Saints v Leigh Leopards - Preview

Saints look to build on a winning start to 2024 when they host Leigh Leopards on Friday night (March 1, kick-off 8.00pm).

Paul Wellens’ side have started with two resounding wins. London Broncos were dispatched 40-4 at home on opening night while last week’s 28-0 triumph over Huddersfield Giants on their own patch was arguably an even greater statement of intent. Saints are one of three sides - the others being Catalans Dragons and Hull KR - who have begun the league campaign with two wins out of two.

Leigh are yet to secure a first win of 2024 but in mitigation - to use rugby league’s latest buzzword - they have only played one game. Adrian Lam’s side opened with a disappointing 16-8 home defeat by the Giants but were not in action last week due to Wigan’s involvement in the World Club Challenge. Reports that Lam used his time off to act as the video ref as the Warriors became world champions are unconfirmed.

Leigh surprised everyone in 2023 by not only making the playoffs in their first season since promotion from the Championship but also winning the Challenge Cup. Expectations are raised significantly as a result but having already gone down to the Giants a trip to Saints is far from the ideal fixture to help the Leopards restore their confidence and optimism. Yet it’s very early and another bid for a top six spot should still be the aim whatever the outcome here. 

Wellens is under pressure to achieve something a little loftier. Having seen his side relinquish the Super League title to Wigan in his first season he is now charged with finding the right formula to wrest the crown back. He has made two changes to his squad for this latest hurdle. Matty Lees was taken to hospital during the win at Huddersfield after coughing up blood following a chest injury. He is said to be recovering well but is not fit enough to be involved this week. Nineteen year-old academy prop Noah Stephens comes in to the 21-man squad for the first time in place of the England prop.

Konrad Hurrell suffered from illness last week and so was not considered for the trip to West Yorkshire. He returns for this one with winger Tee Ritson the man to drop out of the squad. In Hurrell’s absence Jon Bennison came in on the wing to allow Waqa Blake to slot into his favoured centre position. That worked quite well and given the dominant nature of Saints’ win at the John Smith’s Stadium it is far from a given that Hurrell will get back into the side. Mark Percival and Tommy Makinson should also feature in the three-quarters with the talismanic Jack Welsby at fullback.

The ageless Jonny Lomax has started the season in very promising fashion. He looks to be relishing his new role of skipper since the retirement of James Roby and is having a positive influence on halfback Lewis Dodd. The pair should continue their evolving partnership though there must be a slight concern about who steps in should either of them be unavailable at any point. 

With Roby out of the picture there is no obvious emergency half. Moses Mbye might be a candidate but beyond that Wellens may at some stage find himself turning to academy products Ben Lane or Will Roberts. Lomax has proven almost bionic in recent years but appears more vulnerable with age, while memories of Dodd’s 2022 torn achilles are still fresh in the memory despite the Widnesian making an excellent recovery last term.

In the pack the prospect of a debut for Stephens is an exciting one but may not materialise despite Lees’ absence. Wellens should have enough cover at prop without having to throw the youngster in. Alex Walmsley is a permanent fixture while all of Sione Mata’utia, Jake Wingfield and even Morgan Knowles could do a shift. Wingfield has also been spending some time as the back-up hooker to Daryl Clark so it will be interesting to see if Mbye can push his way back into the coach’s thinking this week.

The back row still has blush inducing riches even without the injured Joe Batchelor. Matt Whitley has added considerably to the options in that area while Curtis Sironen has looked particularly sprightly in the early stages of the year. Mata’utia remains an option there even if he spends some time at prop as does Wingfield. Sam Royle is another waiting his turn. At loose forward Wellens could stick with Knowles or - if he chooses to move the England man forward to cover for Lees - he has an excellent alternative in James Bell. 

Lam is without two of his key players for this one. Edwin Ipape faces weeks on the sidelines due to a medial ligament injury while Tom Amone is suspended. Brad Dwyer has been drafted in from Warrington where he had only just arrived following a spell with Hull FC. The installation of Sam Burgess as Warrington Head Coach after a deal for Dwyer had been agreed proved problematic for the hooker, but he should get plenty of minutes at Leigh while Ipape is out of action.

Few people could identify the problem with the tackle which got Amone banned for a couple of games. The only good news for Leopards fans is that it has been reduced to one on appeal. None of which helps them this week as they face one of Super League’s best without the man who was so influential in their front row throughout 2023. 

Amone’s absence places extra burden on Robbie Mulhern while Owen Trout or Frankie Halton could be called upon to help. Ruiner of knees John Asiata has been the subject of speculation linking him with the NRL this week but for now he is free to wreak his own special brand of havoc. Kai O’Donnell, Oliver Holmes and Jack Hughes offer further pack depth.

