Saints v Hull FC - Preview

The quest for a fourth Super League title in a row is back on the agenda as Saints host Hull FC on Friday night (May 13, kick-off 8.00pm).

Kristian Woolf’s side suffered the trauma of having their Challenge Cup ambitions incinerated by derby rivals Wigan Warriors in last week’s semi-final at Elland Road. Having fought back from 14-0 down at half-time to lead 18-14 Saints self destructed when Jonny Lomax’s pass missed its target and was snaffled by Liam Marshall who went the full length of the field for the decisive score.

While Saints were enduring all of that Hull FC had a week off. Their failure to make the last four stage of the cup this year has given coach Brett Hodgson some extra time to work with his players. There’s plenty for both sides to play for. Hull need to cement their place in the top four and potentially improve on it should they win and schizophrenic Warrington can pull off a win in Perpignan against the Catalans Dragons. For Saints, a win would consolidate their lead at the top of the Super League table.

Saints have only two losses from their first 11 Super league outings. Defeat in Toulouse in March was a seismic shock but the loss at Castleford a month later owed much to Woolf’s decision to field a virtual academy side after an Easter weekend double header which had seen the champions earn wins over Wigan and Huddersfield Giants. Despite the Cas defeat Woolf was named Super League Coach Of The Month this week.

FC have had a much more mixed time of it in 2022 so far. They have lost in the league to all of Saints, Castleford, Wigan and Hull KR. Their wins have come against Wakefield, Salford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Warrington, Catalans and Toulouse. The black and whites are unbeaten in the league since they suffered a derby disaster of their own, going down 16-4 to Rovers on Good Friday. 

Woolf has made two changes to the 21-man squad which was on duty ahead of the semi-final. James Bell returns after serving a two-game suspension while Jumah Sambou also comes back in. Kyle Amor drops out, as does Regan Grace amid much social media speculation about his future. Grace has only made it on to the field once this season and not at all since the cup win over Whitehaven on March 26. The Welshman has been named in numerous 21-man selections in recent weeks without ever making it into the match day 17. All the while we have repeatedly been assured that he is only a week or so away from a return to action.

When Grace only signed a one-year deal last year the warning lights were flashing around his future at Saints. It has long been assumed by fans that he would fancy a stint in rugby union with the greater riches and profile that he would no doubt receive if he were to turn out for the Welsh national team. Yet it would be staggering and deeply disappointing if a move to union were to happen mid-season, or if he were to wrap himself in cotton wool for the rest of the year in readiness for such a move. Regardless of his plans for 2023 and beyond Saints need Grace on the field now. Every effort must be made by both the player and club to do that even if it means announcing his next move before the end of the season.

Grace would be particularly useful at the moment as Woolf grapples with the difficult problem of his side’s injury hit halfback group. Lewis Dodd won’t play again in 2022 while Jonny Lomax is attempting to push on through a significant bicep injury. That meant hiding him at fullback in the semi-final while Woolf paired Ben Davies with Jack Welsby on just the former’s fifth first team appearances. Last tackle plays were a standout weakness against Matty Peet’s men - particularly in the first half. 

Lomax is again included in the squad and so presumably likely to feature. Will Woolf continue to protect him from the defensive line by keeping him at fullback? Will he persist with Davies at stand-off? Or will he bring in one of James Roby, Joey Lussick, Bell or even Curtis Sironen as a makeshift halfback? 

Fullback will either be Lomax or Welsby. With Grace out along with fractured cheekbone victim Jon Bennison, Josh Simm may get another start on the wing. The rest of the backline looks settled with Tommy Makinson occupying one wing and Konrad Hurrell and Mark Percival in the centres. Will Hopoate is still not available, which barely qualifies as news these days. 

