Have you recovered yet? Whether you’re over Saints’ freestyle riff on the English batting collapses of the 1990s or not there’s another game fast approaching. Saints handed the League Leaders Shield to Catalans Dragons with their late disintegration at Magic but they can still secure second place with victory over Leeds Rhinos on Friday night (September 10, kick-off 7.45pm).
Crucially, that second spot would see Saints skip the first week of the playoffs and mean that they face only one home game to get back to the Grand Final for a third year in succession. Other results will likely see them get them that privilege anyway, but it’s nice not to have to rely on others. Besides, Saints probably need a win as quickly as possible to get them over their recent trauma.
Working against that aim is the fact that coach Kristian Woolf has only been able to select a 20-man squad for this one rather than the standard 21. Saints have injury problems that are worryingly increasing. Theo Fages was already gone for the year when Jonny Lomax was lost for a month thanks to a hamstring injury picked up in the win over Leigh on August 26. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook has not recovered from whatever ailed him enough to prevent him lining up against the Dragons at Newcastle, and he is joined now on the sidelines by James Bentley.
Bentley is out after damaging spinal ligaments, depriving us all of the opportunity to see him start needless rows with as many of his future Rhinos colleagues as possible. Woolf has expressed his deep disapproval of the tackle which seemed to cause Bentley’s injury, but for which Dragons prop Sam Kasiano was punished only with a yellow card but no subsequent suspension. Kasiano found more than one way to hurt Saints, it seems. If, as Woolf has suggested, Bentley is out for a significant period then that will have an impact on their hopes of a third straight title. It could also mean we’ve seen the last of Bentley in a Saints shirt, a prospect that will likely divide opinion.
The other notable absentee from Saints’ ranks is prop Agnatius Paasi. The Tongan took extreme measures to stop Samisoni Langi tearing up our right edge defence. He introduced his shoulder to Langi’s head with sufficient force to delay the game for several minutes while the Catalans centre was treated. Thankfully Langi suffered no lasting damage but Paasi was invited to sit down for two weeks. Frankly, it could have been more.
The positive news is that James Roby - who left the field late at Newcastle - has sufficiently recovered to take his place in the squad. Whether he will play 80 minutes will depend on whether there is any lingering risk and on how much Woolf values the prospect of wrapping up that second spot quickly. Aaron Smith will hope the coach fancies winging it without his captain.
With two props out there is a vacancy to be filled. Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees can expect to play big minutes along with Kyle Amor. Dan Norman - whose Saints career so far has consisted of a few minutes towards the end of the Challenge Cup semi final win over Hull FC at Leigh before a spell on loan at Salford - has been added to the squad and will be hopeful. In the back row Joel Thompson is back in contention having not played since the derby win at Wigan on August 20. He will vie to replace Bentley along with Joe Batchelor. Sione Mata’utia is in the best form he has enjoyed since arriving from the other Newcastle and looks the only certain starter in the second row with Morgan Knowles in behind them.
There’s little reason to change the backs. Lachlan Coote was outstanding for 70 minutes against Catalans before a fraught 10 minutes which in fairness affected everyone. On the wings Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace are the envy of most other Super League clubs even if they are criminally underused. Kevin Naiqama and Mark Percival should hold down the centre slots, especially since Josh Simm is not present. Ben Davies is but it would be eyebrow-raising were he to add to his one first team appearance to date.
That was in the late season loss to Salford last year in which Woolf handed out four other debuts. Two other youngsters involved in the 12-10 defeat that day have graduated to become Saints interim halfback partnership with Lomax and Fages out. Jack Welsby and Lewis Dodd continue to improve and are already starting to make the time when they represented a risk feel like a bygone age.
Leeds will be looking for the win that guarantees their top six playoff spot following their very different golden point experience at St James’ Park. The Rhinos beat playoff hopefuls Hull FC 25-24 thanks to Kruise Leeming’s extra time drop-goal. However, like Saints they have developed a lengthy injury list at the end of another trying, Covid-ridden season.
Konrad Hurrell is widely believed to be heading in the opposite direction to Bentley in 2022 but he is one of several Rhinos missing here. Mikolaj Oledski, Alex Mellor, Jack Walker, Liam Sutcliffe, Luke Gale, Callum McClelland, King Vuniyayawa and Rob Lui are all out injured while suspension’s Zane Tetevano has again been rumbled by the disciplinary committee. Young hooker Corey Johnson retired from the game at the start of 2020 but is back in the fold after a spell with York City Knights. He is in contention to add to the one first team appearance he managed against Warrington in a simpler time before Covid.
While there may be absentees there is still enough in Richard Agar’s selection to trouble Saints, particularly if that defensive door opens up as spectacularly as it did last time out. Harry Newman is starting to look like what we suspected he was all along - one of the best British prospects at centre for years - while Jack Broadbent is another youngster of great potential. Leeds’ hooking 1-2 punch of Leeming and Brad Dwyer is arguably the best in the game while Ash Handley, Rhyse Martin, Richie Myler and Matt Prior add further experience and quality. When Bentley, Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin are added to this group for next year there should be no need for late season playoff rescue missions.
Remarkably - or not in these odd times - the teams have yet to meet in the league in 2021. The only head-to-head form guide we have for this year is Saints 26-18 win over the Rhinos in a Challenge Cup third round tie back in April. In that game both Makinson and Grace bagged a brace of tries and Lees broke an ankle which saw him out of action until July. There’s always something happening when these two meet.
Predictions are difficult given the injuries in both camps and the uncertainty about exactly what Saints’ priorities are from here on in. All things being equal I’d expect Saints to edge it, but any sign of weakness or indifference may be leapt upon by a Rhinos side whose desperation is still palpable.
Squads;
St Helens;
- Lachlan Coote, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kevin Naiqama, 4. Mark Percival, 5, Regan Grace, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Joel Thompson, 13, Morgan Knowles, 14. Sione Mata’utia, 16. Kyle Amor, 18. Jack Welsby, 19, Aaron Smith, 20, Joe Batchelor, 21. Lewis Dodd, 23, Jake Wingfield, 24, Josh Eaves, 25, Dan Norman, 29. Ben Davies.
Leeds Rhinos;
2. Tom Briscoe 3. Harry Newman 5. Ash Handley 9. Kruise Leeming 10. Matt Prior 12. Rhyse Martin 14. Brad Dwyer 16. Richie Myler 17. Cameron Smith 18. Tom Holroyd 20. Bodene Thompson 21. Alex Sutcliffe 22. Sam Walters 24. Luke Briscoe 25. James Donaldson 26. Jarrod O’Connor 27. Jack Broadbent 28. Corey Hall 30. Levi Edwards 31. Morgan Gannon 32. Corey Johnson
Referee: Chris Kendall
No comments:
Post a Comment