The main addition to the back line for 2024 is former Cronulla Sharks stand-off Matt Moylan. It is expected that he will form a formidable halfback combination with Adrian Lam’s son Lachlan, through whom a lot of Leigh’s creativity flowed in 2023. At 32 Moylan is at exactly the sort of stage in his career you’d expect a genuine quality NRL playmaker to arrive on these shores, but if Leigh see the best of him it will make them every bit as dangerous as they were a year ago. The pair didn’t quite make it happen against the Giants but there is surely more to come from them. It might be beneficial to be facing them before they’ve had time to really gel.

Across the three-quarter line there is bags of experience in ex-Wigan men Zak Hardaker and Josh Charnley as well as one time Giant Ricky Leutele and Leeds Rhinos treble winner Tom Briscoe. At fullback is Gareth O’Brien who spent time on loan at Saints from Warrington in 2013 and also counts Castleford and Salford among his former clubs.  

The sides met three times in 2023 with the Leopards scoring two victories to Saints’ one. Saints were enduring a post World Club Challenge wobble when they lost 20-12 at Leigh Sports Village in March before an epic Challenge Cup semi-final saw Lam’s men sneak home 12-10 at Warrington as Asiata lay waste to the Saints front row. In September the teams played out a classic as the hand of Joe Mellor ruled out a Briscoe try which would have seen Leigh take the lead, only for Saints to find another gear and win it 22-12.

The red vee have been suffocating in defence in the early going and it is that as well as the home advantage which strongly hints that a third consecutive win is on the cards. The fact that Leigh toiled a little in defeat at home to a Giants side dismissed by Saints a week later is another indicator of where this one might be heading. It may not be as straightforward for Saints as it has been so far in 2024 but nor should it be as tight as those thrillers against the Leopards from last term. 

Saints;

1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Waqa Blake, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. Daryl Clark, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Moses Mbye, 15. James Bell, 16. Curtis Sironen, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. Matt Whitley, 20. George Delaney, 21. Ben Davies, 22. Sam Royle, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 31. Noah Stephens.

Leigh Leopards;

1. Gareth O’Brien. 2. Tom Briscoe 3. Zak Hardaker. 4. Ricky Leutele. 5. Josh Charnley. 6. Matt Moylan. 7. Lachlan Lam. 8. Robbie Mulhern. 11. Kai O’Donnell. 12. Jack Hughes. John Asiata. 14. Dan Norman. 15. Matt Davis. 16. Frankie Halton. 17. Owen Trout. 18. Ben Nakubuwai. 19. Ed Chamberlain. 20. Oliver Holmes. 21. Ben McNamara. 24. Umyla Hanley. Brad Dwyer

Referee: Liam Moore

Huddersfield Giants 0 Saints 28 - Review

Saints continued their winning start to Super League in 2024 with a dominant, shutout win over Huddersfield Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday (February 24).

Both sides came into this one with a league win under their belts from the opening round. The Giants had hinted at their improvement with an eyebrow-raising win at Leigh Leopards while Saints had strolled to a 40-4 victory at home to London Broncos. Someone’s winning start had to end and - despite the promise offered by the Giants’ result at the Leigh Sports Village - the question of which side would suffer their first defeat was never really in much doubt.

Saints Head Coach Paul Wellens made two changes to his 17. He was able to welcome back Morgan Knowles after injury. That sent the unfortunate James Bell to the bench and relegated Ben Davies to the role of emergency 18th man. Meanwhile Konrad Hurrell was conspicuous by his absence in the 21-man squad named 48 hours before kick-off. Jon Bennison replaced him, fitting in on the wing as new man Waqa Blake moved inside to the centre position that NRL fans had beefed used to seeing him fill before his move to the northern hemisphere.

Giants boss Ian Watson made only one change to the 17 that had beaten the Leopards 16-8 last time out. Jake Connor was out due to concussion protocols but he had a pretty serviceable replacement at fullback in Tongan international Tui Lolohea. There were three new faces for 2024 in winger Elliot Wallis, halfback Adam Clune and back rower Jack Murchie.

It was a tight opening notable only for a couple of big defensive efforts from Curtis Sironen. Both Murchie and Oliver Russell coughed up possession after getting acquainted with the Aussie back rower. He then turned his focus to attack, chasing a Lewis Dodd grubber to the Giants in-goal where it was dealt with by Lolohea. 

The reprieve was short. When the first score of the game arrived it was the opposite second rower - Matt Whitley - who grabbed it. This time it was Jonny Lomax placing the perfectly weighted kick across the Huddersfield try line where Whitley found himself in plenty of space to complete the grounding. It was Whitley’s third try in just two league appearances for after his debut double against the Broncos. That tally makes him an early front runner in the try-scoring charts alongside Leeds Rhinos’ Ash Handley. Mark Percival tagged on the extras and Saints led 6-0.

