Catalans Dragons v Saints - Preview

Saints make their fourth trek across the English Channel of 2022 when they travel to face Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan on Saturday night (July 2, kick-off 5.00pm BST).

As they do so Kristian Woolf’s men sit comfortably atop the Super League table. They have a four-point lead over nearest challengers Jai Field and Bevan French Wigan having lost only two of their first 16 Super League matches. One of those was in France when the Threepeaters were shocked 22-20 by Toulouse. They come in to this one on a six-game winning streak in Super League. Besides Toulouse the only other club to lower Saints’ colours in the league this year is Castleford where a virtual Saints academy side went down 30-10 at the end of April.  Last time out the champions were tested for a while before eventually reducing Leeds Rhinos to cheap shots and toddler tantrums in a 42-12 win.

The Dragons have also had a strong year for the most part. Their loss at Castleford last week was more surprising than that of Saints earlier in the season, simply because they appeared to take it more seriously. A strong-looking Dragons side went down to a 17-16 golden point loss thanks to former Saints halfback Danny Richardson’s drop-goal. He’d also converted the Tigers’ last try from the touchline to force the extra period. Nobody said the lad wasn’t good at kicking. That’s not why he’s not here anymore. 

Notwithstanding that nasty jolt the Dragons have been good enough to this point to sit fourth in the standings. They have won 11 of their 16 matches. That defeat at Castleford is one of five in the league this term starting at Saints on opening night back in February. They have also lost to Huddersfield twice and even managed to go down to a 14-8 defeat to Hull FC in April. Yet Steve McNamara’s side are hanging in there to the extent that a win in this one would bring them back within four points of their guests. 

Woolf has made two changes to the 21 which were on duty for the visit of Leeds. Suspended pair Sione Mata’utia and James Bell are free again to further enhance the already impressive back row options at Woolf’s disposal. That’s bad news for Sam Royle who drops out of the squad but will be consoled by the fact that he had signed an agreement to stay with the club for 2023. At 22 he has enough time on his side to develop and earn a spot in the side when the options ahead of him aren’t quite so numerous. 

If Mata’utia - who has been excellent when he hasn’t been injured or banned - is to come straight back into the starting line-up it could be at the expense of either Curtis Sironen or Joe Batchelor. That would be tough on either. Sironen is coming off arguably his best game for Saints last time out while Batchelor has been very consistent since holding down a regular spot. Bell and Morgan Knowles complicate the back three picture even further in the pack. It’s a nice problem for Woolf to have. 

The same cannot be said of the headaches caused by Will Hopoate’s fitness problems. Here we are about to embark on Round 17 of his first season with the club and Hopoate finds himself having made only six Super League appearances. The last of those was at fullback in the 26-18 home win over Hull KR on June 12. He has played centre just twice, flattening the notion that he would be a good fit to replace Kevin Naiqama. Konrad Hurrell has done that better than this scribbler expected. With Mark Percival also out Ben Davies has been getting his chance to impress in his favoured position after filling in at stand-off earlier in the year. Yet with Mata’utia back in the reckoning Woolf may again choose to alleviate the congestion in the back row by deploying the former Newcastle Knight in the threequarters. Again that would be harsh on Davies but I guess that’s life as part of the league’s strongest squad.

The solution to The Hopoate Situation last week was Jon Bennison and could very well be again. That frees up Jack Welsby to partner Jonny Lomax in the halves with the wing spots virtually owned by Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace.

At the front end of the pack there has been yet more staff retention. Dan Norman made a try-scoring contribution off the bench against Rohan Smith’s Rhinos and followed that up by signing a deal which keeps him at Saints until at least the end of 2023. With Norman there are echoes of the way Joe Batchelor has established himself at Saints after seeing very little playing time initially. The ex-London Bronco has featured in eight matches in all competitions this year after managing just two appearances last term. The return of Bell might make it more difficult for Norman to hold on to a bench spot this week but the new deal shows he is willing to fight for playing time in the immediate future. 

While doing so he is sure to learn a thing or two from Alex Walmsley who is the regular starter and talisman in the front row where he is joined by Matty Lees and the legend that is James Roby at hooker. Agnatius Paasi scored his first try for Saints last week at the 39th attempt and provides exceptional impact and offload-related excitement from the bench. Joey Lussick - having been one of the few regulars tasked with going to Castleford for that defeat back in April - is the only ever present in the Saints squad this year and there is no reason why that would change here. His dummy half play is invaluable in its own right but the bonus is his ability to protect Roby by reducing his minutes as he winds down in what he is still telling everyone is his final season before retirement. 

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is still out which opens up a bench spot. Yet as Saints get closer to full strength there’s a scramble for it. Jake Wingfield is the man in possession and will hope to hold on to it. 

McNamara’s preparations have been hit by the loss of two key players since the defeat at Castleford. Former Wigan winger Tom Davies will need to see a specialist about a knee injury while England back rower Mike McMeeken has a broken thumb which could see him miss the next 6-8 weeks. The Dragons were already without Arthur Mourgue after he picked up an ankle injury in France’s 34-6 win over Wales a fortnight ago. 

That still leaves McNamara with some pretty handy cards to play. Sam Tomkins is still one of the best in the business at fullback, while the recently returned Josh Drinkwater was building a formidable halfback partnership with Mitchell Pearce before his injury. Tyrone May is a possible trump card as he returns having missed the trip to West Yorkshire. 

Matthieu Laguerre is back and he along with Dean Whare and Samisoni Langi give McNamara real strike at centre. They will miss Davies but on the opposite wing Fouad Yaha has that modern winger’s combination of pace and power that is currently in vogue. He has found his way to the try line on 10 occasions in Super League this year with only Makinson, Ken Sio and Ryan Hall managing to do so more often.

It’s going to be all change in the front row for Catalans next year as both Gil Dudson and Sam Kasiano head for Super League’s baron featureless desert otherwise known as Warrington. Not that McNamara has to this point gone into a Matty Peet style rant about two rugby league professionals choosing to take up an offer from another club. For now Perhaps the rumoured capture of Sio Siua Taukeiaho from Sydney Roosters is a softening of the blow that poor old buffet building Matty just doesn’t have. Mike Cooper just doesn’t have the same ring to it. For now Kasiano and Dudson remain in the French camp and will lead the battle against Walmsley et al along with Julian Bousquet and Dylan Napa. Fresh from his re-emergence as an international player under best mate Shaun Wane Micky McIlorum should start at nine backed up by Alrix Da Costa.

