without Zeb Taia. The former Catalans Dragons back rower sustained a nasty thumb injury in the win at Hull and is out for at least this one and the visit of Warrington next week. He is hoping to be back for the Challenge Cup semi-final showdown with his old club at Bolton on August 5. For now though Saints coach Justin Holbrook has drafted in Jack Ashworth to the 19-man squad in the only change from the group which headed east last week. Ashworth will hope to challenge for at least a spot on the bench as Jon Wilkin or Morgan Knowles are likely to feature in the back three alongside Dominique Peyroux. Saints front row is still missing Alex Walmsley but Kyle Amor, Luke Douglas, Luke Thompson and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook have been leading the charge surprisingly well in his absence, helped of course by the always brilliant James Roby at hooker. Along with Ashworth, Matty Lees awaits a chance.

In the backs Ben Barba made a two-try return to action after missing the win over Widnes on July 6 through injury. Adam Swift kept his place on the right wing and may do so again although Holbrook does have the option to restore Ryan Morgan to the team and move Tommy Makinson back out to his favoured right wing berth. That would leave a straight choice between Swift and Regan Grace for the left wing slot outside centre Mark Percival. Though Grace hardly deserves to be omitted there is a strong case for the inclusion of Swift if Holbrook truly is operating a policy of picking the team on form. It would also be interesting to see how Grace responds to a spell on the outside looking in. Memories of his debut at Wigan are hinting to me that he will not need to find out what that experience is like just yet.

Jonny Lomax gets better every week no matter whether it is at stand off or at fullback. With Barba back again it seems likely that Lomax will operate at 6 alongside scrum half Danny Richardson, with Theo Fages taking the bench spot. Matty Smith is again conspicuous by his absence from the squad amid persistent rumours of another move.

Hands up who longs for a return to the days when Wigan’s better players would declare themselves unfit for the derby, only to miraculously recover after a pre-game fitness test in full view of a positively seething visiting support? No, nor me. So it is with some trepidation that I report that Wigan have more key players missing than there are members of Blazin' Squad. Well, nearly. Chief among these is skipper and all around 100 per cent-er Sean O’Loughlin, but Oliver Gildart, Joe Burgess, George Williams and Liam Farrell will also be missed. Chris Hankinson has been brought in from Swinton to possibly fill in at centre although reports that Gene Miles will be flown back over to the UK, pending a late fitness test, are unconfirmed. Josh Woods was the hero in a narrow win over Warrington a fortnight ago and may form a halfback partnership with Sam Powell or Morgan Escare. Or Sam Tomkins. Or Thomas Leuluai. They have options, they’re just not options that terrify you in the way that Shaun Edwards and Andy Gregory used to. Shaun Edwards is still pretty terrifying, some might say.



What Wigan do have is pace out wide, with Tom Davies and Liam Marshall outstanding enough to make it barely noticeable that Burgess and long-term absentee Dom Manfredi are not around. Tomkins and Escare are speedy, elusive but fairly unreliable options at fullback in a defensive sense, but you can expect the usual grunt up front with the likes of Tony Pub Clubb, Ben Flower, John Bateman and Willie Isa. Watch your head. Another interesting dimension could be the return from injury of Joe Greenwood, recently of Saints but now of the other lot after selling his soul for a smack barm and another shot at Super League after a mixed time in the NRL with Gold Coast Titans. No doubt in Taia’s absence Greenwood will have what Alex Murphy used to call a field day and the main topic of conversation will be about how that Keiron Cunningham should never have let Greenwood go and replaced him with Taia anyway. Yawn.

The last meeting between the two was on Good Friday when Saints held off a late Wigan comeback to win 21-18 at home. Another result like that would do very nicely but there might be some looking at the list of absentees in the Wigan squad and at their somewhat erratic form in 2018 and expecting a more comfortable night. They probably won’t get it. Despite losing lamely at Huddersfield last week Wigan are a different animal in a derby, cliche or not, and are likely to find the idea of going down to third should Castleford beat Huddersfield on Friday somewhat unpalatable. Get ready for a bit of a scrap at the DW.