Saints’ next threatening raid was ended by an uncharacteristic mistake from Jack Welsby. He failed to hang on to possession in a one on one tackle by Adam Milner. The Giants hooker simply ripped the ball away from the Saints fullback who seemed to be caught a little bit unawares. Knowles then compounded that error by placing a hand on the back of Milner while he was still on the ground. That’s deemed a flop in this brave new world of strict liability and vigilant ruck cleaning, though in actuality there was absolutely no flopping involved. Not so much as a jerk, a tumble or a wiggle in fact. 

This is a strange period for the game and one we’re all still getting used to. Saints’ decision to go for two five minutes later - when Huddersfield were caught offside 40 metres from their own line - was itself slightly odd. Almost un-Saintly even. Perhaps it would be more logical if we had an automatic, metronome of a goal kicker. But goal-kicking was a problem last week against the Broncos and continues to be. In the opening two rounds of 2024 nobody has missed more shots at goal than the six fluffed by Saints. And this was one of them, Percival’s effort waved away by the touch judges behind the posts to keep the lead at six points.

Two minutes later that lead was almost extended. Lomax turned a lovely looking inside ball to Dodd to set the halfback free on the halfway line. However, referee Aaron Moore ruled that the pass was forward. It was a close one, but it was always a risky option given the way that Lomax had to turn his body back to face away from the touchline to find Dodd. The timing had to be exquisite and perhaps it wasn’t quite there. But that’s ok by me. I want my team to take risks wherever there is a reasonable opportunity. 

Percival was next to take a risk but it was of a kind that we’d probably rather not see. As he halted  the drive of Sam Hewitt he was perilously close to placing the Giants man in a dangerous position. He released Hewitt in plenty of time and with enough care for him to land safely, but in the current climate of red cards for total accidents you couldn’t be sure that the Saints centre wouldn’t be sanctioned. Thankfully Moore produced no card and our friends at the Match Review Panel were not concerned by it either. Yet it will hardly be astonishing if some other poor sap endures a different outcome for a similar transgression at some point during the season. As I say, these feel like strange times.

Three minutes from half-time Saints struck a crucial blow. Lolohea arrived late to diffuse a Dodd bomb and found himself having to try to trap it with his foot. It got away from him in a way that would have made Dan Burn blush and was seized upon by Saints’ young prop Delaney. Hewitt was guilty of a flop on Percival in the ensuing set which gave Saints another six deep in Giants territory. It was all the encouragement they needed as Bell fed Sione Mata’utia who slid over on the right. 

Moore reviewed it to determine whether Mata’utia had made a double movement - because those Moore brothers really know a double movement when they see one - but it was clear that the Saints forward’s momentum had taken him over. Percival notched his second goal of the evening to give Saints a 12-0 half-time lead.

There was a nasty surprise as the teams came out for the second half when it was revealed that Saints prop Matty Lees was unlikely to return to the field after picking up a chest injury. It has since transpired that the 26 year-old had been sent to the hospital after coughing up blood. This may be linked to a bout of illness that has been hanging around the Saints camp this week - and might also explain the absence of Hurrell. Thankfully, Lees was released later on Saturday night and is thought to be recovering well. Whether that recovery will be complete in time for this week’s visit of Leigh Leopards is another matter.

Back to this one, after Makinson conceded a goal-line dropout in dealing with a Lolohea kick and Whitley ran back a similar effort from Clune with interest, Saints scored the try which effectively settled the issue. Ten minutes had slipped by in the second half when Welsby got his name on the scoresheet. Again it came from the kicking game and again Whitley was involved. Bennison had gone close on the left edge before ex-Widnes man Whitley switched play to the other flank. Eventually the ball found its way to Daryl Clarke whose weighting of the kick gave Lomax’s effort a run for its money. Welsby was first to it and - like Whitley - has now scored in consecutive games to open the season. Percival added a third conversion and Saints were all but out of sight at 18-0.

After that positive contribution Clark soon found himself on the other side of the ledger. Dodd was called for a ball steal after a fine run down the right by the increasingly prominent Hewitt, from where the ball went left for Russell to place a kick towards the Saints’ in-goal. Moore again called for a review, though there seemed less prospect of a penalty try than of a new Sky entertainment show which features neither Rob nor Romesh. 

Seemingly it was the contact on Russell by Clark that was provoking interest from the officials. Inevitably, the former Wire man’s blocking of Russell’s run was deemed a professional foul and Clark was promptly dispatched to the sin-bin for 10 minutes. It was pretty needless from Clark at 18 points to the good inside the final quarter of the game but it spoke to his competitive spirit. Keeping the try-line intact has long been a big deal to this Saints group and so Clark will fit in well if he also has that same desire. Just don’t be doing that sort of thing when the scores are closer. Ryan Morgan learned the hard way.

