If you thought the last derby was strange tomorrow night’s meeting between Saints and Wigan (October 30, kick-off 7.45pm) has the potential to be even stranger.
Saints 42-0 towelling of Wigan at Salford on September 29 was a non-event. Warriors coach Adrian Lam decided - understandably perhaps - to prioritise the Challenge Cup semi-final which had somehow been scheduled for just a few days later. Much good it did them. Corsets were required to stop sides splitting across the rugby league community as the nation’s least favourite club managed to lose to Leeds. Only Yorkshire-based journalists who took Leeds’ success as a sign that we were back in 2015 enjoyed it more than I did.
This time around it is not the strength of the Wigan side that is the issue but the dodgy dealing going on in the background as the playoffs approach. Predictably, teams with playoff-worthy win percentages have decided to stick rather than twist. Suddenly a heavy cold for the tea lady is reason enough for some clubs to call off games which would previously have gone ahead. Sometimes against the backdrop of seven or eight positive Covid tests and further contact tracing issues.
Several clubs are now struggling to reach the 15-game minimum required to reach the playoffs, a rule which itself was made up on the spot at Super League’s last great meeting of minds. The worried response of fat-walleted chairmen is a genius ruse to expand the playoffs. There’s a famous line in The Simpsons in which the children at Springfield Elementary are asked what giving everyone an equal chance when they are clearly not equal is called. ‘ Communism’ they all reply in unison. It’s ironic that rich club owners with a financial position usually somewhere to the right of that held by Tim Martin have now resorted to evoking ‘the greater good’ to save their own skins.
The upshot of all this politicking is that this game - which could have been a genuine decider for the League Leaders Shield - is now severely diminished by the uncertainty surrounding the stakes. It may still decide the League Leaders Shield but if it does so it will be the most devalued honour since Jimmy Saville was knighted. To decide to make this week’s fixtures the final round of the season would be the kind of amateur shit show you get in pub sports. It’s the Dog & Bollock forfeiting their dominoes match against the The Three Bell Ends because Matt from Health couldn’t get out of his meeting in time to make the trip. Yet it is very likely to happen. Saints v Wigan for the League Leaders Shield in a straight shoot-out. Following that an expanded playoff series that is basically winner stays on.
You may remember that Saints boss Kristian Woolf gave most of his stars the night off on Monday as a youthful Saints side were edged 12-10 by Salford. No doubt he did so with this fixture in mind. All of Lachlan Coote, Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax, James Roby, Zeb Taia, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Matty Lees return to the squad. In addition you can expect Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, Theo Fages, James Bentley and Morgan Knowles to return to the line-up having not been required in the 17 for Salford.
Alex Walmsley will not feature as he is suspended. The two game ban he picked up for a dangerous tackle on Alex Sutcliffe has been reduced to one but that one just happens to be the derby. Maybe Lees will start alongside James Graham at prop with Knowles at 13. Alternatively Woolf could go with McCarthy-Scarsbrook or Kyle Amor. The Cumbrian has just signed a one-year extension to his contract to keep him at Saints until the end of 2021. Assuming Lockdown Britain still counts days, months and years by then.
One more interesting selection sees Josh Eaves included as the second hooker ahead of Aaron Smith. Eaves showed up well in the Salford loss scoring a great early try and is perhaps now emerging as a genuine alternative to Smith in relief of Roby. Peyroux did himself no harm with his performance and he will hope to push for a place in the 17 along with Jack Welsby, Joseph Paulo, Lewis Dodd and Jake Wingfield. Josh Simm joins Graham as the only starter against Salford likely to get the nod again from the beginning in this one.
With the whiff of undeserved silver in the air it is little surprise to see Wigan bring in the cavalry. Lam is without long term injury victims Jack Wells and Liam Marshall while Shaun O’Loughlin and Ethan Harvard are also out injured. Yet most of the rest of Lam’s star names are on deck. There are just two changes to the squad which trounced Salford 58-12 last time out as Liam Byrne and Chris Hankinson replace Joe Shorrocks and Dom Manfredi.
The man to watch for the Warriors will be Bevan French. His combination of speed and elusiveness make him a force at fullback. Zak Hardaker and Oliver Gildart provide quality at centre with the wings likely to be occupied by Salford past and future in the shape of Jake Bibby and Joe Burgess. The latter has all the tactical acumen of Mike Bassett but if he gets a yard of space on that left edge even Makinson will struggle to get near him.
In the halves Jackson Hastings will grin and bear playing for this awful club again alongside Thomas Leuluai. Sam Powell defines the term ‘grub’ at hooker while Lam’s middle options include the youthful psychosis of Oliver Partington, Morgan Smithies alongside the more experienced but rather fading trio of Brad Singleton, George Burgess and Cunty Blob Tony Clubb. Ben Flower continues to avoid capture for murdering Lance Hohaia in 2014 and could also feature.
In the back row Liam Farrell is good enough to be above the barbs of this column such is the esteem in which he is is held. Alongside him is likely to be Willie Isa although former Saint Joe Greenwood may get some game time. Failing that he will at least get to ask Taia to autograph his Zeb Taia pyjamas.
Predictions scarcely matter if you’re changing the rules but my only doubt about a comfortable Saints win is the absence of Walmsley. The other Saints front rowers have a big job on to make up the go-forward that will be missing without the ex-Batley man. Nevertheless I’d still back Saints to put Wigan back in their box with a narrow 4-point win.
Squads:
St Helens:
1. Lachlan Coote 2. Tommy Makinson 3. Kevin Naiqama 5. Regan Grace 6. Jonny Lomax 7. Theo Fages 9. James Roby 11. Zeb Taia 12 Dom Peyroux 13. LMS 14. Morgan Knowles 15. Matty Lees 16. Kyle Amor 18 Joseph Paulo 20. James Bentley 22. Jack Welsby 24 Josh Eaves 26 Josh Simm 27 Lewis Dodd 31 Jake Wingfield 32. James Graham.
Wigan Warriors:
1. Zak Hardaker 3. Chris Hankinson 4. Oliver Gildart 5. Joe Burgess 6. Bevan French 7. Tommy Leuluai 8. Tony Clubb 9. Sam Powell 10. George Burgess 11. Willie Isa 12. Liam Farrell 14. Ben Flower 15. Joe Greenwood 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Oliver Partington 19. Joe Bullock 20. Liam Byrne 23. Jake Bibby 28. Harry Smith 31. Jackson Hastings 38. Brad Singleton
Referee: Chris Kendall
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