Squads;

Wigan Warriors;

1. Sam Tomkins, 2. Tom Davies, 3. Dan Sarginson, 7. Sam Powell, 8. Tony Clubb, 9. Thomas Leuluai, 10. Ben Flower, 14. John Bateman, 17. Taulima Tautai, 19. Willie Isa, 20. Morgan Escare, 22. Liam Marshall, 25. Romain Navarrete, 30. Gabriel Hamlin, 34. Josh Woods, 36. Samuel Kibula, 39. Liam Paisley, 40. Joe Greenwood, 41. Chris Hankinson.

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Ryan Morgan, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift, 6. Theo Fages, 9. James Roby, 10. Kyle Amor (pictured), 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, 21. Jack Ashworth, 23. Ben Barba.
Referee: Robert Hicks

Hull FC v St Helens - Preview

Things are getting semi-serious in Super League, with just three games of the regular season left and the start of the Super 8s. Ten games to go the start of the playoffs if you are still keeping up, as Saints visit the KCom Stadium to take on Hull FC on Friday night (July 13, kick-off 7.45pm).

Saints are still unbeaten since a mid-April reverse at Wakefield and, if Huddersfield don’t do it for them by beating Wigan on Thursday night, can seal top spot going into the Super 8s with a win over Lee Radford’s side. Yet Hull need the points to stop the four-point gap between them and the top four getting any bigger going into sport's greatest about to be discarded regular season bolt-on. I told you things were getting serious.

Holbrook will travel to Hull with just one change from the 19 on duty to face Widnes Vikings last week, but the starting line-up may be markedly different. Ben Barba and Tommy Makinson were named in the 19 last week but did not play, but both are expected to feature in this one. Ryan Morgan comes back into the squad after suffering a head knock in the win over Wakefield on June 29. That means Matty Costello misses out despite another fair effort in the centres last week as Saints coasted past Widnes 36-6.

Assuming Barba is fit to play fullback then the only selection decision would appear to surround Makinson, Morgan and Adam Swift. The latter’s hat-trick against the Vikings has planted the idea in the heads of many that he will keep his place on the right wing, forcing Makinson inside to centre and Morgan to miss out. Makinson performed pretty well at centre when Morgan was out of the side earlier in the season but shifting him inside still feels like square-peggery. Holbrook is a fairly ruthless operator when it comes to team selection and it would be a surprise if Morgan was not restored to the side with Makinson returning to the wing spot. Mark Percival and Regan Grace are unlikely to be shifted from their left edge partnership to accommodate Swift, so the 25-year-old try-line botherer may face disappointment this week.

Barba’s return would lead to another change, with Theo Fages dropping to the bench as Jonny Lomax returns to stand off alongside scrum half Danny Richardson. Matty Smith is the subject of yet more transfer talk this week with Catalans Dragons thought to be the latest suitor. Perhaps as a result Smith is again omitted from the 19 so should Barba not make it back to the starting line-up Saints will almost certainly have four forwards on the bench. They are likely to be Luke Douglas, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Morgan Knowles and Matty Lees while Luke Thompson and Kyle Amor should start at prop either side of James Roby. Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux continue in the second row with Jon Wilkin the starting lock.

Hull come into this one on the back of a fairly embarrassing 29-18 reverse at Huddersfield, a result which has left their top four hopes in some peril. They are still without Jamie Shaul at fullback, likely to be replaced by the always interesting Hakim Maloudi, while Fetuli Talanoa is also missing from the backline along with the talismanic Marc Sneyd and the powerful Josh Griffin. There was some better news on Griffin this week as he penned an extension to his deal which will keep him at Hull FC until the end of 2021. For now much will depend on Albert Kelly as well as man of the moment Jake Connor, Carlos Tuimavave and Bureta Faraimo if the home side are going to cause Saints any real problems with ball in hand.

