Saints have a healthy four-point lead atop the Betfred Super League going into this Round 14 clash. They have failed in only one mission so far in 2019, that coming in the south of France when they were downed 18-10 by Catalans Dragons in Perpignan in early April. Justin Holbrook’s men avenged that loss last weekend when a scratch team of rebels blasted Steve McNamara’s side off the park in a 50-14 win. The result was all the more remarkable for the fact that it was achieved without all of Lachlan Coote, Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival, Jonny Lomax, Luke Thompson, James Roby, Morgan Knowles and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Fears that the young Saints outfit would find the Dragons too physical were allayed as the likes of Jack Welsby, James Bentley, Joe Batchelor, Matty Costello and Aaron Smith stepped in to the void to deliver some fine performances.
Some but not all of Saints absent stars will return this week. Lomax and Coote were surprise omissions last week having made the initial 19-man selection. Both are included again and this time expected to start. Meanwhile Makinson returns from the back spasms which forced him out of the Easter Monday win over Hull FC and Knowles is now free from suspension. James Roby is available again as Smith finds himself unfortunate to be left out of the squad following his man of the match effort last time out. Bentley and Batchelor have also missed out but Welsby and Costello may get another chance to impress. Percival, Thompson and McCarthy-Scarsbrook have more troublesome injury worries and are not expected to feature for at least the next six weeks or so.
So the big question for Holbrook is whether to stick with the men who earned the win over the Dragons last week or restore his more experienced players. Lomax and Coote were playing as well as anyone before their unexpected week off while there is a choice to be made on how best to deploy Makinson. Should he come back into his favoured right-wing spot at the expense of Adam Swift to allow Costello to continue at centre? Or should Holbrook slot Makinson back into the centre role to allow Swift to continue? It should be remembered that Swift has four tries in his two Super League outings so far this season having been recalled to the team following Percival’s injury at Wigan. And if Costello is the man to stand down how do you square that after his hat-trick against Catalans?
The only members of the back five who look certain of a start are Regan Grace and Kevin Naiqama. In the halves one of Lomax, Theo Fages or Danny Richardson will miss out on a starting spot but may secure a place on the bench. Richardson arguably had his best game for Saints - either this year or last - in the win over Catalans and would feel hard done by if he lost his place. Yet at the same time Fages had performed very well until the hip injury he picked up when Saints last met Hull KR at the end of March.
The forward pack selections look a little more straightforward. Roby will slot back in for Smith while Alex Walmsley has been even more outstanding than usual since losing Thompson as his starting prop partner. Matty Lees starts favourite to line-up alongside Walmsley and Roby in the front row but Jack Ashworth and Kyle Amor will feel they also have a case. Dominique Peyroux and Zeb Taia look certainties with Bentley and Batchelor missing out on selection and it would be a major surprise if Knowles does not reclaim his starting loose forward role from Joseph Paulo. The latter will start on the bench in all likelihood, probably alongside both Amor and Ashworth with one of Fages or Richardson perhaps as a back-line option on the bench. The selection of Fages in that role would make the most sense as he can also play at hooker.
Rovers arrive in the kind of stinking, lamentable form that could yet lead to a relegation battle. They couldn’t win a game of chess with a Wookie right now, even if the Wookie was letting them win. They have lost their last three Super League games, conceding 138 points in the process. Their last win was a 14-10 squeeze past Leigh Centurions in the Challenge Cup while their last success in Super League was a fairly wild 45-26 victory over Leeds Rhinos on April 4. They have slid down to second from bottom of the table, just two points ahead of a London Broncos side which looks to be finally finding out about life at the top level. If Rovers’ form doesn’t pick up then the struggles of the Broncos might be the only thing that keeps Tim Sheens’ side in Super League for 2020.
For this one Sheens has made minimal changes to his 19-man squad, drafting in youngsters Adam Rooks and Harry Bardle in place of Owen Harrison and smooth pub banter-merchant Joel Tomkins. Former Saint Adam Quinlan remains side-lined through injury along with five-minute prop Mose Masoe. Mitch Garbutt has been one of Rovers’ better pack performers but is also out along with another ex-Saint, the much maligned, often overawed Tommy Lee.
The Robins will again rely heavily on Josh Drinkwater for creativity in the middle of the field with old stager Danny McGuire or hot prospect Chris Atkin alongside him. Veteran Craig Hall is a dependable presence at fullback while Jimmy Keinhorst, Ryan Shaw and Ben Crooks are the mainstays of the three-quarter line. Up front experience is provided by the excellent Shaun Lunt at hooker, Weller Hauraki in the back row and Kane Linnett who scored twice when Rovers came to St Helens a few weeks ago. Rob Mulhern has only recently returned from injury but was on the cusp of international honours following some impressive early-season form before that.
Boring clichés abound when it comes to describing a visit to Hull KR. For a good spell between 2009 and 2016 Saints couldn’t buy a league win there. The best they could muster in that run was a 36-36 draw in 2012 when Roby was a try-scorer. Saints did not break that winless sequence until a 31-22 win in February 2016 which saw Makinson cross for Saints and Shaw for Rovers. Of the sides that turned out that day only six Saints and three Robins are likely to do so again this week. Three years is a long time in rugby league.
Long enough in fact for the old adage about tough places to go to no longer ring true about Rovers. Not on current form, in any event. If Saints can put 50 points past Catalans with eight of their top players missing they should have more than enough to earn the win against a Rovers side that is marooned on Tatooine and about to fall into the jaws of the Sarlacc. Just because they are at home I’m going to tip them to keep it respectable but this Saints side are the class outfit of 2019 and should secure a 20-24 point win.
Squads;
Hull KR;
2. Craig Hall, 3. Ben Crooks, 4. Jimmy Keinhorst, 5. Ryan Shaw, 7. Danny McGuire, 8. Robbie Mulhern, 9. Shaun Lunt, 13. Weller Hauraki, 17. Chris Atkin, 19. Junior Vaivai, 20. Danny Addy, 21. George Lawler, 22. Ryan Lannon, 23. Kane Linnett, 24. Josh Drinkwater, 25. Will Oakes, 31. Adam Rooks, 33. Harry Bardle, 34. Antoni Maria.
St Helens;
1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Joseph Paulo, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 18. Adam Swift, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 23. Lachlan Coote 24. Matty Costello, 29. Jack Welsby.
Referee: Liam Moore
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