Saints have an opportunity to take a real stranglehold on the League Leaders Shield when they travel to Wakefield to face Trinity on Sunday afternoon (July 24, kick-off 3.00pm).
Already four points clear following last week’s shorthanded masterclass against Huddersfield Giants, the champions can stretch that lead to six with a win following Wigan’s surprise and frankly hilarious flogging at Leeds on Friday night. A six-point lead with seven rounds to go would be an advantage that even Kristian Woolf’s late season squad rotation policy might not manage to squander.
By contrast Wakefield need the win for very different reasons. Willie Poching’s side sit rock bottom of the Super League table 19 games in. They are on a run of four straight defeats since beating Warrington 30-24 on June 12. And everybody beats Warrington. Trinity may have got away with that little slump were it not for the fact that a Toulouse side which won only two of its first 16 in Super League following promotion has now won its last three. One of those came against Wakefield at Magic while the French newcomers have also earned wins over Hull KR and Leeds during that stretch. The heat is being turned up on Trinity. A visit from Saints is arguably the last thing they would wish for right now.
A certain amount of rotation has been forced on Woolf for this one. Both Sione Mata’utia and Morgan Knowles are suspended. Mata’utia was handed a three-game ban for his brainless attempt to get Danny Levi back to his feet before the Giants man had been assessed by medical staff. Meanwhile Knowles is perhaps more unfortunate that his fractionally late nudge on Oliver Russell has earned him a week’s rest.
An already concerning injury list once again features the name of Will Hopoate. The fullback lasted less than five minutes of the Giants win after sustaining head and shoulder injuries while turning Innes Senior away from the Saints goal-line. Woolf has suggested this week that Hopoate will be out for several weeks but that he should return at the back end of the campaign. This sounds like pretty grim news for the Tongan but Woolf also pointed out that it is a prognosis which is maybe not as bad as first thought. Hopoate was due to see a specialist on Friday (July 22) to determine the extent of the injury. It is the latest setback in an injury ravaged debut season with Saints for Hopoate after joining from Canterbury Bulldogs.
Coming in to the 21 will be 20 year-old forward Lewis Baxter, 18 year-old prop George Delaney and academy hooker Taylor Pemberton. Woolf also confirmed that James Bell is in line to make an appearance despite being sent out to Leigh Centurions on dual registration and featuring in their 60-6 win over Dewsbury Rams last weekend.
Woolf must decide whether to call on his young trio on match day or else stick with his more experienced players. All three have made only one first team appearance for Saints - that coming in the 30-10 defeat at Castleford at the end of April. On that occasion Woolf chose to field an experimental side as his regular stars rested up from a double header on the previous Easter weekend.
This side looks set to be somewhat stronger even if there are big holes to fill. Jack Welsby looks the most likely candidate to start at fullback in Hopoate’s absence while Jon Bennison continues to fill in for the injured Tommy Makinson on the right wing. Konrad Hurrell and Regan Grace should both feature in the three-quarters but with Mata’utia banned and Mark Percival on the injured list there is a vacancy at centre. Ben Davies could come back into the side for the first time since the defeat at Catalans Dragons on July 2 and would be a natural fit. However, Woolf has also shown a tendency to use Davies in the halves alongside Jonny Lomax whenever Welsby has been required at fullback. Bell is a possible option at stand-off as is veteran and Super League legend James Roby. Should Roby be pressed into service at 6 then expect a start at hooker for 2022 ever present Joey Lussick.
The rest of the forward pack looks strong. Alex Walmsley returned to the side against Huddersfield after missing the Magic weekend win over Wigan for the birth of his son. Matty Lees has been a constant in the front row too. Behind them Curtis Sironen and Joe Batchelor are two of the most in-form second rowers in Super League ensuring that Mata’utia’s absence will not be half as catastrophic as...say…appointing Liz Truss as Prime Minister. Knowles’ loose forward berth could yet go to Bell but Baxter, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Jake Wingfield are also on the ballot.
Agnatius Paasi brings impact from the bench and you’d have to assume that two of Bell, McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Wingfield will also have to settle for interchange roles. Baxter, Pemberton and Delaney will also hope for a shot as will the more experienced and improving prop Dan Norman. Utility back Dan Hill completes the 21.
Poching hasn’t been sitting on his hands during his side’s poor run, making several recent recruitment moves to try to turn Trinity’s form around. He added Manly winger Jorge Taufua as well as Hull FC prop Josh Bowden to the ranks last week, and has gone back to the black and whites this week to take fullback Jamie Shaul on loan. He will cover for Max Jowitt who has a hamstring problem. The Trinity three-quarter line is decimated with Tom Johnstone and Reece Lyne out, Bill Tupou having recently announced his retirement and former Warrington wing man Tom Lineham having joined Featherstone Rovers on loan. Liam Kay is also out so Lee Kershaw looks set to make his first appearance of the season.
Jacob Miller could be elsewhere next season with Castleford Tigers favourites for his signature. For now he is a vital piece in the Trinity creative department alongside former Newcastle Knights halfback Mason Lino. Lee Gaskell will hope for an opportunity against his former club.
Up front Bowden is likely to be joined by Eddie Battye and Tinirau Arona. Jai Whitbread could feature but Jay Pitts has added to Wakefield’s woes by being ruled out for the rest of the season. Kelepi Tanginoa and David Fifita could play key roles along with former Saints back rower Matty Ashurst.
Saints have won the last 10 meetings between the pair. Trinity’s last win over Saints was a 24-20 success at Belle Vue in April 2018. Of the 17 on duty that day for Saints only Grace, Lomax and McCarthy-Scarsbrook have a chance to feature in this one.
Wakefield’s relatively unsuccessful spell during the Super League era means there is a dearth of genuinely memorable clashes between the two. Trinity’s last major honour was the 1968 title. However they did get the better of Saints in the 1979 Challenge Cup semi-final and the 1967 Championship Trophy final.
Despite the problems in the Saints camp Poching’s side remain firm underdogs. They have no form coming in and are going up against a Saints side whose defeat in Perpignan three weeks ago remains their only reverse in their last nine league outings.
Speculation about Woolf’s future has been an unwelcome distraction this week, with Australian media sources claiming the Saints coach has agreed to serve as an assistant to Wayne Bennett in the NRL’s new Dolphins franchise from next year before taking over the reins in 2025. Woolf has stated that this has not yet been agreed but whether he intends to make the move or not he is not the sort of character who allows those types of things to derail him from the job in hand. For that reason among many others I’d expect Saints to run out comfortable winners by two or three scores.
Squads;
Wakefield Trinity;
6 Jacob Miller 7 Mason Lino 8 Eddie Battye 9 Liam Hood 10 Tinirau Arona 11 Matty Ashurst 12 Kelepi Tanginoa 14 Jordy Crowther 15 Jai Whitbread 16 James Batchelor 17 Lee Gaskell 18 Lee Kershaw 20 Jack Croft 21 Brad Walker 27 Lewis Murphy 30 Corey Hall 35 David Fifita 36 Kyle Evans 37 Josh Bowden 38 Jamie Shaul 40 Jorge Taufua
Saints;
1. Jack Welsby 5. Regan Grace 6. Jonny Lomax 8. Alex Walmsley 9. James Roby 10. Matty Lees 12. Joe Batchelor 14. Joey Lussick 15. LMS 16. Curtis Sironen 17. Agnatius Paasi 19. Jake Wingfield 20. James Bell 22. Ben Davies 23. Konrad Hurrell 24. Dan Norman 27. Jon Bennison 28 Lewis Baxter 29. Dan Hill 31 Taylor Pemberton 34 George Delaney
Referee: Ben Thaler
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