In the back row Matt Whitley is perhaps the one that got away for Saints having arrived in France from Billinge via Widnes. He’s a classy operator but the hole left by McMeeken alongside him is significant.  Mikael Goudemand or Joe Chan could fill it with the impressive Ben Garcia at 13.

The French side have a somewhat shorter Super League history than most having only joined the competition in 2006. Despite that there have been many memorable tussles between these two. The Dragons reached the Challenge Cup final in only their second season but were undone by an Ade Gardner double and tries from Paul Wellens, Paul Clough and a 21 year-old Roby as Saints won 30-8 to lift the first of what would be three Challenge Cups in a row in 2007. 

Catalans gained a modicum of revenge for that when they surprisingly thumped the then league-leading Saints 35-16 in the 2018 Challenge Cup semi-final at Bolton. The Dragons went on to win the cup for the first time that year beating Warrington in the final.

Turning to Super League the sides did of course meet in last season’s Old Trafford Grand Final. It was a tight affair, Saints edging it 12-10 to pick up that third successive Super League title. Eleven of the Saints 17 from that night could feature here while 12 of those on duty for Catalans are again in the mix for this one. 

The other notable Super League clash between these two last year came at Newcastle at Magic Weekend. Saints managed to turn a 30-12 lead into a 31-30 defeat in not much more time than it took Nadine Dorries to demonstrate exactly why she shouldn’t be anywhere near any Rugby League World Cup promotion events today. That’s rugby LEAGUE Nadine. Perhaps you should stick to drinking Pimms on Henman Hill. Where’s Prince Harry and Clare Balding when you need them? Even Tony Adams knew his Kangaroos from his Wallabies. This just in…Clare is drinking Pimms on Henman Hill.

Back to the plot, and overall Saints have won 28 and lost 16 of the previous 44 Super League meetings between the clubs. The champions recorded a 36-20 Challenge Cup win in Perpignan earlier this season but haven’t won there in the league since a 26-22 success in September 2018. They went down 20-16 in May of last year, didn’t travel in 2020 due to Covid and were beaten 18-10 in April 2019.

It is a pivotal period for Saints if they have genuine designs on staying top of the pile and collecting the League Leaders Shield going into the playoffs. All of the other top four clubs are on the agenda over the next three weeks. After this it’s Threepeat vs Matty Peet at Magic before a Huddersfield Giants side unashamedly auditioning for a job as a Woolfball tribute act rolls into town on July 15. Three wins and you’d have to think that all the tinkering in the world wouldn’t stop Saints winning the LLS for the first time since 2019. Any bumps in the road during this run could allow one of the other three - possibly the Dragons - to pounce as Saints take their now traditional late season breather. 

Catalans are defending the shield so should be desperate for the win which will keep them in the hunt to do that. That depends on whether McNamara puts the same premium on it having already put it in le cabinet a trophees a year ago. Coming in off the back of that Tigers defeat won’t help confidence levels and with the loss of Davies and McMeeken I’m backing Saints to get the first of the three wins they need to put them in a position of real comfort ahead of the playoffs. 

Did you expect any other prediction? A fait accompli, if you will.

Squads;

Catalans Dragons: 3. Samisoni Langi 4. Dean Whare 5. Fouad Yaha 6. Mitchell Pearce 7. Josh Drinkwater 8. Gil Dudson 9. Micky McIlorum 10. Julian Bousquet 11. Matt Whitley 13. Benjamin Garcia 14. Alrix Da Costa 15. Benjamin Jullien 16. Paul Seguier 17. Mickael Goudemand 18. Matthieu Laguerre 19. Arthur Romano 20. Tyrone May 22. Dylan Napa 27. Joe Chan 28. Sam Kasiano 29. Sam Tomkins

St Helens: 1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 5. Regan Grace, 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, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 20. James Bell, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 27. Jon Bennison, 29. Dan Hill.

Referee: James Child

Video Referee: Tom Grant

Saints 42 Leeds Rhinos 12 - Review

It was meant to be closer, and for a while it was.  Ultimately though, Saints dealt with the threat posed by an allegedly resurgent Leeds Rhinos without too many alarms.  A 42-12 win keeps Kristian Woolf’s side four points clear of Wigan, while below them Huddersfield Giants overhauled Catalans Dragons into third place after the French side were surprisingly beaten at Castleford by the Tigers.

There were a couple of changes to Woolf’s line-up ahead of this one.  Curtis Sironen came back into the back row to replace the suspended James Bell while Jon Bennison was drafted in at fullback for the persistently infirm Will Hopoate.  Mark Percival still wasn’t ready so Ben Davies – who has just penned a new two year deal with the club – continued at centre with Sione Mata’utia also still serving a ban.  Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook remains laid low by his facial injury and so the bench was occupied by Jake Wingfield and Dan Norman as well as regular pine riders Joey Lussick and Agnatius Paasi.

 

Just what is going on with Hopoate anyway? He was touted as a replacement for Kevin Naiqama when he arrived from Canterbury Bulldogs but has been anything but - not withstanding Naiqama’s current incarnation as a kick-fluffing international stand-off with Fiji. Hopoate hasn’t had a look in at centre due to the form of Konrad Hurrell. When he has played it has been as a fullback because Jack Welsby has been required in the halves since the injury to Lewis Dodd. Hopoate has looked good in that role and given Saints better balance but having made only seven appearances for the club will we ever be able to rely on his creaking body?

If Hopoate isn’t going to prove reliable there is hope in the shape of Bennison. Half of his first team experience to date has been on the wing but he produced an assured performance at fullback here. If there are concerns about him they are mostly physical. At times in this one he held the ball too long and then had to back himself to get to the try line when the passing lane disappeared. Quicker decision making is something which will hopefully develop. You get the sense that he has an important part to play for the remainder of this year with Dodd gone for the duration and Hopoate participating about as often as Robbie Williams links up with Take That.

Now if you are like me you will have gorged on a veritable feast of international rugby league over the weekend, in both the men’s and women’s games. Not for them the undignified spectacle of a made up friendly against whoever answers the phone to Ellery Hanley. Proper international matches as New Zealand hosted Tonga men and women, and put on clashes between Samoa and Cook Islands and an absolute belter between Papua New Guinea and Fiji at Mount Smart. 

