St Helens v Salford Red Devils - Preview

Safe passage to the last eight of the Challenge Cup now secured, Saints turn their attentions back to Betfred Super League business when they entertain Salford Red Devils in a Round 15 match-up on Friday night (May 17, kick-off 7.45pm).

Justin Holbrook’s side were not entirely convincing in squeaking past Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium in Sunday’s cup tie (May 12). They did enough though, and will be hoping to build on their four-point lead at the top of the league table when Ian Watson’s side roll into town. The Red Devils come in off the back of a disappointing cup defeat to Hull KR which, if nothing else, leaves them to concentrate fully on trying to consolidate their league position and maybe even challenge for one of the five play-off spots available at season’s end.

Holbrook has made two changes to his squad for this one. Danny Richardson is perhaps surprisingly left out. Theo Fages turned in a distinctly marmite performance at Huddersfield which some felt might lead to Richardson getting another opportunity to impress. Yet it is Fages in whom Holbrook is placing his faith for this week, with Jack Welsby drafted back into the 19 at Richardson’s expense. The other change sees James Roby stood down with again a suggestion of a ‘niggling’ injury. That is likely to lead to a start for Aaron Smith at hooker while James Bentley comes back into the initial selection after missing out last week.

Holbrook has hinted at one or two changes to the starting line-up for this one. Already without Roby, Mark Percival, Luke Thompson and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook through injury the Saints coach named Matty Lees as another who might have a slight fitness problem. Lees has been starting at prop alongside Alex Walmsley since Thompson hobbled out of the Easter Monday win over Hull FC. If Lees is not fit to go then Jack Ashworth or Kyle Amor can expect to get the call into the starting line-up, with perhaps Bentley and/or Welsby earning a bench spot to cover a number of positions.

The rest of the team should have a familiar look about it. Adam Swift is named and might challenge for a wing spot if Holbrook feels that Matty Costello needs to come out of the firing line. Costello has deputised well for Percival on the whole but there is just the feeling that Saints left edge defence is slightly weaker with the inexperienced Costello out there. Tommy Makinson could make the switch from right wing to centre, but if not then expect Costello to be given another opportunity to further his Super League education. Regan Grace scored one and made another at Huddersfield and is one of Saints form backs at the moment, as are Kevin Naiqama at centre and Lachlan Coote at fullback. The currently peerless Jonny Lomax should partner Fages in the halves.

With the prospect of a reshuffled front row it might be even more important to field a solid back three in the pack. Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux were not at their best last week but should be retained, with Morgan Knowles just edging Joseph Paulo for the starting loose forward slot. Paulo will feature from the bench along with one of Amor and Ashworth, with perhaps both Bentley and Welsby should Lees not make the 17.

Salford currently sit sixth in the Super League table, but are part of a trio of sides on 16 points behind the top two of Saints on 26 and Warrington on 20. A win here coupled with losses for Wakefield and Catalans would propel the Red Devils into the dizzying atmosphere of the top three. Yet tempering those expectations is the fact that Salford have not won at St Helens since 1980, and were smashed 26-4 at the AJ Bell Stadium when the teams met there back in February. Their cup exit to Rovers last week was a hammer blow, but after producing some fine performances so far in 2019 it is not beyond the realms of possibility that we could be seeing Salford in play-off action come September whether they can take anything from Saints or not. The rest of the league seems to be falling over each other to avoid getting into that top five meaning that the Red Devils may never have a better opportunity.

Holbrook has identified the Salford halfback pairing of Jackson Hastings and Robert Lui as the main threats. Certainly Salford look a different side whenever the excellent Hastings is on the scene. He has all the attributes, mixing a potent running game with a splendid array of passing and kicking skills. His future is uncertain so there could be a scramble developing for his services come the end of the year. Saints could do worse than look at him but the smart money suggests that he will instead get an offer from the darker side of Billinge Hill. He could be one of the pieces in the puzzle required to revive Wigan’s flagging fortunes.

Niall Evalds is another player who has impressed while prop Ben Nakubuwai has been rather tenuously linked with Saints in the last few days. Watson has moved this week to bring in heavyweight wrecking ball Pauli-Pauli from Wakefield Trinity who looks set for a debut. The cost of that was that veteran centre Junior S’au has travelled in the other direction. The pair swap sides for an initial month-long loan period.

There are more Saints links in the Salford squad. Josh Jones has been linked with a move back to the club after leaving in 2015. Adam Walker is another who had a short spell at Saints and who is looking to rebuild his career in Super League after a suspension for a failed drugs test.

Krisnan Inu, Kris Welham and Ken Sio offer more experience in the backs while up front the impressive Joey Lussick joins Walker, Pauli-Pauli, Jones, Nakubuwai, and former Wigan trio Logan Tomkins, Gil Dudson and Lee Mossop among Watson’s options.

As alluded to earlier Salford’s record against Saints in St Helens is fairly abysmal. The closest they have come to a win in their long barren spell in the town was in 2017 when it took a last-gasp Matty Smith drop-goal to secure Saints a 25-24 win. Smith was never any Saints fan’s answer to the halfback problem but how we could have done with that kind of game management in the latter stages of the cup clash with the Giants last week. It’s more likely however that we won’t need that kind of attention to detail against a Red Devils side which can be devastating on its day but which can also buckle when it’s not going their way. It would be a major surprise if we see anything other than a comfortable Saints win in this one.

Squads;

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 8. Alex Walmsley, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Joseph Paulo, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 18. Adam Swift, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. James Bentley, 23. Lachlan Coote 24. Matty Costello, 29. Jack Welsby.

Salford Red Devils;

Niall Evalds, Kris Welham, Rob Lui, Lee Mossop, Gil Dudson, Josh Jones, George Griffin, Joey Lussick, Adam Walker, Greg Burke, Tyrone McCarthy, Ben Nakubuwai, Logan Tomkins, Dan Murray, Derrell Olpherts, Ken Sio, Krisnan Inu, Pauli Pauli, Jackson Hastings.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas