The term ‘dead rubber’ could have been invented for this one. Saints have wrapped up the League Leaders Shield with fully five regular season games still to play. That’s because Warrington have imploded over the last month or so, and a look at their squad for this one suggests that they have decided that this isn’t a battle worth spilling any blood over with the Challenge Cup Final meeting between these two teams just two weeks away. In their desperate scramble to create a format that keeps interest alive the Super League great and good have instead created a laughable level of apathy. Both Warrington and Saints know that even if they don’t win another game in 2019 it won’t matter all that much provided they win either the Wembley showpiece or one playoff game and the Grand Final in October. Every minute does not matter. Not really.
Which is why it is slightly surprising that Saints coach Justin Holbrook has gone with about as much strength in his 19-man squad as possible. Lachlan Coote, Alex Walmsley and Morgan Knowles remain on the injured list and they are joined on the sidelines this week by a man plagued by that persistent menace, the slight niggle, in James Roby. However, the good news is that Jonny Lomax is back in the fold after missing last week’s 26-6 win over Wakefield Trinity while on paternity leave. He could slot back in as the last line of defence, while Regan Grace is also in contention again after he was absent last time out. He may replace Adam Swift in a three-quarter-line that also includes Kevin Naiqama and Mark Percival. With Lomax required at fullback Theo Fages and Danny Richardson should continue in the halves. Richardson was particularly impressive against Chris Chester’s side, scoring 14 points including a sensational individual try.
Luke Thompson leads the front row in the absence of both Walmsley and Roby, while Aaron Smith and James Bentley are the most likely options to deputise at hooker. Matty Lees should start again, with Zeb Taia and Dominique Peyroux continuing their second row partnership that has been devastating this year and which was reunited by Taia’s return from a shoulder injury last week. With Knowles still nursing a rib injury expect Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook or Joseph Paulo to start at loose forward with one or the other coming off the bench. That should leave two interchange spots available for Kyle Amor, Matty Costello, Jack Ashworth and Jack Welsby to fight over.
Warrington tickled the ribs of all Saints fans this week when they signed former Saint and one-time Wigan badge-necker Matty Smith as a
One of those will not be Jack Hughes, who suffered a horrific ruptured testicle in the battle of Perpignan, nor Tom Lineham who somehow was the only Warrington player to receive a suspension amid the mayhem. Luther Burrell, a recent and much trumpeted convert from rugby union, may get a start while the soon-to-be retired Bennie Westwood may be sent on one final demolition mission ahead of the rather more important clash between these two in a fortnight.
Stefan Ratchford was Radlinksi-like in coming back from a supposedly season-threatening injury to star in Warrington’s Challenge Cup semi-final win over Hull a couple of weeks ago and he may continue his reintegration into the side. Chris Hill, Bryson Goodwin, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Toby King and Ben Currie are the others who can reasonably call themselves a part of Warrington’s strongest 17 who are on duty for this one. But really, I can't emphasise enough that it is all guess work until someone tightens up the rules around pre-game squad selection and subsequent eligibility.
Warrington’s form has fallen further than Michael Jackson's popularity in recent weeks. They have not won in the league since beating London Broncos 36-6 on July 6, virtually handing the League Leaders Shield to Saints on the shiniest silver platter they could find. Losing is becoming a habit for them and if the make-up of the two sides on Thursday night resembles anything like the squad lists they have announced then don’t expect their bad run to end here. There is a good argument that they have bigger battles ahead but they are still taking something of a risk if they don't give this one their full attention. If they go in to their meeting with Wigan next week on the back of another defeat, their confidence dented even further, then their place in the top two or three of Super League starts to look a little shaky. Any finish outside the top three makes the road to Old Trafford that little bit trickier, and something to be avoided for Price’s side if it all possible.
Yet all available evidence is pointing towards another Saints win. Should that happen Warrington will be closer to the bottom of the table in terms of points earned than they will be to the top, which is embarrassing not only for them but for the whole of the competition. There’s a good reason why Wigan are fast becoming many people’s favourites to reach the Grand Final alongside Saints, and that is the sheer mediocrity of the competition they face.
Back to that cigar, then....
Squads;
Warrington Wolves;
Sitaleki Akauola, Luther Burrell, Ben Currie, Matt Davis, Riley Dean, Bryson Goodwin, Chris Hill, Luis Johnson, Toby King, Harvey Livett, Jake Mamo, Pat Moran, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Stefan Ratchford, Lama Tasi, Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker, Ben Westwood (+Matty Smith, probably)
St Helens;
1. Jonny Lomax, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Theo Fages, 7. Danny Richardson, 10. Luke Thompson, 11. Zeb Taia, 12. Joseph Paulo, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Dom Peyroux, 19. Matty Lees, 20. Jack Ashworth, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. James Bentley, 24. Matty Costello, 29. Jack Welsby.
Referee: Ben Thaler
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