Hull FC v Saints - Preview

Saints wrap up their 2019 regular season campaign with a trip to the KCom Stadium to face Hull FC on Friday night (September 13, kick-off 7.45pm).

It’s the final act of what has been a dominant regular season for Saints. Last week’s 48-6 stroll over Huddersfield Giants ensured that Justin Holbrook’s side remained unbeaten at home in Super League, the first time Saints had achieved that since 2002. They have suffered just three defeats on their travels, two of those with somewhat weakened sides at London Broncos (one of which was a draw in old money), and a third at that notoriously Difficult Place To Go - Perpignan - at the hands of the Catalans Dragons.

The mission now is to extend that form for long enough to reach and win the Grand Final on October 12 at Old Trafford. Holbrook’s men need to win just one of a possible two home playoff games to reach the Super League’s showpiece game. The visit to Hull represents a final opportunity to tune up before the cut-throat business of the playoffs gets into gear.

To do so Holbrook has made just one change to the 19-man squad he selected for duty last week. Joseph Paulo returns to action at the expense of Danny Richardson, while Mark Percival is included despite exiting the Giants game in the early minutes with a head knock and subsequently failing the concussion protocol.

Holbrook picked what most would consider to be his strongest starting 13 last week to face Simon Woolford’s side a week ago and could do so again if Percival is sufficiently recovered to take his place at left centre. Matty Costello is in the squad and is the natural alternative. James Bentley filled the role in the emergency circumstances following Percival’s injury and Dominique Peyroux and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook have experience there also but Costello should be the next cab off the rank if Percival isn’t risked.

The rest of the side looks settled should Holbrook choose to go full strength again. Lachlan Coote made a welcome return to form at fullback a week ago and he should operate behind wingers Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace with Kevin Naiqama completing the three-quarter line. Richardson’s omission looks to have left the halfback pairing of Jonny Lomax and Theo Fages unchallenged.

Matty Lees continues to recover from a perforated bowel so Saints’ formidable front three of Alex Walmsley, James Roby and Luke Thompson will be backed up by McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Kyle Amor, Jack Ashworth and Bentley who is likely to spell Roby with Aaron Smith still not included. Smith hasn’t played since picking up a two-game suspension in the win at Leeds on August 16 and faces a fight to get back into Holbrook’s plans before the Head Coach is replaced by Kristian Woolf at the end of the season. The former Tongan national coach has penned a two-year deal from the start of 2020 with the club having an option for a further year. How he views the futures of the likes of Smith and Richardson is one of the key questions to be answered once he takes over the reins. Saints’ back three isn’t something which requires too much thinking time at present, with Peyroux partnering Zeb Taia in the second row and Morgan Knowles packing down at loose forward behind them.

A month ago if you had told Hull FC coach Lee Redford that his side would need to beat Saints to have any chance of a playoff place he might have given you a distinctly sideways glance. Yet that is the reality, and even that opportunity will disappear if Castleford Tigers end Wigan’s six-game winning run on Thursday night (September 12). Hull find themselves in this grim predicament after a run which has seen them win just three of their last nine league outings. From looking nailed on to finish in the top three and securing a second chance in the playoffs the black and whites now look favourites to be the ones with their noses pressed up against the glass watching the top five sides battle it out for the trophy.

Radford has made two changes to his 19-man squad from last week’s probably season-defining 44-12 towelling at Castleford. Jordan Lane comes back in along with former Saint Andre Savelio. The latter has tried to kick-start his career with spells at Castleford, Warrington and Brisbane Broncos since it all went south for him at Saints but has not played for two months due to injury. A foot problem is the latest obstacle in Savelio’s path to the world dominance he seems to envisage for himself. Perhaps the opportunity to prove a point against his old club is just what he needs to get his career back on track. No. Me neither. Savelio and Lane replace Sika Manu and Jack Logan, both of whom may have played their last games for FC as the winds of change look set to sweep through the club for 2020.

Elsewhere in Radford’s squad the only real injury absentees are Dean Hadley and Joe Westerman. Fullback Jamie Shaul has somehow beaten Wigan’s Zak Hardaker and Salford’s Niall Evalds to a spot in Wayne Bennett’s 29-man Great Britain squad announced last week, and he is joined there by professional nuisance Jake Connor and former Wigan prop Scott Taylor. Josh Griffin, Ratu Nailago, Bureta Fairamo and Carlos Tuimavave are dangerous presences in the back line while as ever for Hull much depends on the halfback combination of Albert Kelly and Marc Sneyd. If those two click FC are a match for anyone but the recent trend has been a series of disappointing performances hence their slide to the brink of playoff elimination.

Taylor is a key up front as is hooker Danny Houghton but whether those two have the support cast to challenge Saints’ pack is questionable. Josh Bowden and Mark Miniciello will need to bring their A-games with perhaps some impact from Masi Matongo. Veterans Gareth Ellis and Mickey Paea offer great experience and no little skill should Radford choose to call upon them.

This will be the third meeting between these two in this loop-fixture-infested regular season. Saints won 40-12 in Hull on July 5 while the black and white’s Easter Monday visit to St Helens ended in a chastening 62-16 larruping. If Radford’s side are not on top form they may suffer a similar fate against a Saints side slowly regaining their early season form. A lot may depend on the Tigers’ result on Thursday evening. A win for Daryl Powell’s side eliminates Hull and probably leads to a comfortable Saints win in this one. However if, as I expect, Wigan win that game Hull might have a final opportunity to save their season. I’m not convinced that they’re good enough. Saints by 12.

Squads;

Hull FC;

1. Jamie Shaul 2. Bureta Fairamo. 3. Carlos Tuimavave 4. Josh Griffin 6. Albert Kelly 7. Marc Sneyd 8. Scott Taylor 9. Danny Houghton 10. Josh Bowden 12. Mark Minichiello 14. Jake Connor 19. Masi Matongo 20. Brad Fash 22. Jordan Lane 23. Mickey Paea 33. Ratu Naulago 34. Gareth Ellis 35. Andre Savelio 39. Tevita Satae

St Helens;

1. Jonny Lomax. 2. Tommy Makinson 3. Kevin Naiqama 4. Mark Percival 5. Regan Grace 6. Theo Fages 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. Dominique Peyroux 20. Jack Ashworth 22. James Bentley 23. Lachlan Coote 24. Matty Costello.


Referee: Liam Moore