The Saints pack has long been a strength and is an even more important one given the current halfback predicament. Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees are backed up at prop by Agnatius Paasi - excellent in defeat last week - Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Dan Norman and possibly Jake Wingfield. Roby or Lussick will play at 9 while Sione Mata’utia made his first start since March 11 last time out. James Batchelor has remained a regular starter but there are other options in the back row in the shape of Bell, Sironen and even Wingfield. Morgan Knowles should start at 13 but could be spelled by Bell or Roby depending on how Woolf has to shuffle things around in other positions.

While Saints scrap around desperately looking for a halfback, FC welcome back two very experienced exponents to their 21. Luke Gale - sent off when these sides met in March for a bizarre football foul on Lomax - is back from his latest suspension as is former Wests Tigers man Josh Reynolds. Former Saint Adam Swift comes back into contention after a foot injury. Oh how we could use him at the moment. Also back is centre Josh Griffin who has been nursing a knee injury. Griffin has grim memories of facing Saints after suffering an Achilles injury in last year’s Challenge Cup semi-final at Leigh, dropping the ball in the process to allow Theo Fages a clear run to the line. Oh how we could use him at the mo - hang on - are things that bad? It would seem so.

Youngsters Harvey Barron, Denive Balmfoth and Davy Litten drop out along with Kane Evans who has a pectoral injury. FC are also without the talents of ex-Saint Andre Savelio, Joe Cator, Ben McNamara and Cameron Scott. All are long term absentees, while cut and paste’s Mitieli Vulikijapani adds to this week’s casualty list with a knee strain.

So if not that little lot, who does Hodgson have at his disposal? Marmite Jake Connor should start at fullback behind a wing pairing of ex-Huddersfield Giant Darnell McIntosh and possibly Swift, although erstwhile fullback Jamie Shaul has been doing a job out wide recently. Carlos Tuimavave is a classy centre and potentially forms a formidable pairing with another ex-Giant in Griffin. 

Connor Wynne signed a new contract recently and will hope to break up the Tuimavave-Griffin axis. The latter played in the second row in the last meeting between these teams and that again looks a viable option. Gale and Reynolds will look to resume their halfback partnership which could mean the excellent Joe Lovodua switching to loose forward. 

Elsewhere in the pack Hodgson has the ageless Danny Houghton at hooker but could also call upon Jordan Johnstone or even Lovodua in that role. Brilliantly for fans of nominative determinism 19 year-old halfback Jacob Hookem can also operate at 9. 

Ligi Sao and Chris Satae are impactful at prop with Brad Fash, Jack Brown and Josh Bowden also in contention there. Manu Ma’u, Jordan Lane and Griffin offer back row options along with Lovodua and possibly Sao or Fash.

The last time the sides met Saints cruised to a comfortable 38-6 win in Hull. FC’s last win over Saints was an 8-6 success back in 2017. Only seven of the 17 on duty that day for Saints are in contention to feature in this one. Hull have won 19 of the 56 meetings in league and cup since 2001, Saints winning 34 with three draws.

Hull are an inconsistent, unpredictable beast. Saints have certainly become vulnerable in recent weeks due to their halfback tribulations. You wouldn’t bet a whole lot of money on Hodgson’s side to go to Saints and produce the goods but at the same time you wouldn’t need resuscitating from the shock should it transpire. Staying optimistic I’m going to back Saints to edge it but it could be every bit as close as last week’s semi-final or the league win against Salford in Saints’ last home game. 

Squads:

St Helens;

1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 4. Mark Percival, 6. Jonny Lomax, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13, Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. LMS, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 20. James Bell, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 30. Jumah Sambou.

Hull FC;

1. Jake Connor 2. Adam Swift 3. Carlos Tuimavave 4. Josh Griffin 5. Darnell McIntosh 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Luke Gale 8. Ligi Sao 9. Danny Houghton 10. Chris Satae 12. Manu Ma’u 13. Jordan Lane 14. Joe Lovodua 17. Brad Fash 20. Jack Brown 21. Jordan Johnstone 22. Josh Bowden 23. Connor Wynne 27. Jacob Hookem 29. Jamie Shaul 30. Scott Taylor

Referee: Jack Smith