Saints v Warrington Wolves - Preview

It’s not quite war, but there is still plenty at stake when Saints entertain Warrington Wolves in a BetFred Super League Round 10 meeting on Friday night (April 12, kick-off 7.45pm).

Notwithstanding tedious and ill-conceived promotional blather around the game there is still plenty for fans of either side to get all pumped up about. Saints’ defeat at Catalans Dragons last time out has left the Wolves at the top of the table on points difference. Maths enthusiasts will have worked out then that the winner of this one will take a two-point advantage at the top. With others struggling to keep up with the pace set by Saints and Warrington a win on Friday could be significant in the battle for the League Leaders Shield. I can almost hear you sniffing, Saints fans, but don’t forget that this year that comes with a second chance to reach Old Trafford via a home playoff game. That should help the fans and players alike crack a bit more of a smile should we manage to defend that particular dish.

Saints faced the Dragons last week without either of their first choice halfbacks. Theo Fages is still missing with the hip injury he picked up in the win over Hull KR a fortnight ago and so Danny Richardson will again deputise. Last week Richardson was partnered by Jack Welsby after Jonny Lomax suffered a late illness. That didn’t help either young half so it will be vital that Lomax is on hand to guide the team around this week.

The only change to the 19-man squad sees Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook return in place of the unfortunate Welsby. McCarthy-Scarsbrook missed last week to be with his partner who was expecting their child. There must have been a power cut in a few Saints households late last summer after Alex Walmsley and Zeb Taia also welcomed new additions to their families in recent weeks. Both returned for the Dragons trip and both will be pivotal here. Expect McCarthy-Scarsbrook to oust one of Jack Ashworth, Kyle Amor or Matty Lees for a place on the bench in coach Justin Holbrook’s final match day 17. The smart money is probably on Amor who doesn’t appear to be on Holbrook’s Christmas card list, although Ashworth could yet be the one to be stood down. Matty Lees has been more involved than either of late so it would be a surprise to see him omitted.

Elsewhere in the pack James Roby leads by example again, with Luke Thompson making up the front row along with Walmsley. Dominique Peyroux was one of Saints better performers in a display that the cool kids of today are already calling ‘meh’ against Steve McNamara’s men and is a near certainty to start alongside Taia in the second row with Morgan Knowles behind them at loose forward. Joseph Paulo has been the subject of some criticism on social media for his lack of statistical contribution in attack, a criticism that never seems to be applied to Knowles. The truth is that both are very similar, ferocious workers in defence but currently struggling to burst a hole in the proverbial paper bag with ball in hand. It makes you long for Jon Wilkin. Almost.

Saints’ backs are a much more dangerous proposition for any defence, particularly Lachlan Coote who continues to impress at fullback. There is a decision to be made by Holbrook on whether Coote continues with the goalkicking duties with Richardson now back in the side, but aside from an underwhelming success rate in that department Coote has been imperious since joining Saints at he start of the season. He’ll play behind a three-quarter line of Tommy Makinson, Regan Grace, Mark Percival and Kevin Naiqama. Adam Swift has regained fitness, scoring twice while playing at centre for Leigh Centurions on dual registration last week, but has not done enough to earn a place in Holbrook’s thinking for this one on the evidence of his 19-man squad. Naiqama’s position has also been questioned by a significant portion of the fans but the lack of a truly credible candidate to replace him at that right centre position, plus the presumably massive barrel of cash that the Fijian takes home each week are so far enough to convince Holbrook to persist with his new signing.

The squad is completed by Aaron Smith who, while a more than able deputy for Roby whenever he has been called upon, has not been selected whenever Roby is deemed fit enough. With a certain Daryl Clark on the other side we’ve got everything crossed that Roby is not suffering from any ‘slight niggles’ that have hampered him at times this season or that he is not suffering any ill effects from his quite ridiculous 61-tackle effort in Perpignan.

Warrington’s squad is strong enough that there is no place in it for Jake Mamo who has just signed a new deal with the club this week. He has featured on the wing at times since his move from Huddersfield Giants but it looks very much as if coach Steve Price intends to go with former Hull FC tugboat Tom Lineham and the prolific, tattooed irritant Josh Charnley in those positions. Stefan Ratchford is the fullback and his duel with Coote could be fascinating, while if there is a weakness in Warrington’s backline it is at centre where Bryson Goodwin continues to miss out through injury. Toby King and Ryan Atkins are the likely pairing there, behind a halfback partnership of the hitherto spellbinding Blake Austin and young gun Declan Patton. Kevin Brown was lost for the season before it even kicked off, so Patton has the job of providing the foil for the increasingly brilliant Austin. Along with Clark, everything Wire do in attack seems to go through him and what was a very mean Saints defence before the Hull KR game will have to be back to its early season best to handle the former Canberra Raiders man.


Up front Warrington fans will be confident that there front three of Clark, Chris Hill and Mike Cooper can match Saints celebrated trio. It will be another epic battle (no war metaphors, sorry) among many all over the field as the competition’s two most talented squads go head-to-head. Jack Hughes must be highly thought of by Price as he was rested for the Wolves 48-12 win over London Broncos last time out. He will likely partner the injury-prone but classy Ben Currie in the second row with one of Jason Clark, Ben Murdoch Masila or Joe Philbin completing the back row. Harvey Livett is in the 19-man squad after starting against the Broncos but along with former London man Matt Davis, young hooker Danny Walker and former Saints lightweight Lama Tasi he will do well to get into Price’s 17-man selection on the night. Pantomime villain and all around unconvincing ogre Ben Westwood is still suspended after pushing Morgan Escare away with his head three weeks ago.

Saints once went a on a preposterous run of just one defeat in 44 league matches with Warrington, including a quite hilarious 72-2 pounding at Knowsley Road that you can read about elsewhere on these pages this week. However, things are a little less one-sided and predictable these days with Saints having lost no less than 13 times to Warrington since February 2011. The worst of these was undoubtedly a 48-22 larruping at Magic in 2013 while the most painful during that time is arguably still the 2016 Super League semi-final in which Warrington failed to score a single legal try and yet still managed to win 18-10. All of which was the usual waste of time for the Wolves as their inability to win a Grand Final remains legendary.

They might well win this one though. Doubts have to remain about Saints halfback pairing with Richardson unconvincing in Perpignan. Fages had become a vital cog in the machine in the early part of the season so much depends on Lomax and at times Coote if Saints are to provide the creativity they will need to break down the Wire defence. This being That Saints Blog You Quite Like and not That Warrington Blog You Quite Like I’m going to tip Saints to edge it, but only with the kind of confidence that I have in Joe Root correctly calling the outcome of a coin toss.

Squads;

St Helens;

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

Warrington Wolves;

Ryan Atkins, Blake Austin, Josh Charnley, Daryl Clark, Jason Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Matt Davis, Chris Hill, Jack Hughes, Toby King, Tom Lineham, Harvey Livett, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Declan Patton, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford, Lama Tasi, Danny Walker.

Referee: James Child


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