Thirteen years of hurt. Alright, it’s not quite 55 but sometimes it can feel like it. Saints will try to put an end to one of professional rugby league’s more surprising droughts when they take on Castleford Tigers in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on Saturday (July 17, kick-off 3.00pm).
For Castleford of course it has been somewhat longer. I was still a year away from my first Wembley visit when a pre-Tigers ‘Classy Cas’ edged out Hull KR by a single point, winning 15-14 in 1986. Since then they have only returned to the final twice, losing 28-12 to Wigan in 1992 and 23-10 to Leeds Rhinos in 2014. But sure, we’re the ones with the drought.
Saints have won the Challenge Cup seven times since they ruined my first Wembley by somehow failing to beat Halifax in 1987. Yet not since 2008 when they won for what was then the third year in a row and a 12th time overall. Only Wigan and Leeds have won more and let’s be fair, eight of Wigan’s have a massive asterisk next to them as they won them while operating as the only fully professional team in a virtual pub league. On the other hand, perhaps we should thank them for setting the example. Saints run of success during the professional era post 1996 exceeds anything they achieved before it.
Saints coach Kristian Woolf has made just one change to the 21-man squad he selected for last week’s 30-14 win at Wakefield Trinity. Theo Fages - rested last week as if he is some kind of key player with an actual, tangible influence - comes back in at the expense of the suspended Sione Mata’utia. The former Newcastle Knight was given two one-match bans for different offences, one of which was downgraded on appeal. It was the biggest fudge since a chocolate and vanilla swirl weighing 2002lb was manufactured by North West Fudge Factory at the FedNor Pavillion Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada in November 2004.
It isn’t totally clear exactly what Mata’utia did wrong. Fans of different persuasions have posted footage of the incidents on social media which they suppose proves his innocence or guilt. Those I have seen reminded me of the grainy grassy knoll footage which allegedly proves who killed JFK in the numerous documentaries on the subject. If there really us such a thing as a magic bullet somebody would have hit Trump and Johnson straight between the eyes before now. Mata’utia’s ban has most Saints fans in a funk but it is what it is. The idea that you can change the disciplinary rules now on the eve of a cup final - and that you should do so because his brother is on the opposing side - is the kind of stretch Elastigirl would struggle with.
What undermines the whole thing further is that Mata’utia’s plight has received very public support from Wakefield chairman Michael Carter, a man who allowed his players to dodge anti-racism gestures on the basis of their make believe God, and who spent the first part of the pandemic lambasting ‘lazy’ people on furlough. Which at the time included his own players. If the disciplinary process is to improve the cause needs a different driver, despite the valid points made by Carter in his statement.
So if we assume that Head Boy Fages is nailed on to start at halfback the only other selection question surrounds the replacement of Mata’utia. Joe Batchelor has been doing a very serviceable job in the recent absence of Joel Thompson and should have no problem slotting in alongside the former Manly Sea Eagles man who returned from a shoulder injury last week. Morgan Knowles would have locked the scrum if such a thing were part of the post-Covid game, so instead he’ll be the extra prop that is the loose forward behind the towering Alex Walmsley, the only survivor from Saints last Wembley triumph James Roby, and probably Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. The former London man was another invited to sit out the win over Wakefield which makes you think he’s in line for big minutes. Matty Lees should make the 17 having come back from a broken ankle which kept him out since early April until last week, while Agnatius Paasi and Kyle Amor will hope to be involved. One or both will be, which doesn’t look like great news if you are hoping for a bench spot and your name is Lewis Dodd.
With Mark Percival fit again - and it must be said in some pretty fine form considering the tactical constraints he has to work within under Woolf - Jack Welsby seems destined to only make the bench. That is where Dodd appears vulnerable. Is Woolf really going to have two backs on the bench? In a Wembley final? I’m unconvinced. Unless one of Lachlan Coote, Kevin Naiqama, Tommy Makinson, Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax, Fages or Welsby himself pulls up late and unexpectedly I’d be surprised to see the name of Dodd on the sheet. All of which would be a great shame since he scored a rather generous three Man Of Steel points and a bewildering try in his first start at Wakefield a week ago. His time will come.
Officially there are 12 changes to Daryl Powell’s 21-man squad selection. In reality the 17 which walks out at Wembley will look nothing like the one which was hammered 70-18 by Salford Red Devils last time out. No. Really. Petrified of Covid and injuries which have seen two Tigers games not just postponed but written off in recent weeks - Powell cleared the decks and sent everyone including the tea lady home to ensure that the dreaded C-word would not spoil their big day. It was an understandable reaction given the way that our sport has handled Covid. At the time of writing the cup final curtain raiser, the 1895 Cup final between York and Featherstone was in grave doubt. There was every chance the main event could have been postponed. Indeed, many of us won’t stop worrying about some sort of Covid-related scuppering of the final until Liam Moore blows his final whistle.
The list of Tigers returnees is a rugby league roll call. Niall Evalds, Derrell Olpherts, Peter Mata’utia, Jake Trueman, Paul McShane, Adam Milner, Nathan Massey, George Griffin, Daniel Smith, Suaia Matagi and Gareth O’ Brien all back to boost Castleford’s ranks and pad out my word count. Yet for all the returning firepower you would have to question whether a side which has played so little and had such chaotic preparation can just turn it on against Woolf’s uncompromising defensive machine.
The Tigers will need to produce the kind of performance they managed in the semi-final when they beat Warrington at Leigh. Expect them to try to keep the ball alive and use the width of the Wembley pitch in what should at the very least be an interesting contrast of styles if maybe not an out and out classic. I can’t shake the feeling that Woolf has transformed this Saints team’s style to the extent that we need it to be boring to win. That if we get into an open shoot-out with them - a final for the ages - we could be in a spot of bother. The Tigers will need no motivation in what will be Powell’s last shot at a major trophy with the club before he moves on to not win anything with Warrington. The Tigers have won the League Leaders Shield but that does not count as a major trophy at the behest of Sky. Good job really otherwise those Warrington gags wouldn’t work half as well. Powell’s side have butchered their Super League campaign so far. All their eggs look to be in the Wembley basket.
My instinct is that a classic will not unfold. Woolf has his tactical flaws but if he is great at anything it is strangling the life out of an opponent like a particularly antsy boa constrictor. Saints menacing defence is likely to force Cas in to too many errors while in attack Saints should have enough grunt up front to lay the platform for Coote and Lomax to create enough opportunities for points. You won’t need reminding that Saints have been shocked at Wembley before - and not just in 1987 - but all things being equal I expect them to sail home by around 16 points.
Squads;
St Helens;
- Lachlan Coote, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Regan Grace, 6, Jonny Lomax, 7, Theo Fages, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Joel Thompson, 13, Morgan Knowles, 15. LMS, 16. Kyle Amor, 17, Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jack Welsby, 19, Aaron Smith, 20, Joe Batchelor, 21. Lewis Dodd, 22. Josh Simm, 25. Dan Norman.
Castleford Tigers;
- Niall Evalds 2. Derrell Olpherts 3. Peter Mata’utia 4. Michael Shenton 6. Jake Trueman 7. Danny Richardson 8. Liam Watts 9. Paul McShane 10. Grant Millington 11. Oliver Holmes 12. Cheyse Blair 13. Adam Milner 14. Nathan Massey 15. George Griffin 17. Alex Foster 20. James Clare 21. Jesse Sene-Lefao 22. Daniel Smith 24. Suaia Matagi 25. Jordan Turner 31. Gareth O’Brien
Referee: Liam Moore
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