The pack is arguably as strong as any other in Super League with England man Scott Taylor joined by Danny Houghton, Mark Minichiello and Mickey Paea. Yet without Josh Bowden, Sika Manu and Joe Westerman they face a tough test against a Saints side going for its 12th straight win. Masi Matongo will add impact from the bench but Radford may need the likes of Jordan Lane and Jansin Turgut to make a significant contribution.

Aside from Super League issues this one is also the second leg of the Steve Prescott Cup, played for annually between the two clubs since the untimely passing of the former fullback and tireless fundraiser. The cup is decided on aggregate over the regular season meetings between the two, with Saints presently holding a 26-12 lead. A Barba-less Saints nevertheless cruised to victory over the black and whites in early April. It was not so straightforward when the sides met in the Challenge Cup in June as FC ran Saints close with only their ill-discipline costing them. Sin-binnings for Houghton and Matongo proved crucial as Saints squeaked through to the semi-finals 25-22.

It could be just as close here, although Hull are a little bit out of sorts. As well as that surprise defeat to the Giants they have recently sneaked by whipping boys Widnes by just seven points in a 31-24 win, lost at home to Wigan and away at Warrington since their Magic Weekend derby success over Hull KR. Rovers visit the KCom on the final day of the regular season and that, along with a visit to Wakefield on July 22 looks like a much more likely source of points in Hull’s quest to stay in touch with the top four and a shot at Old Trafford.

While it isn’t quite clear at this stage which of Saints walking wounded will be fit to take their place in the line-up, or what Holbrook will do with the Makinson-Morgan-Swift conundrum Saints look to have the depth, the form and therefore the confidence to come away from Hull with a win. It’s often been a city where Saints have struggled with both FC and KR handing out some painful defeats in the Super League era. Yet this is a somewhat more focused, less flaky outfit than some of its predecessors so I’m going with Saints to edge it by a couple of scores.

Squads;

Hull FC;

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, 16. Jordan Abdul, 17. Danny Washbrook, 23. Mickey Paea, 24. Jack Logan, 25. Jansin Turgut, 26. Jordan Lane, 27. Jack Downs, 28. Hakim Miloudi, 29. Masimbaashe Matongo, 30. Cameron Scott.

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Ryan Morgan, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift, 6. Theo Fages, 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, 20. Matty Lees, 23. Ben Barba.

Referee: Liam Moore

5 Talking Points From Saints 36 Widnes Vikings 6

Where is Matty Smith?

For the first time in what seems like an age Matty Smith was left out of the 19-man squad to face Widnes which was named by Justin Holbrook two days before this fairly routine 36-6 victory. Smith hasn’t played very much under Holbrook and has not often been involved in the match day 17, so his omission would not normally raise an eyebrow. However, Saints had three backs missing for this one with all of Ben Barba, Tommy Makinson and Ryan Morgan carrying knocks. It made sense to recall Adam Swift and Matty Costello in these circumstances but was it logical to abandon the policy of having a back on the bench?

Theo Fages normally fills that role but he was required at stand off to allow Jonny Lomax to fill in for Barba at fullback. Costello slotted nicely into Morgan’s centre berth and Swift was outstanding in filling in for Makinson on the right wing, but even before James Roby was forced from the field close to half time it seemed that the omission of Smith represented something of a gamble. In the event it was Morgan Knowles who filled in for Roby at hooker for a spell, the England man returning after half-time before being withdrawn again once the win was assured in the second half. There isn’t too much to dislike about Knowles performance but he probably isn’t the man you want backing Roby up at this moment in time. Smith has turned in some decent performances in relief of Roby at times this season as has Fages, so it was odd to see the former Wigan half miss out.

Smith could be injured, that’s a possibility. Or, if we were to make a little more mischief out of the situation, we might suggest that his absence had something to do with the identity of the opposition. Smith has been linked with a move to Widnes, either permanently or on loan, for some time now. Could his non-selection have anything to do with the Vikings emerging as a future employer? Was there a gentleman’s agreement in place between Holbrook and the Widnes coaching staff that Smith would not play against a club he is about to join? All wild speculation of course, but this column is nothing if it is not wildly speculative.

