So where do you go from becoming world champions after stunning the heavy favourites in their own back yard? Castleford, apparently.
Saints finally get their 2023 Super League campaign under way with a trip to face the Tigers on Sunday afternoon (February 26, kick-off 1.00pm). While 10 teams got their league season started last weekend Saints had some world conquering to do. All of which means that they and their scheduled Round 1 opponents Huddersfield Giants are joining in a little late.
Meanwhile Castleford have had far more going on off the field than on it recently. Slightly distracted, they endured a torrid first half of their opener against Hull FC last Sunday (February 19). Lee Radford’s side fought back well but ultimately went down 32-30 to his former club, now coached by former Rovers boss Tony Smith.
After an epic and apparently troublesome journey home from Australia there has been talk in the last few days that Saints will field a weakened team for this one. Yet new head coach Paul Wellens has picked a 21-man squad which is about as strong as it could possibly be for his first Super League game in charge. Fourteen of the 18 players involved in the Penrith game are in the running for selection again this week. Of those absent Joe Batchelor was injured before the World Club Challenge and faces surgery. Tommy Makinson picked up a head injury in the first half at the Blue Bet Stadium and is out owing to concussion protocols. Skipper James Roby, utility back Will Hopoate and prop Agnatius Paasi also have minor knocks and will not feature.
Yet we should see a much stronger team than was fielded on Saints last visit to Castleford last April. Back then Saints were coming off the back of two games in three days over the Easter period which led then head coach Kristian Woolf to send a virtual academy side to West Yorkshire. They were comfortably and predictably beaten. A tip of my hat to Wellens then for resisting the temptation to follow his predecessor’s approach. He could easily have done so. It is not as if winning the first league game of the year is crucial to Saints hopes of a fifth successive Grand Final win. The system allowed Leeds Rhinos to lose 12 of their 27 league games last year and still make the Grand Final. The format makes the drama in Super League something of a slow burner.
Despite the strength of the squad it is still quite tricky to predict how many of last week’s world beaters will make the cut for this one. There are seven names in the squad which were absent from the team sheet in Sydney and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if some or all featured.
If Wellens decides to go as strong as possible look for Jack Welsby to start at fullback behind centres Konrad Hurrell and Mark Percival with the enforced changes on the wings. Makinson’s absence could offer an opportunity for a debut to former Barrow Raider Tee Ritson while Jon Bennison will surely consider himself the next uber off the app for the vacant left wing slot. Lewis Dodd returned to competitive action with a memorable flourish last week and should partner the bionic Jonny Lomax in the halves.
If Alex Walmsley is involved he will play his 250th game for Saints after joining from Batley in 2013. The England prop missed out on a place in Saints Grand Final win over Leeds last September and subsequently the World Cup. Yet he still has four Super League Grand Final rings to his name having been part of the 2014 team as well as the first three of the current run of four. He also has a Challenge Cup winners medal before adding a world title to his CV. His remains a name that opposition players do not want to see on the Saints team list. He should partner Matty Lees in the front row with Joey Lussick - limited to 10 minutes or so against the Panthers due to Roby’s performance - perhaps in line for what would be only a ninth start since arriving from Parramatta two years ago.
Batchelor’s place in the back row was filled pretty expertly by Curtis Sironen at Penrith. It was his break which led to Welsby’s early try which set Saints on their way. Along with Walmsley he led all Saints in metres made and generally gave the Panthers a torrid time throughout. We should have no qualms about him stepping in alongside Sione Mata’utia although Jake Wingfield, James Bell and Sam Royle will all have a case for inclusion in that position at some point.
Last year Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook was a permanent fixture on the Saints bench and could be there again this week Although after such an energy sapping trip there is a case for resting the second oldest member of the playing staff after Roby. Bell or Wingfield have a shout to be included at loose forward but having missed the World Club Challenge warm-up game against St George-Illawarra Dragons through illness Morgan Knowles has less minutes in his legs than some other regular starters. He may need the game time. Ben Davies, Dan Norman, Lewis Baxter and George Delaney make up the remainder of the squad all hoping to see action.