Moore could have chosen to make it 12 v 12 a few minutes later. Chris Hill extended one of his clumsy paws into the face of Knowles but not - according to the Wigan whistler - with enough force to warrant a little rest. That issue of sufficient force is highly subjective. Expect plenty of fan angst as the campaign wears on. 

The game ended with a Saintly flourish but before we get to that I have something to moan about. Or at least something to question. This Is That Saints Blog after all. We’re all about the questioning and - if it suits - the moaning. Deep inside the last 10 minutes and with little sign of a Giants revival Saints had a Wattoball moment. They ran the ball on the last tackle through Lomax in a manner which had a distinct whiff of the Giants coach’s deliberate turnover strategy. You know the one? The one he used at Wembley right before his side deservedly lost the Challenge Cup final to Liam Marshall’s late try for Wigan in 2022. 

I mean, it might be that the Saints skipper saw nothing else on and made a genuine attempt to find a way to the line. But if we’re entering into the realms of handing the ball over deliberately to bang average sides with a three-score lead then excuse me but I need to puke.

To the final flourish, then. Six minutes remained when Jake Wingfield poked through the defensive line and got an arm free to release Welsby on halfway. He found Makinson supporting on his inside and the winger moved it on to Dodd who put Bennison in at the left corner. Makinson reclaimed the goal-kicking duties but couldn’t land the extra two.

Yet that wasn’t the end of the scoring. Makinson was again involved in Saints’ final try of the night, weaving back inside after a good burst from Blake. Makinson stumbled to the ground but as he was untouched he was still able to pass it off the ground to Welsby. The fullback found himself in space with the defence scattered and raced 30 metres before offering Knowles the clear run to the line. He scampered under the posts for a try on his first appearance of the season, which allowed Makinson an easy opportunity to add two more points and cap a 28-0 win.

That result is some statement against a side which had earned a good win at Leigh in their opener. If the jury is still out on the Saints attack there are few weaknesses in their defence. To concede only four points and one try in 180 minutes of Super League rugby league - whoever the opponent is - shows a monumental level of commitment. At that rate Saints will be right in the mix for all the major honours. If you only have to score a relatively low number of points to win games you give yourself every chance. Just don’t expect this column not to moan about it if on the next occasion there isn’t the final assault we had here. That sent the fans home happy with champagne moments fresh in the mind. There had been some pretty plain attacking play before it. But oh…that defence.

The stats show that Sironen was Saints’ top metre-maker with 132. Blake showed his promise with 113 from centre while Makinson (106), Knowles (104) and Clark (100) reached the century mark. Giants centre Esan Marsters led all players in this category with 177 but aside from him only wingers Wallis (105) and former Saint Adam Swift (103) hit the milestone.

Lomax put in a remarkable defensive shift with 31 tackles, a tally bettered only where Saints were concerned by the 38 offered by Clark and the 32 executed by the excellent Sironen. Veteran Leroy Cudjoe bettered even Clark with 39 while Sebastine Ikahihifo and Hewitt had 32 and Hill 31.

Saints had a very high completion rate, making only seven errors all night. That might be as pleasing to Wellens as the defensive effort. If you don’t concede points and you don’t drop the ball you are going to be very difficult to beat. Of the teams who have played twice so far in 2024 nobody has come up with fewer than the 16 errors made by Saints. Only Catalans Dragons can match it.

Next up is that visit from the Leopards on Friday (March 1). Their last visit in September and the Challenge Cup semi-final between the two at Warrington in July are clashes which will live long in the memory. Leigh will come into this one on the back of a week off thanks to Wigan’s World Club Challenge exertions but that might not help them against a Saints side currently doing a passable impersonation of a rugby league juggernaut.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, Swift, Marsters, Naiqama, Wallis, Clune, Russell, Hill, Milner, Ikahihifo, Murchie, Hewitt, Cudjoe. Interchanges: Golding, English, Salabio, Wilson

Saints: Welsby, Makinson, Blake, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Whitley, Sironen, Knowles. Interchanges: Delaney, Bell, Wingfield, Mata’utia 

Referee: Aaron Moore

Huddersfield Giants v Saints - Preview

It’s a first away assignment of the 2024 Super League campaign as Saints travel to face Huddersfield Giants on Saturday evening (February 24, kick-off 5.30pm).

Paul Wellens’ side kicked off the new season with a comfortable 40-4 home win over London Broncos last Friday night (February 17).  The Giants present a somewhat stiffer challenge on paper, something evidenced by their 16-8 opening night win at 2023 Challenge Cup winners and playoff gatecrashers Leigh Leopards. 

There are two changes to the Saints 21-man squad for this one.  Morgan Knowles and Moses Mbye missed out against the Broncos through injury but both return to the fold this week.  Hooker Jake Burns – who was included in last week’s 21 but not given a first team debut by Wellens – is one of those to drop out while Konrad Hurrell is also missing. 