Squad depth passes the test

Super League is a marathon not a sprint. There are still 10 games to play before the semi-finals home into view in September. The argument rages about whether there are too many games and this was surely one of the issues featuring prominently in Robert Elstone’s in-tray when he took over as the Super League CEO recently. It might be about to change, but whatever format is decided upon for 2019 you are still going to need a deep squad to be successful.

With those injuries to some key players Holbrook’s squad was tested this week. I can almost hear a collective ‘it was only Widnes’ as you contemplate this idea but as poor as they have been in recent months Widnes are still Super League opposition and are to be respected. It is not a given that you can beat them, especially with a slightly patched up side. Swift came in and showed everyone why he is probably the best back up winger in the country, while Costello didn’t look out of place either. Along with his superb hat-trick Swift led all Saints in metres gained with 173, and that on a night when seven other Saints broke the 100 metre barrier. One of those was Matty Lees, another who can reasonably be described as a squad player getting his chance because of Holbrook’s decision not to have a back on the bench. Lees gobbled up 115 metres on 18 carries. Five missed tackles suggest that the young prop’s defence could improve but his performance along with that of the other fringe players was good enough to underline the fact that Saints have the squad to go all the way on three fronts this season.

Swift evokes memories of his Super League debut

Adam Swift’s Super League debut was on 20 April 2012. He had made his first team debut in a barmy 40-38 Challenge Cup success. Both of those games were against Widnes and Swift, one of only four survivors from the 17 on duty that sunny but somehow freezing spring evening, helped himself to a hat-trick as Saints ran out 62-0 winners. I remember this being the first time my in-laws visited Langtree Park. Thankfully, some cladding-related improvements would make their next visit a little warmer.

The Vikings were a massive disappointment that day having gone so close in the cup just a few days before. But Swift was a revelation. Since then he has added another 114 tries to his tally but has found himself on the outside looking in since the emergence of Regan Grace last year. Swift has missed out on squad selection numerous times, only making eight appearances so far in 2018. He has five tries in those eight appearances, a record that compares favourably in terms of tries per game with Grace’s not too shabby 21 tries in 42 appearances since that memorable Good Friday debut at Wigan. Grace has 11 tries so far this term in 20 appearances.

So it seems we are very blessed in the wing department, especially when you remember that Makinson is now an England international in that position also. To have three players of that quality fighting for two spots is great for the team in terms of healthy competition for places, but the modern sportsman is a much more vainglorious beast now than in days gone by. If Makinson returns to fitness for the trip to Hull FC this weekend it will likely be Swift rather than Grace who makes way, unless Holbrook chooses not to recall Morgan and move Makinson inside to the centres. But I wouldn’t argue with a recall for Morgan with Grace and Makinson on either wing and Swift left out again. Grace was quiet against Widnes but scored twice in the win over Wakefield a week previously, the second of which was a spellbinding slice through three or four Trinity defenders on his way to the line. He's hardly out of form.

If Swift does miss out and continues to be viewed as a back up how long will it be before he tires of making the trip to Sheffield or some other Championship outpost every week when he knows that he could probably get a regular start for the majority of Super League clubs? Swift is 25 years old now and the next three or four years of his career should be his best. He’s a local boy who no doubt feels an immense sense of pride at pulling on the red vee but you would not blame him if he began looking for alternative employment given his current predicament.

The 10,000 barrier

When Super League was conceived back during the peak years of the battle between Oasis and Blur the somewhat arbitrary figure of 10,000 was bandied about as constituting a healthy Super League crowd. There was talk of all clubs playing in stadia which could accommodate at least that number of fans, something which still hasn’t happened in most of Yorkshire.

Saints are one of the few clubs in Super League to regularly attract that many fans, rarely falling below the 10,000 barrier. Yet Friday’s crowd of 9.923 was one such occasion when they fell short. Had they been playing Catalans, Huddersfield or any other club to whom the concept of away support is terribly old fashioned this would be nothing out of the ordinary. But this was Widnes. A club situated about 6 miles down the road and an age-old local rival. A former world champion club, a club which served the game well by breaking up the monotony of Wigan’s dominance by winning two league titles in the late 80s when stars like Martin Offiah, Jonathan Davies, John Devereux and company lit up the old Naughton Park.