With all that going on what is the Tongan national coach and one of its better players doing being burdened by a Thursday nigh Super League appointment? It’s great for Saints that they had their head coach and arguably most in-form player available but what does it say about how seriously (or not) we are taking the international game? I think we all widely recognise that the reason the other code gets more attention and makes more money is the strength of its international structure versus our more parochial set-up. Expansionists are only expansionists so long as their club’s key personnel aren’t required to do anything strenuous which doesn’t directly benefit their club. But do we want a credible international game, or don’t we?

Yet If we are going to have mid-season internationals which require personnel to travel from one hemisphere to the other can we have a proper window without league fixtures to allow that to happen without the domestic game being diluted or short changing fans? It’s a radical suggestion I know but how about ditching loop fixtures to fit those internationals in and make best use of them. I know. Cold. Day. In. Hell. 

Enough griping then as we get into the nitty gritty of the action. There was a disproportionate amount of video referee intervention in this one beginning with Hurrell’s seventh minute try. Saints moved the ball right through James Roby, Morgan Knowles, Jonny Lomax and Bennison to allow Hurrell to squeeze in at the right hand corner. It was the perfect response by Hurrell to some of the observations about his weight being offered by the taxi-load of fans who had come to cheer on his former club. Hurrell ended up close to the sideline, forcing Tommy Makinson so wide that he was almost sat in the front row of the south stand. But Hurrell stayed in field to notch his sixth try of this Super League season and his seventh in Saints colours.

After that Leeds briefly flickered into life. Harry Newman started an eventful evening for him personally with an example of his quality, streaking away from his own 20m line to start a move that saw the ball sweep through 10 pairs of hands and end with Lomax bringing down Rhys Martin 5m from the Saints line. It was a warning sign but came to nothing more.

And it just woke Saints up. They looked like they may have blown their next opportunity when Hurrell passed to Makinson too early after another foray down Saints’ right edge. The winger batted it back inside and even then it had to be saved by Hurrell before Bennison fell on it. That set up the position from where Roby found Welsby who hit Knowles. With defenders converging the ex-Welshman flipped a majestic ball around the the corner for Walmsley to ease over. The big man is not known for his try scoring but would double his season’s tally in one evening. Yet this one was all about Knowles. Loved by fans for his effort, endeavour and all around Morgan-knowles-iness, he showed that there are a few tricks in the box with this outstanding lock-picker of a pass. Makinson’s second successful conversion gave Saints a 12-0 lead.

Still Leeds were in the fight at this point. They should have made more of good field position given to them by a Walmsley error from the kick-off but botched their lines when Bodene Thompson ran around the back of Martin to concede a penalty for obstruction. 

Yet only two minutes later Newman had the Rhinos on the board. Blake Austin sent a high kick out to Leeds’s right wing where David Fusitu’a kept it alive for Newman. The England World Cup hopeful cut back in-field and left a trail of Saints defenders in his wake as he motored over to score his second try of an hitherto injury wrecked season. More video was necessary as replays showed the ball just leaving the hand of Fusitu’a in the direction of Newman before the former New Zealand Warrior’s not inconsiderable backside touched what Stevo used to call terra firma on the wrong side of the whitewash. Close but a correct call. Martin is fifth on the list of Super League goalscorers in 2022 and had little trouble cutting the arrears to 12-6. 

Walmsley flirted with danger soon after when his movement of the arm during a big shot on Zane Tevano looked suspiciously like an afterthought. It was one of those which might have been viewed more dimly in the early weeks of the season but which did not move referee Tom Grant enough to produce a card. That despite the classless encouragement offered by Austin for Grant to reach into his back pocket. 

Optimists among the Leeds support - and let’s be fair only the optimists made the journey - might view the next few minutes before half time as the period which swung the game decisively in Saints favour. Much has been made of how Sam Walters was denied a try by the video referee just before Regan Grace was awarded one by the very same route at the other end. Realists will point out that Walters just didn’t score. The youngster was first to react to Kruise Leeming’s dab behind the defensive line but got no closer to grounding it than I got to taking Mark Cavendish’s place in the Quick Step Alpha-Vinyl team for the upcoming Tour De France. 

Then came Grace’s punishing blow to Leeds’ belief. Again the video was called upon as Grace battled to get the ball down in the left corner. It was a scrappy-looking end to what had been a spellbinding passage of play. Woolf often talks in terms of the physical elements of the game. Effort, energy, building pressure. But this was a side set up by him chucking the ball around like the proverbial hot spud. Topping Leeds’ earlier Harlem Globetrotters tribute Saints moved the ball through 11 sets of hands before Grace turned inside his marker and lunged for the line. Grant sent it up for review as a try which was crucial in the outcome. It looked an iffy, slightly questionable grounding but there was no conclusive evidence that Grace had lost possession as the ball hit the ground. Sorry Leeds fans, them’s the rules.

Makinson missed his first conversion but Saints took a 10-point lead with them as they left the field for Woolf’s words of wisdom at 16-6.

Within three minutes of the restart Saints increased their lead. Lomax’s pass out wide to the right was an ugly one, but as it ricocheted off Makinson it bobbled it’s way into the arms of the unstoppable Hurrell. His second touchdown of the night saw Saints open up a 14-point lead at 20-6 and was a rare example of a try which didn’t require further examination from Liam Moore in the video booth. Makinson could not add the extras but it was hard to see a way back for Leeds from this point.

But again there was a brief flicker from Rohan Smith’s men. A raging against the dying of their light. Austin’s right to left cross-field bomb was knocked back by Ash Handley to Martin who had time enough to present Bodene Thompson with a walk-in to the left of the posts. Again the conversion presented little drama for Martin and perhaps it was game back on at 20-12. 

For all of four minutes, although Saints’ next score did come with a little luck involved. Grace was pretty fortunate to get away with a ball strip on Zak Hardaker near the Leeds line in the latest of Grant’s eccentric decisions. From there Agnatius Paasi barged over for his first try for Saints in his 39th appearance. Of course he should not be judged on his try scoring record any more than Sir Paul McCartney should be judged on whether he can still sing Hey Jude. Paasi is an impact man with an offload game that is extremely welcome in an era of effort areas, the grind and going through the processes. Just a wonderful player to watch and richly deserving of getting off his duck egg. Makinson was on target this time as Saints led 26-12.