That might mean that new signing Waqa Blake makes a positional switch from wing to centre.  The Fijian has operated predominantly as a centre for his former club Parramatta Eels but was moved to the flank for his Super League debut.  If the 29 year-old former Eel and Sydney Rooster moves back inside it could open up an opportunity for Jon Bennison to return to the starting line-up on the left wing.  Bennison missed out altogether last time out, named as the 18th man in case of concussions but ultimately not required. 

The rest of the Saints team should not look too different from what we saw against the newly promoted Broncos.  Jack Welsby continues at fullback while 2024 captain Jonny Lomax partners Lewis Dodd in the halves.  If Bennison does play on the wing he will operate across from Tommy Makinson over on the right, with Mark Percival likely to be at centre alongside Blake.

Prop Alex Walmsley led the league in metres made in the opening round with 188 and looks set to lead the Saints pack again. Matty Lees, Sione Mata’utia, George Delaney and possibly Knowles are the other front row options aside from hooker Daryl Clark and his returning back-up Mbye.  

Walmsley has made some headlines off the field this week with his thoughts on the formation of a players union.  His remarks were prompted by some interesting decisions by the game’s infamous Match Review Panel following the first round of Super League fixtures.  With red cards becoming ubiquitous, those riled by this development were not becalmed any further by the lengthy bans which were then handed down to some of the weekend’s culprits by the MRP at their weekly review. 

In particular, most observers were confused by the three games handed out to Hull FC’s Franklin Pele for a deliberate and frenzied swinging arm during his side’s 22-0 walloping by Hull KR when compared with the four games given to Liam Watts for what looked a less intentional shoulder charge during Castleford’s loss to Wigan.  

The players have apparently not been consulted and Walmsley wants to change that along with many of the other conditions under which modern professionals operate.  There has even been some talk of strike action, which feels like knee-jerk-ery to this amateur scribe but we have certainly seen it in other sports.

Back to the plot, where Joe Batchelor is still out so expect Matt Whitley to get another start. He made a joyous two-try debut in the second row for his home town club a week ago.  Curtis Sironen is his likely partner while Knowles could usurp James Bell for the starting 13 slot if he isn’t used at prop. 

That would force Bell to the bench meaning that one of Jake Wingfield or Ben Davies could miss out from last week’s 17.  Given the nature of the modern game you would lean towards Wingfield getting the nod as an interchange player over Davies, but that is assuming that Percival is fully fit.  

There must have been some doubt last week with Davies named among the substitutes and Sam Royle left out.  Royle is again included in this week’s 21 but will find it very difficult to get into the 17 ahead of what looks like the league’s best and certainly deepest group of back rowers.

Now there are all sorts of puerile remarks that could be included here about the fact that Jake Connor is out after taking a bang on the head but this is a grown up column so we shall resist.  Suffice to say that Connor – who is in his second season back with the Giants after six campaigns spent underwhelming all who encountered him at Hull FC – is out after failing an HIA in the win over Leigh.  Counterbalancing that somewhat is the return from suspension of Tongan international fullback Tui Lolohea.  

Giants fans will therefore not be deprived of their regular helping of bonkers unpredictability despite Head Coach Ian Watson’s quest to make the team duller than any other top flight side.  With Will Pryce now in the NRL the onus is on the likes of Connor and Lolohea along with new signing Adam Clune to provide the creative spark for the Giants in 2024. Which is no doubt difficult when you have Watson bellowing at you to follow the process.

Clune made his Giants debut last week and looks set to lead the side around again alongside Olly Russell in the halves.  A three-time Grand Final winner with Saints, Kevin Naiqama would still stroll into our team but will unfortunately be in the centres on the other side. Likely to join him there is former Wests Tigers, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans man Esan Marsters.  Another former Saint Adam Swift features on the wing, partnered last week by 2024 arrival from Castleford Elliott Wallis. 

Walmsley isn’t the only forward among the ranks of these two sides who has had something to say about the controversy surrounding disciplinary action.  Luke Yates also spoke out, though perhaps motivated by the fact that he is still serving a three-game ban for a tip tackle in a pre-season friendly with the Tigers which precludes him from any involvement in this one.  

Veteran Chris Hill led the front row last week alongside Sebastine Ikahihifo and Adam Milner at hooker.  Behind them Jack Murchie had an impressive debut in the second row and should again partner Sam Hewitt.  The ageless Leroy Cudjoe stepped into the loose forward role against the Leopards in Yates’ absence and is included again.  All of last week’s bench are again involved as Ash Golding, Matty English, Hugo Salabio and Oliver Wilson again feature in Watson’s 21-man group.

Loop fixtures caused Saints to run into the Giants three times in 2023. Only the first of these - the only one played at the John Smith’s Stadium - was particularly close. On that March occasion Saints came through a tense battle to win 14-12. 