The low crowd may partly be a consequence of how far the Vikings have fallen since then. Omitted from the original Super League line-up in fairly scandalous circumstances Widnes have fought their way back up to the top flight but never really threatened to return to their previous standing in the game. They are currently bottom of Super League, dead certs for middle eight involvement in August and less than certain of coming through that ordeal unscathed given their current form. They have not won a league game since the end of March and will be well aware of the challenges they will face from the likes of Toronto, Toulouse et al in the qualifiers.

But it wasn’t the Widnes fans staying at home. The East Stand has been markedly less populated by visitors from other clubs this season yet still we have managed to rustle up a crowd of over 10,000. Did a World Cup quarter-final between Brazil and Belgium on the television that night put some fans off? Or was it simply down to apathy and complacency, with many fans including this one never really convinced that Francis Cummins’ ailing side could pull of a shock victory? And so it proved. It was a fairly routine win for Saints yet still there was much to admire about some of the rugby played.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s fine to be a football fan, especially at a time when our national team is on the cusp of something so outrageously great that the country may well come to a standstill. Certainly if it can do so for Wills and Kate’s wedding in 2011 then there is an argument that it should do so if Gareth Southgate’s troops emulate the boys of ’66. But it wasn’t that hard to record the football and watch it as live after the Saints game. I managed it, and I am a buffoon. Many will argue that their circumstances prevent them from attending every game and that is a reasonable argument. You don’t have to be at every game to be considered a valued supporter. Yet it always seems to be the Widnes’ of this world whose fixtures fall at a time when cash is tight, work is awkward and the wife has the car. Had we been playing Wigan on Friday night, even up against a World Cup quarter final, there would have been a full house. The biggest problem would have been for those unable to get a ticket, desperately trawling the forums and social media to see if anyone lucky enough to have one is mad enough to sell it.

The World Cup will be over when Saints host Warrington in their next home fixture, their last of the regular season at THAT stadium. It’s a Thursday, which fans despise, but I’m willing to bet that more than 10,000 of us are on hand to witness it.

It’s Coming Home

No, not that. Although that is. Maybe. The it I refer to here is the League Leaders Shield. Saints have not always been convincing in recent weeks but they have kept on winning and still hold a six-point advantage at the top of the Super League table. Only three straight defeats and even then by ludicrous margins would stop Holbrook’s side starting the Super 8s in pole position. Which is just as well because Saints next three fixtures are somewhat tricky.

First up is a visit to Hull FC this weekend. It remains to be seen which of the personnel who missed this one will be fit to return against Lee Radford’s side but Hull away is always a difficult test. FC will be looking for a response after a quite woeful performance in going down 29-16 to an erratic Huddersfield outfit last time out but do they have it in them? They have suffered with injuries all season and do not look the same outfit without the influential Marc Sneyd.

And then there is Wigan. Always a 50-50 except for one June day in 2005 in the Challenge Cup at Knowsley Road when you had a feeling we would be too strong for them, Wigan have complicated matters by coming into form at just the wrong time. Their thrashing of Leeds Rhinos was followed by a gutsy 13-12 success over Warrington Wolves last weekend and with Shaun Wane now entering the death throes of his time at the helm you can be sure he will be ratcheting up his unique motivation techniques ahead of the clash at the DW on July 19. Another Thursday game, by the way. Saints sneaked past Wigan 21-18 on Good Friday and will find the going equally tough away from home against a Wigan side who know that defeat could well rule them out of the race for the League Leaders Shield. Eight points would be an awful lot to recover in eight games assuming Saints beat Hull FC and Wigan can see off temporarily useful Huddersfield.