Leeds probably weren’t coming back after that but they could have chosen to dig in and slip to an honourable defeat. Instead they chose to implode. Discipline - if it was ever present - left the building as first Thompson and then Tetevano and James Bentley reminded Grant what he had situated in his back pocket. Thompson went first, clumsily tripping Matty Lees to earn himself 10 minutes to rethink his life. 

While he was away Saints went close through Lees and when Mikolaj Oledzki had to desperately smother a Welsby kick close to the line. Yet the champions broke through again when Lomax timed a pass perfectly to Joe Batchelor who went over untouched, even finding time to run around the posts to improve the angle for the conversion. It was a painful decision as Bentley - by now slipping darkly into the black hole of his frustration - slid knees first towards the recent England debutant. It was probably not malicious. More careless. Which is probably what persuaded Grant not to take any action as Makinson popped over another goal for a 32-12 lead. Bentley’s walk of shame would come.

Before it did it was Austin’s turn to look a little sheepish as his dropout sailed out on the full. In the ensuing set Welsby offered up a short ball to Dan Norman to cross for Saints’ seventh try of the evening with eight minutes left. Norman has had to bide his time for opportunities since arriving from London Broncos but has featured eight times in all competitions this season scoring four tries. Makinson somehow managed to fail with the extras but at 36-12 it was of little consequence.

No sooner had Thompson returned from the sin bin than Tetevano restored Saints’ one man advantage. Lomax’s kick out to the right led to a fairly sloppy piece of play involving Bennison and Hurrell. The Tongan centre tried to improvise, kicking through the line only to be met with an inexcusable intervention by Tetevano. It was late, high and was performed with very little other than the Leeds man’s shoulder. Pick your poison. Which of the three do you want to send him off for? 

With echoes of a similarly brainless assault on Theo Fages in the Challenge Cup meeting between these two from last year Tetevano walked and has subsequently earned himself a five-match ban. 

Before Tetevano trudged off a modern day melee developed. The kind during which no punches are thrown, everybody grabs each other and the officials light up a cigar and wait for everyone to calm down before dealing with it. This one was stirred up by Walmsley who immediately reacted to Tetevano’s misbehaviour by running in and pushing the Rhinos man in retaliation. As he had earlier Walmsley escaped further action as Grant spoke only to both captains to appeal for them to get their players to stop acting up and get on with it.

It was a warning that a by now seething Bentley failed to heed. Oledzki had dropped a tired pass by Leeming which had allowed Jake Wingfield to surge down the field only to be stopped a few metres short by Oledzki’s admirably determined chase. As Walmsley attempted to take a quick tap following another offside call Bentley reached around to knock the ball away from a position with a different postcode to the one marked ‘square at marker’. 

Grant saw it as a professional foul, compounding Bentley’s humiliation at getting a good old fashioned flogging at the home of his old club by forcing him to walk off the field via the scenic route along the length of the west stand. As he did so some bright spark threw some form of missile at him, likely a plastic bottle. That individual is one we can do without. Saints have already stated that they have studied the CCTV and are dealing with it.

With Bentley no longer around to break the rules in stopping him Walmsley crashed over for his second try, his fourth of the season and his first double since a 48-18 thrashing of Salford in January 2020. Yet again Grant felt compelled to review it, sending it up as a try and having it confirmed by Moore. It did look as though part of the ball had made contact with the ground - however briefly and despite the best efforts of several Leeds defenders. 

It was all too much for Newman who launched into a full scale, foot-stamping tantrum in the faces of the officials. He was not carded by Grant but he did receive a two-match suspension from the match review panel, upgraded to three after his appeal was deemed frivolous. If he does have designs on a place in the England squad for the autumn - and there’s no doubt he has the talent - he will need to start displaying behaviour a good deal more mature than he managed here.  Makinson landed his fifth goal to put Saints 30 points to the good at 42-12.   

Statistically Sironen took his opportunity, ending the game as Saints top ground gainer with 121m. Paasi (104), Walmsley (103) and Lomax (101) all made notable efforts. For Leeds Martin worked hard for his 120m while Newman’s 106 were perhaps prettier to watch before his late combustion. 

Defensively Roby was Saints’ top man again with 31 tackles, the only member of the home side required to top 30. If Bentley had the nous to match the endeavour shown by his 47 tackles he would be some player. He endured a miserable night no doubt made worse by a stellar performance by Hurrell in the battle of the two men who swapped clubs at the end of last term. Leeming put in another industrious defensive shift with 35. Matt Prior contributed 32. 

Saints kept their errors to a modest seven which was a key. That is a figure way below their average of 11.6 per game coming in while the Rhinos’ 10 errors was slightly up on their 9.2 per game average before this game. 

Saints certainly played the more penetrative rugby, managing nine clean breaks, three of which were attributed to Walmsley who seems to relish playing against the Rhinos. Only Fusitu’a and Newman managed to get the other side of the Saints defensive line into open space in the entire 80 minutes.

A 30-point win against a Leeds side which is thought to be improving is a great way to go into a pivotal period for Saints. They meet all of the other top four sides over the next three weeks. They travel to Perpignan to face Catalans this weekend, renew hostilities with Wigan at Magic Weekend in Newcastle on July 9 and then welcome in-form Huddersfield Giants to St Helens on July 15. 

If Saints can win all three of those games it could deal a fatal blow to the hopes all of them might have had of winning the League Leaders Shield as the games will be running out by then. That would allow Woolf to manage his squad late in the season in preparation for the playoffs. However, if Saints cannot manage that and the position at the top of the league is still close late in the season then don’t be surprised to see Woolf allow someone else to pose in front of the sponsor’s billboard with the most undeservedly maligned trophy in sports. He has previous for resting his stars late in the season and it has brought him spectacular results when the Grand Finals have rolled around.    