Things were more straightforward in early June when Saints ran in nine tries in a 48-6 Magic Weekend stroll at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Two months later when all but Challenge Cup finalists Leigh and Hull KR had the weekend off the Giants came to St Helens and left with a 32-18 defeat. Makinson scored seven tries across those two games, bagging four at Magic and another three at home. 

He’d also crossed for one in the win at the John Smith’s making it eight against the Giants in 2023. That’s more than a third of the 22 tries he managed in Super League last year. Can he play them every week? They’re unlikely to be happy to see him this weekend, especially since he has already opened his try-scoring account for the season with one in the win over London. 

It’s hard to predict what will happen here with only one 2024 outing for each side to provide any idea of form. Winning at Leigh is perhaps a statement that the Giants will be better this year and in any case, they proved to be what baseball aficionados call a tough out for Saints on their own patch a year ago. This would probably be a more straightforward call if Saints were the home side.

The (still) world champions were hardly tested by a Broncos side given no hope by their IMG grading. Still, the red vee did nothing to persuade anyone that they won’t be a force again. If they have genuine ambitions to secure the top two slot then this is the kind of hurdle that they need to be jumping. So, still filled with the early season optimism that fans of all clubs except London and Hull FC seem to enjoy, I’ll back Saints to bring it home by four in another tense one in West Yorkshire.

Squads;

Huddersfield Giants:

2. Adam Swift. Esan Marsters 4. Kevin Naiqama. 6. Tui Lolohea. 7. Adam Clune. 8. Chris Hill. 9 Adam Milner. 11. Jack Murchie 12. Sam Hewitt. 14. Ash Golding. 15. Matty English. 17. Olly Wilson. 18. Seb Ikahihifo. 19. Tom Deakin. 20. Elliot Wallis. 22. Harvey Livett. 23. Olly Russell. 24. Sam Halsall. 26. Hugo Salabio

Saints:

1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Waqa Blake, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jon Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. Daryl Clark, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Moses Mbye, 15. James Bell, 16. Curtis Sironen, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. Matt Whitley, 20. George Delaney, 21. Ben Davies, 22. Sam Royle, 25. Tee Ritson

Referee: Aaron Moore

Saints 40 London Broncos 4 - Review

 A 2024 home opener against newly promoted London Broncos was never likely to trip Saints up. And it didn’t, as Paul Wellens’ side ran in eight tries to one to seal a comfortable 40-4 win.

 Saints weren’t quite at full strength for the opening night. Agnatius Paasi has been out since last July with a knee injury infamously inflicted by Leigh Leopards’ John Asiata in last season’s Challenge Cup semi-final. Also missing were Morgan Knowles, Joe Batchelor and Moses Mbye. James Bell took the loose forward role normally occupied by Knowles while Curtis Sironen slotted in for Batchelor in the right second row berth. Mbye was used mostly as a hooker off the bench during James Roby’s last season before retirement. His absence left no obvious alternative to back up the new nine, Daryl Clark.

 

Clark was one of three men given a competitive debut by Wellens. St Helens born former Catalans Dragons back rower Matt Whitley got the nod to start over Sione Mata’utia who waited on the bench.  In the backs Waqa Blake was utilised on the left wing. 

As the number three on his back indicates, Blake is a centre by trade. He has played there for much of a career that has seen him make over 160 NRL appearances for Penrith Panthers and latterly Parramatta Eels. Yet Wellens chose to stick with the established centre pairing of Mark Percival and Konrad Hurrell. Blake’s positional switch meant that Jon Bennison could only find a place as the 18th man, there only in case of a head injury ruling out one of the selected 17. 

 

The rest of Saints’ line-up had a familiar feel with Jack Welsby at fullback, Tommy Makinson on the right wing, Jonny Lomax and Lewis Dodd in the halves and a prop pairing of Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees. Accompanying Mata’utia on the bench were young prop George Delaney, centre Ben Davies and the returning Jake Wingfield,. His last appearance came in the 13-12 win at Leeds last May. 

 

The Broncos are in the bizarre position of knowing that their IMG grading will get them relegated at the end of the year no matter how they do on the field. With that in mind they have only brought in Rhys Kennedy from Hull KR with any Super League experience. He started at prop alongside Rob Butler with Sam Davis between them at hooker. Skipper Will Lovell and Sadiq Adibiyi formed the second row with Dean Parata at 13. 

 

In the backs Oli Leyland stood in at fullback after Josh Rourke had been lost to a long term injury before the season started. This week’s new recruit Lee Kershaw operated on one wing with Illies Macani on the other. Robbie Storey and Hakim Miloudi were the centres with a new halfback pairing of James Meadows and Jack Campagnolo. 

The bench was occupied by Marcus Stock, Emmanuel Waine, Jordan Williams and Matt Davies. In all there were just eight survivors from the Championship Grand Final win over Toulouse last October.