Finally Saints host Warrington in the final regular season game of 2018. Saints swept Wire aside at the Halliwell Jones Stadium earlier in the season but since then coach Steve Price has turned around the Wolves’ season. Defeat to Wigan saw them slip to fourth in the table as Castleford handed Leeds their latest pasting but Warrington remain a firm favourite to make it into the semi-finals when all is said and done. They will want to lay down a marker that they can not only make it to the knockout games but that they are also a genuine contender to take home the trophy.

Victories in all three of these games will keep Saints six-point lead in tact at worst and maybe even improve it if the others in the top four slip up. At that point it would be very hard to see anyone catching them over that final seven game push towards the playoffs. Saints haven’t won the League Leaders Shield since they last won the Grand Final in 2014, a statistic that needs improving upon despite the somewhat lax attitude of many fans towards what is often sneeringly referred to as the hub cap. It may not mean as much as it used to, hence the sniggering at the Castleford fans celebration of their achievement in winning it last year, but if you really want to be considered a dominant champion side in any one season then the League Leaders Shield is a must. It looks good for Saints in that regard, so let’s just hope they don’t forget the small matter of a couple of playoff games at the end of the year too.

Saints v Widnes Vikings - Preview

Saints will try to inch closer to the League Leaders Shield this weekend when Widnes Vikings are the visitors on Friday night (July 6, kick-off 8.00pm).

Justin Holbrook’s side remain six points clear at the top of the BetFred Super League table going into Round 20 after an exciting if not totally convincing 34-30 win over Wakefield Trinity last time out. A win over bottom club Widnes would edge Saints just that little bit further towards capturing the scandalously under-valued League Leaders Shield for the first time since 2014 when they also went on to win the Grand Final.

Holbrook never under-estimates anyone, at least not publicly, so Widnes’ recent woeful form will not be a reason to take the foot off the pedal. The side coached temporarily by Francis Cummins following the departure of Denis Betts have not won in the league since the end of March. Meanwhile Saints haven't lost since going down narrowly at Wakefield in mid April. Despite that it could be argued that Saints need a performance as much for their own confidence as for the two points. They have been slightly scratchy in narrow wins over Leeds Rhinos and Trinity in their last two league encounters and against Hull FC in the Challenge Cup. The swagger of earlier in the season is less visible so it would be good to make a statement to the other contenders that Saints are still the team to beat in 2018.

To that end Holbrook has made three changes to his 19-man squad from that which were on duty against Trinity. Matty Smith played on dual registration for Sheffield Eagles last weekend, as did Adam Swift, but only the latter has made the cut having missed out in recent weeks. Smith’s omission from the 19 is something of a surprise and may or may not be related to the fact that he has been heavily linked with the Vikings in recent weeks. The former Wigan man has found it difficult to break into the Saints side this year with Jonny Lomax and Danny Richardson operating so well in the halves and Theo Fages adding another dimension off the bench. It would be no surprise to see Smith’s third Saints stint end sooner rather than later.

There were fears over Ben Barba’s fitness after he left the Wakefield game early with a knee injury. The Aussie star sustained the injury while making a trademark break from inside his own half. Despite his attempts to play on through the pain he was causing more harm than good by the mid-point of the second half. His withdrawal was the best thing for all concerned. Yet he is named in the 19 and will play if Holbrook is convinced he is fit to do so. The Saints boss doesn’t seem to be someone who rests players for the sake of it. Barba has again been yawn-inducingly linked with a move back to Cronulla amid some warble about Valentine Holmes moving to Brisbane, but it remains to be seen whether there is any merit in this or whether it is just the wishful thinking of an NRL-centric Australian media.

If Barba plays that locks Lomax and Richardson in the halves but there will be a change in the three-quarters where Ryan Morgan will be absent following a head knock against Wakefield. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook filled in during that game but should not be required to do so here. Swift’s recall may allow Tommy Makinson to move to centre where he impressed for a spell earlier in the season. If Holbrook prefers not to move Makinson from the wing he can look to Matty Costello who is recalled and has shown promise in the early stages of his Saints career. Regan Grace is coming in off the back of a two-try performance and will again hope to add to his tally outside the outstanding Mark Percival.