Saints: Bennison, Makinson, Hurrell, Davies, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Lussick, Paasi, Wingfield, Norman

Leeds: Hardaker, Fusitu’a, Newman, Martin, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Bentley, Thompson, Donaldson. Interchanges: Tetevano, Walters, Myler, O’Connor

           

    

Saints v Leeds Rhinos - Preview

Super League kicks back into gear this week following the international break with Saints hosting Leeds Rhinos on Thursday night (June 23, kick-off 8.00pm)

 

The champions are in pole position for another assault on the Super League crown, sitting four points clear of nearest challengers Wigan and Catalans Dragons after 15 of the 27 regular season rounds.  That’s one point for every consecutive Grand Final Saints are set to win if the rest of the league doesn’t get its collective finger out and offer some credible competition.

Kristian Woolf’s side have lost just two league games so far in 2022.  A 22-20 loss in Toulouse in early March was avenged at the start of June, while a youthful Saints outfit went down 30-10 at Castleford Tigers following a demanding Easter schedule. 

 

Woolf’s men take on a Rhinos side still slumming it in eighth position despite winning four of their last six under new coach Rohan Smith.  Pre-season recruitment looked solid enough with Aidan Sezer, Blake Austin and our very own James Bentley added to the ranks.  Yet they endured a dismal start to the campaign which saw them lose five of their first six games, culminating in the departure of then head coach Richard Agar.  Smith – a nephew of former Rhinos boss and two-time Grand Final winner Tony – has overseen an improvement in his new side but they still face an uphill struggle to make it into the top six for the end of season playoffs.  

If they are going to take a step further towards that goal they will need to overcome a Saints side which - despite some significant absences - is still very much the team to beat in 2022.  Woolf has only made one change to his 21-man squad selection from that which took on Hull KR last time out. Josh Simm comes back into contention in place of the suspended James Bell. Yet the coach remains without some key personnel. Saints are still shorn of the injured trio of Mark Percival, Lewis Dodd and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook as well as the suspended Sione Mata'utia.  

Timely then that Will Hopoate has managed to string a couple of games together. If the Tongan international starts this one it will be his third consecutive appearance but only his seventh overall since joining from Canterbury Bulldogs for the start of this season. In the last two he has operated at fullback which has allowed newly capped England international Jack Welsby to move up into the halves alongside Jonny Lomax. That has given Saints better balance in the absence of Dodd who was lost for the season back on Good Friday.

Percival’s left centre berth was taken by Ben Davies for the win over Hull KR. That suited him better than the stand-off role he was pressed into filling after Dodd got injured and Hopoate was still struggling to gain his fitness. Davies’ 100-metre performance was rewarded with a try against the Robins and - despite the addition of Simm - there seems no reason to disrupt a three-quarter line featuring Davies and the in-form Konrad Hurrell at the centre positions and wing regulars Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace. Like Welsby, Makinson comes in off the back of 80 minutes for England while Grace did not feature in Wales’ 34-6 defeat to France having played so little rugby prior to that squad being named.

Looking longer term Saints this week announced extended stays at the club for both Hurrell and Dodd. Hurrell has agreed another year while Dodd will remain a Saint until 2026. Hurrell has confounded my scepticism by becoming one of the better performers this season since joining the club from the Rhinos. Meanwhile Dodd’s quality is perhaps even more visible when he is not there as Woolf grapples with the right playmaking combinations which he hopes will make Saints’ attack so much smoother. We will have to wait for it but Dodd is very likely to be the answer to the problem.   

It was something of a surprise to see Bell selected in the second row ahead of Curtis Sironen against Rovers. Bell’s ban may give Sironen the opportunity to come back into the starting line-up, particularly with Mata’utia also still out. Joe Batchelor - another who celebrated making his England debut at the weekend - should fill the other second row berth.

Where it not for the retirement from international rugby league of James Roby Saints could field an all-England front row. Matty Lees was another national team debutant this week while Alex Walmsley remains the best English prop outside of the NRL. 

In his recent press conference Woolf expressed some doubts about the fitness of Morgan Knowles to start in his regular loose forward slot. Along with Lomax Knowles missed the England game - officially through injury. But don’t be surprised to see both make miraculous recoveries in time to take on the Rhinos. If Knowles doesn’t make it there are options despite the absence of go to replacement and extra prop McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Sironen’s bygone days as a stand-off may mark him out as a candidate if Woolf wants more of a ball player. Roby too could switch to 13 and allow Joey Lussick to start at dummy half.

With McCarthy-Scarsbrook out there will at least be a bench spot up for grabs. Agnatius Paasi will likely take one as will Lussick should Roby stay in his preferred hooking role. Jake Wingfield and Dan Norman got the nod against Rovers and will hope to again amid competition from second rower Sam Royle. Backs Jon Bennison and Dan Hill complete the 21.

The Rhinos may welcome back Sezer for what would be just his seventh appearance since joining from Huddersfield Giants. Sezer had struggled with injuries at the back end of his Giants career and his luck hasn’t really changed since moving to the Rhinos. When he has been available he has been underwhelming. Should Smith decide against re-introducing the former Canberra Raider then another - Blake Austin - should feature in the halves alongside Richie Myler.

Jack Walker is another Leeds star who cannot seem to put a run of games together and he again misses out. With Jack Broadbent on the verge of a loan move to Featherstone Rovers Zak Hardaker could continue in the fullback role. Harry Newman was fit enough for a place on the bench when the Rhinos lost to the Giants in their last game a fortnight ago so could be in line to challenge for a starting spot. Liam Sutcliffe will be hoping to hold him off a while longer. Rhys Martin can operate in the centres while out wide Ash Handley is one of the better wingers knocking around Super League. On the opposite side former New Zealand Warrior David Fusitu’a is becoming more of a factor after an injury ravaged start to his Rhinos career.

The big news in the Leeds pack is that Alex Mellor has left the club and joined Castleford Tigers with immediate effect. Bodene Thompson and James Donaldson occupied the second row against Ian Watson’s side but there has to be a more than even chance that sin-bin dwelling former Saint Bentley will come back into the side after serving a three-match suspension. 

Mikolaj Oledzki - fresh from signing a new four-year deal at Headingley, and Zane Tetevano are the likely staters at prop with the excellent Kruise Leeming set to come back in at hooker after missing the Giants game through injury.  When Leeming takes a break the more direct if less subtle Brad Dwyer will pose a whole new set of problems. Matt Prior shrugged off an early injury scare while playing for the combined nations and is also available. Either he or the unfortunately monikered Cameron Smith will start at 13.

