The Broncos have spent those five years in the relative wilderness of the Championship since their 2014 relegation from Super League. Now they are back, and after beating expansionists’ favourites Toronto Wolfpack in last year’s Million Pound Game the Broncos are already making their presence felt among the elite. They arrive in St Helens with two wins from their first five outings, with both Wakefield Trinity and Wigan leaving the capital empty handed already in 2019. They’re a long way from safety and would still be most people’s favourites to occupy the bottom spot in the table that would bring with it an automatic and immediate return to the second tier, but they travel north with a lot more hope than they might have done.
The problem for London is that as much as they have been making waves in the early part of the season, they are facing a Saints side which has quietly gone about the business of winning four out of four in the league. Saints have already seen off Wigan, Wakefield, Leeds and Salford without really clicking into top gear, and will start this one as a heavy favourite also. Mind, who hasn’t seen off Wigan this year? Only a supposedly independent Sport Resolutions bows down to the Warriors perceived power these days. Yet Saints form is good enough that most fans seem to be calling for key players to be rested this week, mindful of the stuttering end to last season which saw another last four exit despite spending much of the year streets ahead of the competition. Yet Holbrook let it be known early this week that the was not about to implement a rotation policy, stating that if the players are fit they will play, and adding that at just four games in it is probably still too early to be thinking about giving his top players a breather.
It is for that reason that he has made just one change to the 19-man squad on duty for last week’s trip to Salford Red Devils. Kevin Naiqama missed that one following the concussion he picked up in the previous week’s win over Leeds Rhinos, but returns this week to replace Matty Costello. The latter performed admirably against Ian Watson’s side, not least in defence where his 32 tackles were a big part of the reason that the words Junior and S’au were not mentioned too much in the television commentary or in the press reports following Saints win. Yet a fit Naiqama is always going to hold sway over Costello. In addition it is arguable that Naiqama needs the match practice every bit as much as Costello does given that the Fijian has only played two full Super League games since his arrival from Wests Tigers in the off-season.
The rest of the Saints 17 should remain unchanged. Lachlan Coote’s name has been thrown into the mix for Great Britain following the announcement of the 2019 Lions tour this week. That might be an early call but the Scottish international has made a solid start to his Saints career since joining from North Queensland Cowboys. He is defensively sound, reads the game superbly and has a halfback’s ability to find the open man in space. Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace will occupy the wings slots with Mark Percival partnering Naiqama in the centres.
Links with rugby union star George Ford have thrown Theo Fages’ long-term future at Saints. Ford is the son of former rugby league star Mike Ford and has been linked to several clubs in the Super League who are no doubt mindful that his salary would not count on the cap for the first year of his contract, and only 50% of it would count in the second year. Unless of course he signs for Wigan in which none of it would count in the first year, 50% in the second year, all of it in the third year but then any penalty incurred for overspending rescinded on appeal. Back to Fages, who is in the final year of his contract at Saints which adds further fuel to the Ford fire. Yet it is more likely that the union star’s agent is merely trying to bump up his next contract in the eye-sore code. A move to Saints looks unlikely, especially now that Fages seems settled in the halfback position alongside stand-off Jonny Lomax.
The pack was the one area where rotation seemed more likely but Holbrook’s thoughts on the matter should see the best front row anywhere in world rugby unaltered as James Roby starts at hooker in between props Alex Walmsley and Luke Thompson. James Bentley is the only competition for Zeb Taia or Dominique Peyroux in the second row now that Joe Batchelor has been allowed to return to York City Knights on a season-long loan. Saints have the right to recall Batchelor at 24 hours notice should they need him but the likelihood is that he will play out another season in Championship before trying again to make the step up in 2020. Morgan Knowles is the starting 13 these days though expect to see Joseph Paulo fitting into that position or anywhere along the back row when needed off the bench. The props are backed up by a rejuvenated Kyle Amor, Matty Lees and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook although Jack Ashworth will be hopeful of an opportunity also after a standout stint on dual registration with Leigh Centurions.
London have limited Super League experience but one name that will immediately strike Saints fans for its absence is that of Ryan Morgan. Morgan played two seasons at centre for Saints before the arrival of Naiqama and is on loan to the Broncos for 2019 but does not feature here. Among the others in Danny Ward’s 19-man squad with top flight experience Morgan’s fellow ex-Saints Greg Richards and Matty Fleming, ex-Hull FC man Jordan Abdull, former Bradford and Crusaders three-quarter Elliot Kear and French hooker Eloi Pelissier. Keiran Dixon was the match-winner against Wigan with a 90-yard interception try and he remains from the Broncos last foray into the big time. Eddie Battye is making quite a name for himself in the front row as is fullback Alex Walker, while academy products Jacob Ogden and James Meadows are included and could make their Super League debuts.
Yet despite the glory and let’s face it hilarity of London’s victory over Wigan there doesn’t seem to be enough in this squad to suggest that they can come to the home of an in-form Saints and come away with anything other than a chastening defeat. They may prove a tough nut to crack early in the game but as it wears on you should expect Saints greater strength, speed, skill and fitness to carry them to what would be a fifth straight Super League success.
Squads;
St.Helens;
Lomax, Makinson, Naiqama, Percival, Grace, Fages, Walmsley, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Paulo, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Knowles, Amor, Peyroux, Lees, Ashworth, Bentley, Coote.
London Broncos;
Abdull, Adebiyi, Battye, Butler, Davis, Fleming, Fozard, Gee, Ioane, Kear, Lovell, Meadows, Ogden, Pelissier, Richards, Smith, Walker, Williams, Yates.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
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