 

It took only four minutes for the deposed champions to register their first try of the year as they bid to win back the Super League crown. Lewis Dodd was the man who crossed for it but it was created by Walmsley and Bell. The big prop showed he can pass close the defensive line as he put Bell through a gap with a well timed ball. Bell had Dodd supporting on his shoulder for an easy finish. Percival added the extras for a 6-0 lead.

 

Less than five minutes later Saints were in again. This time it was Welsby, latching on to Whitley’s deft short ball to stroll over to the left of the posts. Bell was involved again, finding Whitley on the edge before the former Widnes and Catalans man produced the offload which allowed Welsby to walk over for Saints’ second score. Percival could not add the extra two this time so Saints had to settle for a 10-0 lead,

 

It was another 15 minutes before the next Saints score arrived. When it did it was a perfect demonstration of what Clark will bring to the side this year. The former Warrington hooker burst past two defenders from dummy half before finding the supporting Walmsley on his shoulder. It was the big prop’s 50th try in his 12th season with the club. Percival was back on target from virtually in front and Saints led 16-0.

 

Saints added another before the break. This time it was Makinson who crossed. New skipper Lomax served up a beautifully lobbed pass to the England winger who had oceans of space with the Broncos’ edge defenders having drifted inwards while defending their line. 

Makinson has been around even longer than Walmsley. This is his 14th season in the red vee, during which time he has amassed over 300 appearances for the club. This try left him just six short of 200 in Saints colours. Should he get there - and barring injury you’d have to expect that he will - Makinson will become only the eighth Saints player to reach the double century of tries for the club. 

 

Percival’s second missed conversion left him with a 50% success rate in the first half as Saints went in to talk things over with a 20-0 lead. 

 

Rudely, the upstart Broncos were next to score.  Leyland - who had caught the eye all night at fullback – placed an angled kick towards the touchline.  Kershaw gave chase and managed to get a boot to it just before it crossed the whitewash.  Welsby had come forward to try to get to it first but was wrong-footed by Kershaw’s kick.  It fell kindly for Storey who dived over in the right corner before Percival could react.  Campagnolo could not land the goal from the touchline but the Broncos were on the board at 20-4.

 

Three minutes into the second half there was a debut score for Clark.  He squeezed over from dummy half from just a few metres out.  Percival landed what would be his final goal of the evening to push the lead out to 26-4.

 

Having seen Clark do it, Whitley then wanted a piece of the try scoring action.  He took a pass from Welsby that helped him glide effortlessly between two London defenders for an easy score to the left of the posts.  Makinson took over the kicking duties with Percival taking the rest of the night off.  The winger was on target with his first effort, and Saints led 32-4.

 

Lomax’s try was perhaps the pick of the eight that Saints managed on the night.  The captain started the move himself, finding Hurrell on halfway with a pass which put the Tongan centre in space down the right hand touchline.  Suddenly the last London defender was faced with not only Hurrell running at him but also the supporting Lomax and Makinson either side of him.  

Hurrell chose to use Lomax on his inside and the stand-off waltzed in for his first try of the season, his 134th for Saints since his 2009 debut.  Makinson’s conversion effort was strangely wild, hitting the post from a position that was not too far from in front of the posts.

 

The final scoring act was reserved for Whitley.  He grabbed a double from another Welsby pass in a fashion not dissimilar to the first hook up between the two.  It was evident in the celebrations how happy Whitley is to be playing and scoring tries for his home town club.  Most of his team-mates looked especially pleased for him too, judging by their reactions.  Whitley was released by Saints as a youngster and has had to go away and forge a career elsewhere before getting the chance to represent the club.  At 28 years old, Saints might just be getting him as he comes into his peak years. 

 

Makinson’s conversion attempt was not much better than his last but it hardly mattered on a night where a dominant Saints only got out of second gear fleetingly.  But then who is at their best in the season opener?  The important things is that you get the result.  That box was resoundingly ticked.

The goal-kicking may be an issue in a tighter game so the missed goals from both Percival and Makinson are a slight concern. We are still not seeing Dodd get involved in that equation so it currently looks a staight battle between the two three-quarters. Both have room for improvement.

 

On a more positive note Wellens would have been particularly pleased with the way the debutants fitted in, particularly Clark and Whitley.  Both were among Saints’ best performers on the night. Clark played a lung busting 72 minutes before Wingfield was sent back on in relief of the ex-Warrington man. 

It will be interesting to see if this is the norm going forward or whether some of those minutes will be shared with Mbye when he returns from injury. The number nine role had to be shared as Roby aged over the last few seasons. Perhaps Clark is still at a stage in his career where Wellens will be prepared to keep him out there for longer, particularly if the 31 year-old is having a major influence on a big game. 

That’s not a knock on Mbye who has had a very positive impact on the side since replacing Joey Lussick during last term. But as someone once said, if you have a big gun you pull the trigger. Clark still looks like a big gun.