Saints won 26-0 when the teams met at Headingley back in April. The Rhinos have not beaten Saints in Super League since a 16-14 success in August 2017. That was in the midst of Justin Holbrook transforming a plodding Saints outfit content to cling on to a top 4 spot into the ruthless winning machine they are today. For Leeds’ last win in St Helens you have to go all the way back to a 41-16 shellacking from a team who would go on to win the treble of Super League Grand Final, Challenge Cup and League Leaders Shield in 2015.  

There’s little prospect of that happening again here. Smith’s Leeds are a work in progress and will be coming up against a hopefully energised Saints after the break. It may not be the shutout we saw on April Fools Day but I still expect Saints to comfortably come out on top.

Squads; 

St Helens:

1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Jonny Lomax, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13, Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 26. Sam Royle, 27. Jon Bennison, 29. Dan Hill.

Leeds Rhinos;

David Fusitu’a, Harry Newman, Liam Sutcliffe, Ash Handley, Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer, Mikolaj Oledzki, Kruise Leeming, Matt Prior, James Bentley, Rhyse Martin, Zane Tetevano, Brad Dwyer, Richie Myler, Cameron Smith, Bodene Thompson, Sam Walters, Jarrod O’Connor, James Donaldson, Max Simpson, Zak Hardaker.

Referee: Tom Grant

Saints 26 Hull KR 18 - Review

A fifth league win in a row saw Saints consolidate their four-point lead at the top of the Super League table. Kristian Woolf’s side edged Hull KR 26-18 in an entertaining clash on Sunday afternoon (June 12).

As Saints pulled clear again at the top the visitors’ defeat meant that they relinquished the sixth and final playoff place for now. The Robins suffered their eighth loss in 15 league outings. That’s an identical record to that of Castleford but if the playoffs were to begin tomorrow the Tigers would squeeze in ahead of Rovers by virtue of their superior points difference. Or some might say their less terrible points difference.

Saints had looked better balanced in last week’s 28-14 win in Toulouse and Woolf wisely stuck as close to that formula as possible. There was an enforced change at centre where Sione Mata’utia - who had filled in for Mark Percival in France - was suspended. With Percival also still out the left gig went to Ben Davies. It offered a good opportunity for Davies to start in his favoured position. He missed out on selection in Toulouse having played the previous five as a makeshift stand-off. 

In the forwards Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook missed only his second game of 2022, the other being at Castleford in April when a virtual academy side went down 30-10. A facial fracture is currently laying McCarthy-Scarsbrook low, so both Jake Wingfield and Dan Norman came into the 17 on the bench. Curtis Sironen missed out and with Mata’utia also absent James Bell started in the second row alongside Joe Batchelor with Morgan Knowles in his regular loose forward slot. James Roby started too, featuring in a Super League game for a record-breaking 455th time. The Toulouse game saw Roby tie the record which had been held for seven years by Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield. Now he moved out on his own - the latest milestone in a storied, phenomenal career.

In doing so he earned himself a guard honour from both sets of players as he entered the field. If any current Super League player deserves that level of reference it is Roby, though not everyone will be comfortable with Super League records in a sport which started a long time before 1996.

In the Rovers side most Saints fans’ eyes were on Lachlan Coote. The former North Queensland Cowboy made 66 appearances for Saints in three seasons between 2019-21. Three of those 66 appearances were winning Grand Finals. Coote was returning to Saints for the first time since moving to Rovers at the end of 2021. Just has he had been during his three-year stint with the champions, Coote was worth the entrance money by himself.

Rovers coach Tony Smith was still without halfback Jordan Abdull so again paired the exciting but inexperienced Mikey Lewis and Rowan Milnes in his creative department. That meant Rovers were unchanged from the 17 which had thrashed Salford Red Devils 43-16 in their previous outing. Ryan Hall is chasing his own record - now on 223 and only 24 short of Danny Maguire’s Super League record of 247. Matty Storton, Matt Parcell and George King were charged with slowing down Saints’ formidable front row while behind them Frankie Dalton was excellent in defeat.

Expecting an open game, the fans didn’t have long to wait for the first attacking wave from the home side. The opening set ended with a Jack Welsby kick towards the corner which looked destined to roll into touch before Konrad Hurrell got to it and threw a speculator back over his head towards Will Hopoate. The Tongan snaffled it and produced a deft flick pass to allow Tommy Makinson to walk in at the corner. It was the Saints and England winger’s 16th of the Super League season, moving him two clear at the top of the Super League try-scoring charts for 2022. He could not add the goal to this early effort but Saints led 4-0.

Having gained the early initiative Saints quickly set about the task of indulging in a little self sabotage. Their next attack promised to put them into a double digit lead but only succeeded in leaving them a man light. Jonny Lomax’s lob was just too long allowing Coote to diffuse it. As he did so, the chasing Welsby mystifyingly saw fit to push his opposite number and Saints predecessor in the back. Referee Marcus Griffiths took a dim view and sat Welsby down for the next 10 minutes. 

There are those who will say that Griffiths was pedantic. No real harm was going to be inflicted on Coote. Yet to my mind Griffiths was not as pedantic as Welsby was needlessly aggressive and fairly brainless. Perhaps he thought he was making a statement about how he is now the new guy in town. Perhaps it was just bantz between master and apprentice. A kind of Obi-Wan vs Anakin in front of the East Stand rather than on the fiery planet of Mustafar or - spoiler alert - Jabiim. Either way it didn’t really help the cause. 

Saints compounded that error of judgement when they were caught offside, allowing Rovers to set up the position from which Coote made his first imprint on the contest. Saints had defended a set on their own line pretty well until Coote took hold of proceedings, slashing outside Walmsley to get over from dummy half. Coote kicked 284 goals in his three seasons at Saints so it was no surprise when he landed his first goal of the afternoon to give Rovers a slender 6-4 lead.

More indiscipline cost Saints soon after. Readers of this column will recall my lament of the persistent concession of penalties which made the task harder in Toulouse last week. This week Saints were even causing themselves problems when in possession. 