Kyle Amor’s return is a welcome one. Unless you are the luckless Jack Ashworth who misses out as a result. Ashworth is 23 years old now and reaching the point where if he cannot secure more first team rugby then a move may be on the cards. That would be a shame given his potential, but with Matty Lees also ahead of him in the pecking order Ashworth has it all to do to convince Holbrook to give him a run at prop. Oh for the days when he was a centre.

Back to Amor, and there is a school of thought which suggests that Saints have been struggling up front in recent weeks. Already without the devastating metre-eater that is Alex Walmsley, Amor’s absence deprived Saints of some vital experience in the front row. Lees and McCarthy-Scarsbrook held their own in Amor’s absence but you just feel that the Cumbrian may add a little bit more industry and reliability to the pack. Luke Thompson and the greenest of evergreens James Roby will likely complete the starting trio in the trenches, while Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux continue to impress in the second row. Jon Wilkin will share loose forward duties with Welsh international Morgan Knowles.

And so to Widnes. Hapless, middle eight-bound, comedy club Widnes. They have had a better week this week, first of all putting in an admirable display despite going down 31-24 at Hull FC, and then pooh-poohing any talk of financial woes with the capture of former Wigan nut-job centre Anthony Gelling on a two-year deal from 2019. Gelling is struggling to break into a formidable New Zealand Warriors side in the NRL since leaving those other Warriors but showed enough during his time over the lump to prove that he can be as devastating as he is unpredictable. He will give Widnes another genuine strike player and in tandem at centre with Krisnan Inu could be well worth the entrance money of a long-suffering Widnes crowd. The defeat to Hull, while gallant and not lacking in quality and endeavour, consigned Widnes to the middle eights for 2018. The fight starts now to preserve their Super League status with the likes of Toronto, Toulouse, Halifax, Featherstone, London and Leigh all scrapping to get back to the promised land.

The result here then is less important for the Vikings than the manner of their performance, arguably at least. Absentees include Patrick Ah Van, Lloyd White, Hep Cahill, Chris Dean and Greg Burke but there is still plenty for Saints to think about in this Widnes squad. Rhys Hanbury is a fine try-scoring support player at fullback while Inu, Stefan Marsh and Charly Runciman have pace in the backs. There could be a part to play for 19 year-old winger Owen Buckley. As we are all gripped with World Cup fever, consider the fact that Buckley was not born when David Beckham flicked a boot in the general direction of Diego Simeone in France to scupper the hopes of disabled rights campaigner Glenn Hoddle and his side. Joe Mellor has been linked with a move to Warrington this week but for now should take his place in the halves alongside Tom Gilmore or Danny Craven.



The Widnes pack also has some handy operators, not least the St.Helens born Matt Whitley in the second row and the inventive Weller Hauraki signed recently from Salford Red Devils. Chris Houston returns after another ref-related spell on the side-lines with Tom Olbison, Gil Dudson and Aaron Heremaia all set to feature.

Cummins has to find a way to build his side’s confidence ahead of the tests to come in August and a credible performance at the home of the side currently topping the table by a distance should provide that. Whether it will be enough to see them past a stuttering but still formidable Saints outfit is questionable. Two or three changes may be necessary for Saints but that will probably not halt them in their stride and I expect Holbrook’s men to come out on top in this one by three or four scores.

Squads;

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift, 6. Theo Fages, 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, 20. Matty Lees, 23. Ben Barba, 30. Matty Costello.

Widnes Vikings;

1. Rhys Hanbury, 2. Stefan Marsh, 3. Krisnan Inu, 4. Charly Runciman, 6. Joe Mellor, 7. Tom Gilmore, 8. Gil Dudson, 10. Alex Gerrard, 11. Chris Houston, 12. Matt Whitley, 15. Danny Craven, 16. Tom Olbison, 17. Sam Wilde, 20. Macgraff Leuluai, 23. Danny Walker, 25. Jay Chapelhow, 33. Aaron Heremaia, 39. Weller Hauraki, 40. Owen Buckley.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas