With an uncertain future the Magic Weekend rolls into Newcastle once more. New overlords IMG are threatening to remove the competition-distorting event from the rugby league calendar. There is a fair amount of resistance to that plan from the clubs and the broadcaster, so Saints’ Sunday clash with Huddersfield Giants (June 4, kick-off 2.15pm) at St James’ Park may not be the last of its kind.
For now it is the latest in a seemingly never-ending stream of vital fixtures for Paul Wellens’ side. Last week’s golden point victory over Leeds at Headingley was not enough to see the champions finish the weekend in a playoff spot. Instead they sit seventh in the Super League table with a record of seven wins and five defeats as we approach the season’s half way mark. Yet they lurk just two points behind a trio of clubs, any of whom they could leapfrog with a win should other results go their way. Given that Leigh face Wakefield it probably won’t be them, but the loser of Saturday’s game between Salford and Hull KR looks vulnerable. On the flip side a defeat to Ian Watson’s men could see the Rhinos push Saints down into eighth should Rohan Smith’s side pick up an expected win over Castleford.
The Giants cannot move upwards with a win but could move down a place into 10th should they lose and Hull FC pull off a not that unlikely win over wobble-prone league leaders Warrington. Watson’s troops beat Castleford last time out but prior to that they suffered a three-game losing streak to both Hull clubs and Leigh. During that stretch they scored an average of only six points per game. A masterclass in Wattoball. Overall the picture is slightly brighter. They have won five and lost seven of their first 12 league outings. Yet if they have any designs on making the playoffs then their need is arguably even greater than that of Saints.
Wellens has made two changes to his 21-man squad, both of whom seem to significantly strengthen his hand. Mark Percival has not played since injuring his hamstring while playing in the second row during Saints’ defeat at Hull KR in mid-April. If fit he may slot into the centres alongside Konrad Hurrell with Will Hopoate either making way altogether or else pushing Tee Ritson out of the wing berth that he has occupied for the last five matches.
The second change sees Matty Lees return after a two-match suspension. He should hold down a starting slot at prop alongside Alex Walmsley with skipper James Roby completing the front row at nine. That should mean Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook returning to the more familiar territory of the interchange bench after he made a rare start at Headingley.
Behind the stellar front row Wellens is spoilt for choice with all of Sione Mata’utia, Curtis Sironen and Joe Batchelor available. Morgan Knowles serves the second and final game of his latest suspension so James Bell is the likely starter at 13. Bell’s form over the last few months has earned him a new two-year deal this week. The Scottish international will stay at Saints until at least the end of 2025.
It took Bell a while to establish himself - he had to wait until Good Friday last year to make his competitive Saints debut and didn’t get his first start until a week later as part of a virtual academy side at Castleford - but he has featured in all 14 in all competitions in 2023, starting the last six. Perhaps that owes something to the inability of Knowles, Mata’utia and Sironen to keep out of trouble but Bell has nevertheless become a key figure for Saints after joining from Leigh at the start of the 2022 season. His retention is a smart bit of business by the club.
To select Percival or not seems the only dilemma for Wellens in the back division. Tommy Makinson is still untouchable on the right wing, making his 300th appearance for Saints at Headingley. Jack Welsby seems likely to stay at fullback to allow the Jonny Lomax-Lewis Dodd axis to continue in the halves. The Saints bench may again feature Jon Bennison but other than the versatile youngster expect it to be a forward-heavy set of replacements with McCarthy-Scarsbrook joined by three from Bennison, Jake Wingfield, Joey Lussick, Agnatius Paasi and George Delaney. For the first time in what seems like a very long time there are going to be one or two players left out of this 17 who might start for other clubs.