Alex Walmsley put a huge dent in the Rovers defence after he was put through a gap by a clever short ball by Bell. As Walmsley got up to play the ball quickly 10 metres out there was the usual struggle between ball carrier and marker. One trying to get the ball back in play as quickly as possible, the other trying to prevent that from happening. In his frustration Walmsley pushed Parcell at marker and was duly penalised. Parcell didn’t need much persuading to go over. Few players do as the scourge of football-style simulation creeps ever further into the game. Yet for all that it was an exercise in self-harm from Saints and an opportunity lost. 

Since this was his record breaking game it just had to have a moment that was typically James Roby. It came at a good time as it put Saints back on top on the scoreboard. Rovers contributed to it too, penalised for offside and a scrum offence and conceding a set restart in the passage of play that put Roby in position to score his 116th try in a Saints career that now extends to 509 appearances in all competitions. Close to the line at dummy half the Saints skipper feinted left, pirouetted back around to the right and shot through a big gap in a confused Rovers defence. It was a signature way to mark the occasion. Makinson slotted over the conversion from bang in front and Saints led 10-6.

George King had to leave the field with what looked like a cut to the head or face on Saints next attack. While he was away Saints pressed home their advantage with a try of some considerable quality.  Hurrell was held just short over on Saints’ right edge before Roby, Lomax and Welsby combined to find a rampaging Walmsley. Known more for his north-south, no-nonsense methods Walmsley showed that he is not just a battering ram as his perfectly timed, expertly executed pass back inside gave Morgan Knowles a clear run to the line. 

Many - including this writer - have fretted about the lack of cohesion in Saints attack during the recent halfback crisis but this was a display of clinical, devastating precision during which all the moving parts hit exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. It was another simple conversion for Makinson and Saints seemed to have wrestled control of the game at 16-6. It was also Knowles’ second try in successive games, a feat he has not achieved since the last two games of the 2021 regular season.

Had Welsby released the ball to Bell a split second earlier Saints may well have added to their lead on their next raid. Instead Welsby hung on and Walmsley came up with an error. Griffiths then pinged Saints for offside and suddenly Woolf’s men were defending their own line. They have been excellent at doing that this year but couldn’t quite pull it off on this occasion. Milnes and Coote combined in a movement which culminated in a fizzing ball across the face of the Saints defence from Coote to Hall. It was reminiscent of so many we were fortunate to witness during Coote’s time in the red vee and was good enough on this occasion to put Hall in at the left hand corner. 

Hall now has 223 Super League tries. He is only 24 short of the record held by Danny Maguire - another former Leeds man with Rovers connections. More importantly in the shorter term it brought the Robins right back into the contest. They were now just four points down at 16-12 as Coote made another testing conversion from out wide look routine. Witnessing this match was a strange experience to this point. Saints had enjoyed more possession and played some pretty un-Woolf-like expansive stuff yet found themselves only four points to the good. Perhaps that is why the coach favours a little more of what modern game planners call structure. 

Coote caused more problems when he got on the end of a hopeful punt from Milnes. The former Saints man hacked forwards but the danger was averted by a covering Makinson. He even managed to escape the in-goal before Parcell cheekily claimed a try as the ball came loose. The Rovers man was penalised. Makinson then reminded us that he is a major factor at both ends. He was bundled into touch just short of the try line after good work by Roby, Lomax, Knowles and Welsby. 

Having set up one chance for Makinson Parcell then served up another. His horror pass went all along the ground without ever really threatening to get anywhere near a Rovers player. The man most alert to its whereabouts was Roby, who covered it up deep in KR territory. From there Saints moved it right where Makinson - about to suffer the same fate as he had a few minutes earlier and run out of room - tried to find Welsby but the pass shot forward into the Rovers in-goal. 

The pendulum swung again, Ryan Hall rampaging down the left wing before handing on to Elliot Minchella. He in turn shifted it to the busy Parcell who was only halted by a fine tackle by Grace 25 metres out. Minchella, Coote and Lewis then tried to engineer a chance on the right flank but the final ball was well anticipated by Welsby. His unfortunate inability to hold on to it meant another set of six for Rovers in great field position. A set restart gave Rovers more encouragement but Saints’ formidable defence held out. Milnes’ kick beyond the try line was scooped back and brought back into the field of play by Hopoate. 

That failure to capitalise would eventually cost Rovers another two points before half-time. The visitors came up with a crucial error in their own territory and one typical Roby burst later Parcell felt compelled to interfere at the next ruck. Not only did it offer Makinson an easy opportunity to put Saints a further two points up at 18-12 at the break, it also represented the point where Griffiths’ patience with Parcell’s antics ran out. As the teams walked off the field the Rovers hooker’s interlude would be 10 minutes longer than everybody else’s.

In the early exchanges of the second half Saints spurned one chance with a forward pass, and then were laid low by their recurring disciplinary problems. Perhaps in homage to Walmsley’s earlier effort it was now Knowles’ turn to pointlessly push away at his marker as he got up to play the ball. We could have done without the reaction from George King. His theatrics made Harry Kane’s dive at the Allianz Arena last week look like the consequences of an all out physical assault but the point about Saints’ discipline stands. Stop doing stupid stuff and make life easier for yourselves,

As I write this news is just breaking that Hurrell has agreed a one-year extension to his deal which will keep him in the red vee for 2023. The next significant action was Exhibit A in why Saints have been keen to keep him from a possible NRL return. Picking up possession around 15 metres from his own line the former Rhino stampeded through the defensive line and streaked away to cross half way line. At this point there was only Coote between him and the try line. There was not a thought in Hurrell’s head of trying to go around Coote, or beat him with a bit of footwork. Instead he barrelled straight at the fullback who just about did enough to halt his progress.

Hurrell’s burst had scattered the Rovers rearguard like Boris Johnson rearranging the ministerial code. Seeing this, Welsby placed an unfathomably well weighted kick to the left side of the field where it was seized upon by Davies. The ball held up in exactly the right spot for Davies to gather and ground it in one movement. He took a bang on the head in the process but in scoring his second try in his eight Saints appearances to date he had given his side a two-score cushion at 22-12. Makinson could not tack on two more this time but the threepeaters were starting to exert a deal of control and scoreboard pressure.

Smith’s men weren’t helping themselves by now, making a simple error early in the tackle count. That after surviving a burst by Makinson whose kick was just too long for the chasing Lomax. If fatigue was playing a part for Rovers it was not a surprise against a defence which is still only shipping an average of 10.5 points per game across their 15 Super League outings so far. Rovers had already managed more than that, so perhaps they shouldn’t have expected to pick up too many more. 

Perhaps Saints slipped into a temporary comfort zone. Following the Rovers error they gave it straight back when Joey Lussick inexplicably failed to take notice of the ball being played back to him by Batchelor as he waited at dummy half. This sort of thing doesn’t happen in Robyworld. To be fair it’s something of an aberration for Lussick who has been excellent since coming back to England from Parramatta. He must have been feeling particularly off colour as soon after his pass to Roby - which Australians might refer to as an absolute bludger - could not be handled by the skipper and possession was lost again. 

Perhaps Saints needed a jolt. They almost got it when former Leeds splinter-collector Jimmy Keinhorst combined well with Lewis to put Jez Litten over on the right. Yet Griffiths deemed the pass to Lewis forward as Saints maintained their 10-point lead. Lewis was not deterred. When Parcell - by now off the naughty step - broke the Saints line and kicked ahead only the presence of Regan Grace denied Lewis the opportunity to get his team back into it. Lewis is quick and elusive but in a straight race the Saints winger was always a likely victor. He covered up forcing Rovers to settle for the goal-line dropout. 

From there Rovers had two bites at the proverbial cherry. They got a fresh set when Shaun Kenny-Dowall’s wayward pass was gobbled up by Roby only for Griffiths to rule that it had been knocked forward by a Saints hand. Not to worry, the ball was lost on the very first play of the set by Ethan Ryan. KR must now have been entertaining thoughts that this would not be their day.

All doubt was removed when after a smart break by Lomax the ball was shifted right by Lussick, Roby and Hopoate to Hurrell. He showed more of what has earned him another year as he expertly used Makinson as a foil outside him before gliding through the defensive line with the grace of a man a third of his size. Like Knowles before him it was his second try in as many games. His fifth in 15 appearances since heading to the fun side of the Pennines. It was a thing of beauty and a score which settled the issue on this day. 

On his current form Hurrell is more than worth his new deal. Still to turn 31 you would imagine he has more than another good year in him. The only danger is what psychologists refer to as LMS Syndrome, where an ageing player ups his levels until a new contract is secure before reverting to type. If we see this Hurrell rather than the one during his last days at Leeds then we will have got ourselves a real asset for next year and maybe beyond. Though if Hurrell does have designs on another crack at the NRL he doesn’t want to leave it too long.

Makinson could not convert Hurrell’s effort but Saints were now cruising with a 14-point advantage at 26-12. There was a slight scare after Rovers executed a short restart but Lomax’s tackle on Halton was a try saver. Saints went close to adding to their lead when Welsby was brought down just a metre or so short on the last. The challenge which stopped him in his tracks looked suspiciously high but was let go by Griffiths. Hurrell was then called for interference at the ruck allowing Rovers to put Ben Crooks away down the right channel. Yet having been denied at the other end Welsby pooped the Rovers party by executing an assured cover tackle. 

The Saints stand-off - soon to make an England debuts of sorts in this weekend’s pick-numbers-in-the-playground, bring-whoever-will-play farce against the Combined Nations All Stars - then put a shrewd grubber in at the other end which only just evaded the unlikeliest of kick-chase try scorers in Walmsley. Saints were happy trading blows at this point, confident that their defence would not be breached enough in the time that remained. Missed opportunities like this were by now something to work on for the next game rather than worry about immediately.

Rovers would have the last word. Coote grabbed his second try when Kenny-Dowall cut in from the left and place a perfect grubber in behind the defensive line. The fullback got up and converted the try himself to narrow the arrears to a respectable eight at 26-18. Kenny-Dowall then coughed up possession in his own half to spurn what would have been Rovers’ very last chance to cause any alarm. Instead the game ended with Saints knocking on the door for more points. Walmsley was held up over the line before a Rovers hand stopped Hopoate’s pass reaching Makinson out wide. The hooter sounded after one play from the resultant scrum as Grace was brought to ground.

Makinson was the leading metre maker on either side with 159, while Hurrell was Saints’ next best with 121. Walmsley added another 120 to his name, Bell managed 110 and Davies 101. Rovers’ best in this category was Halton with 135. Just behind him was Kenny-Dowall with 132 as Rovers’ left edge caused most of the problems. Add Hall’s 120 into that mix and there is further evidence of where the visitors’ attack was at its best. Parcell had a very eventful afternoon in all sorts of ways, one of which was his 104 metres with ball in hand.

Both teams made five clean breaks but were slightly hamstrung by their error count.  Saints came up with 11 while Rovers were only a step behind with 10. Uncharacteristically, Saints produced 15 offloads but perhaps even more out of character was their concession of second phase play to their opponents on no fewer than 20 occasions. Woolf will be grumpy about that but with a blank Super League weekend because of the internationals he has some time to ponder a solution.  

Coote was a perfect three from three with the boot while Makinson was at 50% with three from six. Had Makinson landed a few more the margin of victory could have been more convincing. Perhaps if Coote had still been in the Saints ranks. To be honest, Coote was that good all round that if he had not been in the Rovers side Saints might have won by 30. He was involved in everything and makes a huge difference to any side. 

Defensively only two players topped 30 tackles as the work was shared around and the game became more open than your average Super League encounter. Parcell got through the most work with 39 tackles while Roby led Saints with 36.  

A short break coming up then, after which Saints will welcome Leeds Rhinos into town on June 23 for a Thursday night Sky clash. Saints will be going for a sixth straight league win. You’d have to fancy them to get it too despite Leeds showing signs of improvement under another member of the Smith family in Rohan. The problem for the Rhinos is that they have too much improving to do to convince anyone that they will be able to overcome Saints in less than a week’s time. They currently sit eighth with five wins out of 15 and were fairly comfortably handled by Huddersfield Giants last time out.

If Woolf and his side want it there is a League Leaders Shield in the offing before the business of securing what would be a record fourth consecutive Grand Final success.

Saints:

Hopoate, Makinson, Hurrell, Davies, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Bell, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Lussick, Paasi, Norman, Wingfield

Hull KR:

Coote, Ryan, Crooks, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Lewis, Milnes, Storton, Parcell, King, Halton, Johnson, Hadley. Interchanges: Vete, Litten, Minchella, Keinhorst

Referee: Marcus Griffiths