Castleford Tigers v St Helens - Preview

Saints hope to make it seven wins in a row to start the 2019 BetFred Super League campaign when they visit the Mend-A-Hose Jungle to take on Castleford Tigers on Friday night (March 22, kick-off 7.45pm).

Justin Holbrook’s side were challenged for the first 40 minutes of last week’s clash with Huddersfield Giants but proved far too strong in the end, running out 40-12 winners after a strong second half display. That followed wins over Wigan, Wakefield, Leeds, Salford and London which see Saints sit two points clear of the Tigers and Warrington at the top of the table going into this one. It’s a crucial opportunity to open up a bit of daylight over Daryl Powell’s side who are one of the sides heavily fancied to be in the play-off shake-up by the end of the season.

Holbrook has kept faith with the exact same 19-man squad that travelled to Huddersfield. That means no place for Danny Richardson, with the only selection posers seemingly at prop. Jack Ashworth got the nod last week but was sparsely used and he, Matty Lees, Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook will all compete for game time alongside the established starters Luke Thompson and Alex Walmsley. James Roby is likely to be the only recognised hooker if as expected Aaron Smith doesn’t make the final 17. Look for Morgan Knowles to fill in there at certain points along the way should the England star need a rest in his much anticipated duel with Castleford’s Paul McShane.

Dominique Peyroux had a fantastic game at the John Smith’s Stadium last week and he will line up in the second row alongside Zeb Taia with Knowles likely to start at loose forward. Joseph Paulo will alternate for any of those three from the bench.

Lachlan Coote has been earning high praise for his performances this year so far, so much so that the memory of Ben Barba fades more with each passing week. Coote will be the last line of defence again for Saints and will offer his eye-catching array of passing skills in attack. That could lead to opportunities for wingers Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace outside of the centre pairing of Mark Percival and Kevin Naiqama. In the halves, Theo Fages has been linked with a move to the NRL when his Saints contract runs out at the end of the current season. It could just be agent talk, but whether or not Australia beckons expect the Frenchman to continue to get the nod at scrum-half with the excellent Jonny Lomax alongside him at stand-off.

The big news coming out of Castleford this week is the release of utility back Ben Roberts. The New Zealand and Samoan international has been out of the Tigers side through injury for some time and it was decided mutually between the player and the club that he should be released from his contract. One of Roberts’ most famous moments in a Cas shirt arrived when he dropped a late goal at the Jungle to send Saints to a damaging defeat in 2015. A fit Roberts would have been a threat again here but there has to be doubts now about whether another Super League club will take a chance on the 33-year-old.

With Luke Gale and Jamie Ellis also out long term it has meant that Jake Trueman’s time as a regular first team starter has come a little earlier than he might have expected, while the experience in the halves comes from former Hull FC man Jordan Rankin.

Roberts couldn’t solve Castleford’s fullback problem when Zak Hardaker’s troubled private life blew a hole in the Tigers’ 2017 title aspirations but since then Peter Mata’utia has come in from Leigh and made the position his own. Out wide Greg Eden is again the top scorer in the competition in the early weeks but with James Webster having departed at the end of last season Greg Mikinin or Alex Foster will operate at centre with James Clare in contention for a spot also. Former Saint Michael Shenton is still a classy presence at left centre and will no doubt give Naiqama all that he can handle defensively.

It should be a fascinating battle up front as McShane is flanked by England hopeful Liam Watts and the returning Grant Millington. The latter was suspended for two games after being involved in an altercation in the win over Hull KR in early March. Having sat out the loss to Warrington and last week’s return to the winner’s circle over Salford Red Devils Millington will be a key figure if Castleford hope to contain Walmsley, Thompson and Roby. Mike McMeeken is still missing from the second row which is a blow for Powell but in Oliver Holmes, Jesse Sene-Lefao, Nathan Massey and Adam Milner the former Leeds coach still has plenty of back row options. Junior Moors, Tuoyo Egodo and recent pick-up Chris Clarkson complete the Tigers 19-man selection.

This should be Saints biggest challenge yet. The Tigers have lost just that one game against Steve Price’s in-form Warrington outfit and are always a difficult proposition on home soil. Yet Saints defence has been outstanding this term, with four of their six opponents so far having failed to register a single point in the second half of their meetings with Holbrook’s men. If Saints can produce that kind of desire to defend their line and keep Castleford’s wide-running attackers out of the game then they should have more than enough to extend their unbeaten record. Yet off nights happen, and if Saints were to produce one here it would be likely to prove costly.

Two tries from Knowles and Fages helped Saints to a 40-18 win on their last visit to Castleford in Super League last May, while they also knocked Powell’s side out of the Challenge Cup thanks to some cape-wearing chicanery from Barba. Their last defeat at the Jungle was that never to be forgotten play-off semi-final in 2017 when Gale’s drop-goal secured a Golden Point win to get the Tigers to Old Trafford where they were Zak-ed into defeat by Leeds Rhinos.

It could be that close again, but if it goes to form then Saints punishing defence should see them home by the odd score or two. Saints by 10.

Squads;

Castleford Tigers;

1. Peter Mata’utia, 2. James Clare, 3. Greg Minikin, 4. Michael Shenton, 5. Greg Eden, 6. Jake Trueman, 8. Liam Watts, 9. Paul McShane, 10. Grant Millington, 11. Oliver Holmes, 13. Adam Milner, 14. Nathan Massey, 15. Jesse Sene-Lefao, 16. Junior Moors, 17. Alex Foster, 18. Matt Cook, 25. Tuoyo Egodo, 32. Jordan Rankin, 33. Chris Clarkson.

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 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, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 23. Lachlan Coote.


Referee: James Child