The Giants include Adam Milner for the first time since his recent move from a Castleford Tigers side being kept afloat by the incompetence of Wakefield Trinity. Former Warrington back rower and occasional half Harvey Livett is also drafted into the 21-man selection. It is unlikely that he will feature in the creative department this week given that Watson can also call on Jake Connor, Theo Fages, Tui Lolohea and Will Pryce. Jermaine McGillvary is out so Innes Senior and former Wigan man Jake Bibby may continue on the wings. Esan Marsters should partner ex-Saint and three-time Grand Final winner Kevin Naiqama in the centres ahead of Lolohea at fullback. Fages and Connor were the halfback pairing of choice during the win over Andy Last’s Tigers but you’d expect Watson to find a place for Pryce against what is still a potentially formidable Saints side. You get the feeling the Giants will need as much ingenuity as possible to break down the Saints defence often enough. Those six points they averaged during their losing run isn’t going to cut it.
Chris Hill continues to defy his 35 years at prop where he could be joined by Matty English, a man 10 years his junior. Seb Ikahihifo will feature in that rotation also. In Nathan Peats and Adam O’Brien Watson has two capable hookers while in the second row Chris McQueen is another flouting perceived wisdom about the ageing process at 35. McQueen managed to cross for 15 tries last term and has six so far this campaign. Leroy Cudjoe joined him in the second row against the Tigers last week as he attempts to do a Kallum Watkins - and for that matter a McQueen - by making a successful conversion from centre to second row. Luke Yates remains one of the hardest working 13s in the game - only Cameron Smith has made more tackles so far in 2023 - but perhaps some of that workload will be eased by the arrival of Milner.
Other bench options for Watson include one-time Saint Joe Greenwood, Ikahihifo, O’Brien, prop Olly Wilson, Livett and ex-Wigan pair Harry Rushton and Sam Halsall.
This is the second meeting between these sides in 2023. The John Smith’s Stadium hosted the first back in March when tries by Makinson and Hurrell and three goals by Saints’ former Golden Boot winner were enough to see Wellens’ men squeak home 14-12. They will meet for a third time before the season is out after postponing their opening round clash to allow Saints to claim the world crown in Penrith back in February.
The teams have also met in the Challenge Cup finals of 1915, 1953 and 2006. Huddersfield claimed the first two before a Saints side on its way to a domestic treble won 42-12 at Twickenham 17 years ago. That success was masterminded by former coach Daniel Anderson who has been in the news this week speaking about the terrible surfing accident which currently leaves him paralysed. I’m sure all Saints fans and those of other clubs who may be reading this will join me in wishing the New Zealander all the very best in his rehabilitation as he seeks to make as strong a recovery as possible.
Saints and the Giants have met once before at Magic. It didn’t turn out well for Saints that day as despite tries from Jack Owens, Matty Dawson, Adam Swift and a pre-Giants Fages Saints were walloped 48-20. McGillvary bagged a double in that game with further scores from Jamie Ellis, Sam Rapira, Ukuma Ta’ai, Aaron Murphy, Kyle Wood and Ryan Hinchcliffe. Regrettably, this was peak coach Keiron Cunningham-era Saints doing what they did back then;
“I thought we actually started the better of the two teams but we couldn't hang in there for long enough periods.” he Keiron Cunningham-ed at the time.
Now another Saints legend and member of Anderson’s all-star 2006 collective gets his chance to down the Giants at the Newcastle-based jamboree. Wellens has far more ammunition within his ranks than Cunningham did seven years ago so I’m sticking with a patchy but stronger looking Saints side to get home by 10 in this one.
Squads;
Saints;
1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby , 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 12. Joe Batchelor, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen,17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 25. Tee Ritson, 30. George Delaney.
Huddersield Giants;
Adam Milner, Chris Hill, Chris McQueen, Esan Marsters, Harry Rushton, Harvey Livett, Innes Senior, Jake Bibby, Jake Connor, Joe Greenwood, Kevin Naiqama, Leroy Cudjoe, Luke Yates, Matty English, Nathan Peats, Oliver Wilson, Sam Halsall, Seb Ikahihifo, Theo Fages, Tui Lolohea, Will Pryce
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
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