Wakefield Trinity v St Helens - Preview

At a fans forum on Tuesday night (February 5) host Alan Rooney joked with panel members and Saints new boys Joseph Paulo and Kevin Naiqama that having been part of a derby victory on their Super League debuts it did not matter if they failed win another game all season. He jested, of course. We all know that having beaten Adrian Lam’s Wigan side last time out the expectation on Saints is even higher as they prepare to visit the Mobile Rocket Stadium to face Wakefield Trinity in a BetFred Super League Round 2 clash on Sunday (February 10, kick-off 3.00pm).

You wouldn’t expect too many changes to a Saints side which is exceptionally pleased with itself after slaying the old enemy with something to spare last week. And you don’t get many. Justin Holbrook has made just the one alteration to the 19 who were on duty last week, with Jack Ashworth dropping out in favour of James Bentley. Ashworth was a surprise omission from the 17 against Wigan allowing Kyle Amor another opportunity to prolong his Saints career. Yet the 23-year-old Rochdale-born prop responded by starring for Leigh Centurions on dual registration in their 24-16 win over Toulouse on Sunday (February 3). He will get another chance to aid the Centurions effort for 2019 and keep his own match fitness when they visit Halifax at the same time that Saints face Wakefield on Sunday.

That will leave Bentley, who starred in the limited opportunities he was given by Holbrook in the first team towards the end of 2018, to fight to get into the match day 17. That will be no small task given the level of performance in Round 1. Amor surely deserves another chance and with Alex Walmsley, Luke Thompson, James Roby, Zeb Taia, Dominique Peyroux, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Matty Lees, Morgan Knowles and Paulo all having strong cases for inclusion it is difficult to see where Bentley might squeeze in to the pack options. That is unless Holbrook takes an early opportunity to rest players, remembering that a lack of rotation was one of the most oft quoted reasons for Saints failure to progress beyond the semi-finals in 2018 having won the league at a canter.

Lachlan Coote made all talk of a return to Saints for troubled Ben Barba obsolete with an assured performance against the cherry and whites and should again be the last line of defence behind a three-quarter line featuring Tommy Makinson, Naiqama, Mark Percival and Regan Grace. The young Welshman looked fallible under the high ball in the season opener and could be targeted by wily rent-a-gob Danny Brough, newly acquired by Trinity from Huddersfield Giants in the offseason. Brough was sin-binned for opening his considerable trap late on in Wakefield’s opening weekend defeat by London Broncos but is still in possession of one of the finest kicking games in the competition if his discipline holds.

The newly appointed Steve Prescott Man Of Steel panel did not acknowledge it but Theo Fages was among the best players on show in the derby. He romped the WA12 Radio Rugby League Show poll for man of the match but was not among the three players given points towards the main individual gong for the season by the experts. Roby will likely get points every week but it was more surprising to see Thompson recognised ahead of Fages in what was one of the quieter performances from the prop by his own magnificent standards. Thompson has been linked with a move to the NRL in the past week, but the lack of any quotes indicating that he will go suggests that it was mischief making to stop us all getting carried away with the news that Roby, Makinson and Jonny Lomax have all signed new contracts with the club in the last fortnight. Too much of a good thing, and all of that. Lomax will partner Fages in the halves in all likelihood but Danny Richardson is named and could yet be restored to the line-up after a troubled pre-season. That would be harsh on Fages but far from the first time that he has been the victim of selection chicanery from Holbrook.

Wakefield come into this one knowing that things can only get better after they were humbled by the Broncos last week. Coach Chris Chester suggested that the 42-24 defeat was the worst performance he has been involved with during his time as boss of the Trinity outfit. In response he has made the sum total of zero tactical changes, with both alterations to his 19-man party forced upon him by injury. James Batchelor, brother of Saints forward Joe who has just re-joined York City Knights on loan for a month, misses out as well as hooker Tyler Randell. In come experienced campaigners Craig Huby and Danny Kirmond in their place. Randell's absence significantly weakens Wakefield in a key area and no doubt improves the chances of Roby having a major influence.

Ryan Hampshire should start at fullback with the pace of Ben Jones-Bishop and Tom Johnstone on the wings outside centre pairing Reece Lyne and the excellent Bill Tupou. Jacob Miller seems likeliest to partner Brough in the halves while former Saints Matty Ashurst should feature in the second row. Tinirau Arona, Craig Kopczak, Anthony England and David Fifita feature in a formidable and sizeable pack while Kyle Wood could be handed the difficult task of replacing Randell. George King has moved east from Warrington to offer his versatility also. Even without the injured pair and the also absent Pauli Pauli Chester is not short of quality options in his side. He will know that he must get at least a positive performance out of his side following the London defeat even if beating Saints looks a tall order.

History suggests it’s not an impossible job, however. Wakefield beat Saints 24-20 at the Mobile Rocket in April of last year and ran Saints close at the equally stupidly named stadium occupied by Saints in June, coming back from 20-6 down at half-time to eventually go down 34-30. Saints last visit to Wakefield was a less taxing affair as Holbrook’s men ran out 36-16 winners in August, scoring seven tries to three among which was a brace for Makinson. Both of these sides can rack up points in a hurry and it might just be that if Saints can conjure a repeat of their strong defensive display from a week ago that they will have enough to start the season two wins from two.

Squads;

Wakefield Trinity;

Tinirau Arona, Joe Arundel, Matty Ashurst, Danny Brough, Jordan Crowther, Anthony England, David Fifita, Ryan Hampshire, Justin Horo, Craig Huby, Tom Johnstone, Ben Jones-Bishop, George King, Danny Kirmond, Craig Kopczak, Reece Lyne, Jacob Miller, Bill Tupou, Kyle Wood

St Helens;
1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Joseph Paulo, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 22. James Bentley, 23. Lachlan Coote.

Referee: Robert Hicks