As always there have been a few changes to the personnel at Castleford in the off-season. Cas finished a disappointing seventh last year in Radford’s debut season replacing long time gaffer Daryl Powell. Since then they have moved to recruit Gareth Widdop from Powell’s new club Warrington, Albert Vete from Hull KR, playmaker Jacob Miller from Wakefield and both Jack Broadbent and Muizz Mustapha from Leeds Rhinos.
At the same time three halfbacks now reside elsewhere and a fourth has a long term injury. Gareth O’Brien has joined Leigh’s latest bid to avoid relegation, Ryan Hampshire has somehow ended up back at Wigan and Jake Trueman is now with Hull FC. Former Saint Danny Richardson remains but is struggling to overcome a double whammy of medial and anterior cruciate ligament injuries and is unlikely to feature in 2023.
Also gone is Derrell Olpherts who has joined Leeds. Greg Eden - who returns to the squad this week to replace Suaia Matagi - could fill that gap on the wing while another former Hull man - Bureta Fairamo - should get the other berth with Jason Qareqare not included. Former Saint Jordan Turner offers versatilty and nous while the unexpected can always be expected from ex-Huddersfield and Warrington man Jake Mamo. Mahe Fonua is another who has followed Radford from Humberside who could make an impact in the back division. Niall Evalds was very much missed at fullback last year after an injury ravaged season and he will be an important addition if he can stay fit. He maybe has genuine competition for that role after Broadbent’s arrival from Leeds.
Up front the star turn is former Steve Prescott Man Of Steel winner Paul McShane. If he can play more of his rugby at hooker than as an emergency half in 2023 then he should have a significant influence on the team. George Griffin is a willing, consistent presence while antagonism and flare come mostly from former Huddersfield man Kenny Edwards. Alex Mellor is a capable performer who made a surprise move from Leeds last year after an impressive spell with Huddersfield. Liam Watts will be part enforcer, part liability. As for Joe Westerman well…we all know his qualities. We’ll leave it there.
The Tigers’ 30-10 home win over Saints last term is no sort of guide given the understrength team fielded by Woolf on that occasion. Still, even discarding that result Saints have lost at The Jungle as recently as in March 2020. They went down 28-14 on that occasion when try scorers included Olpherts, Trueman and Peter Mata’utia, all of whom are now elsewhere. Saints last win there was in March 2019 when McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Percival were among the try scorers in a 42-14 success.
Last week’s events in Sydney will likely have taken some kind of physical and emotional toil on Saints and with the prospect of a few selection curveball’s remaining this one might just be tougher to call than at other times. Yet I am going to stick with our world champions to get themselves up for it enough to see off what is often an erratic Tigers outfit. Saints by 14.
Squads;
Castleford Tigers;
- Niall Evalds, 2. Greg Eden, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Mahe Fonua, 5. Bureta Faraimo, 6. Gareth Widdop, 7. Jacob Miller, 8. George Lawler, 9. Paul McShane, 10. George Griffin, 11. Kenny Edwards, 12. Alex Mellor, 13. Joe Westerman, 14. Nathan Massey, 16. Adam Milner, 17. Jack Broadbent, 19. Albert Vete, 20. Muizz Mustapha, 21. Jake Mamo, 24. Cain Robb, 32. Liam Watts
Saints;
- Jack Welsby 4. Mark Percival 5. Jon Bennison 6. Jonny Lomax 7. Lewis Dodd 8. Alex Walmsley 10. Matty Lees 11. Sione Mata’utia 13. Morgan Knowles 14. Joey Lussick 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook 16. Curtis Sironen 18. Jake Wingfield 19. James Bell 20. Dan Norman 21. Ben Davies 22. Sam Royle 23. Konrad Hurrell 24. Lewis Baxter 25. Tee Ritson 30. George Delaney
Referee: Liam Moore
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