 

There is much more to come from Blake too.  Running opportunities were few and far between for the Fijian out on the left wing but he is not the first player playing in that position for Saints in recent years to experience that problem.  A move to his natural centre position would help get him more involved in the action but who do you drop?

 

Percival averaged almost eight metres a carry during his stint. Hurrell had well over 10 metres for every time he had it, although that average will have been helped by the break he made to lay on Lomax’s try.  Both had five tackle busts and both look dangerous whenever Saints do decide to play with a bit more width.  It is going to be intriguing to see how Wellens manages that trio including Blake as the season progresses. And what about Bennison? Where does he fit into the new plans?

 

The concession of only four points will probably be among the most pleasing things about the performance for Wellens.  While some of us yawned and moaned our way through the less inspiring victories last year it was clearly Saints defensive qualities which allowed them to get to the brink of another Grand Final.  They will need that solidity again, so it is encouraging to note that they conceded only a solitary clean break all night.  They did miss 22 tackles, but that is the fewest of any of the teams in round one. 

If anyone is any doubt about how desperate this side is to defend their line witness Welsby’s extroardinary try saver on Miloudi late in proceedings. Saints were already 36-4 up inside the last 10 minutes when the fullback - having swept up a low kick close to the Saints line - had a bit of a moment as he allowed the Broncos centre to steal the ball from him one on one. 

Miloudi spun away and dived over for what he must have thought was another consolation try. There are fullbacks in this league who would have reasoned that with the game over another London try wouldn’t be the end of civilisation. Save your energy. Welsby took a different approach, desperately hauling Miloudi down and forcing him to lose the ball as he was about to ground it. Defence is an attitude and Saints have it throughout the squad.  

With that though at times this group has been guilty of crossing a line on discipline. Knowles, Mata’utia and Sironen in particular received multiple bans last term while the late sin-binning of Lees in last year’s semi-final at Catalans was hugely costly. 

On the admittedly small sample size of one game there are signs of improvement. On an opening weekend in which red cards were being handed out like tickets to see Wigan in the World Club Challenge Saints were one of five Super League teams to keep 13 players on the pitch at all times. Moreover, only two teams conceded fewer penalties than the six that were given against Saints by referee James Vella. That can’t all be down to the absence of Knowles.

 

Despite these encouraging signs in various departments we must remember that the quality of the opposition is going to get tougher.  For all their endeavour, London are still the side which finished 18 points behind Featherstone Rovers in last year’s Championship table before pulling off a couple of miracles to get back into Super League, albeit temporarily.  There is a good argument that no team should have the opportunity to win a competition and be promoted from it if they finish 18 points behind the leaders. They are arguably a side out of their depth.

A look at the stats shows what this writer knows about the state of Alex Walmsley. I have spent much of the off season fretting about the fact that the big man turns 34 in a couple of months. I wondered whether Wellens may be tempted to use him more as an impact substitute after spending so long as the leader and habitual top metre maker. 

He started this one and managed to reel off 188 metres on 21 carries. Saints next best ground gainer after Walmsley was Sironen - some 31 metres back on 157. Bell chipped in with 150 while there were also 100 metre days for Whitley (135) and Makinson (117). London had nobody breaking through the century, with their best effort being the 92 made by Macani although as in the case of Hurrell a sizeable chunk of that arrived during one line break. 

Top tackler in the red vee was Clark with 33. He was the only Saint over 30 but Wingfield had a creditable 28 on his return to action. For London, loose forward Parata was forced into 53 tackles while hooker Davis managed 40. Kennedy (33) and Butler (30) were also kept busy.

 

Next week Saints travel to Huddersfield, who got their campaign off to a very encouraging start with a 16-8 win at Leigh Leopards.  Last year’s visit to the John Smith’s Stadium was a tense battle from which Saints emerged with a slender 14-12 win so minds will need to be focused if the red vee are going to again escape from West Yorkshire with another two points.

 

Knowles may return for that one which will give Wellens a decision to make on whether Bell continues to start or reverts to a bench role.  If it is the latter, will we see Wingfield miss out or will it be Davies? His inclusion this week always seemed to suggest that there wasn’t 100% confidence in Percival’s ability to play the full 80 minutes.  As it turned out, he did not. The question is whether he could have had the scoreline been much closer. And having been withdrawn early from this one is he fit enough to go the 80 next week?

For now Saints can feel contented with a comfortable win which doesn’t appear to have taken too much out of them. The Giants will provide a very different test, but the signs are mostly positive. 

So far. 

Saints: Welsby, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Blake, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Whitley, Sironen, Bell. Interchanges: Mata’utia, Wingfield, Davies, Delaney

Broncos: Leyland, Kershaw, Storey, Miloudi, Macani, Campagnolo, Meadows, Butler, Davis, Kennedy, Lovell, Adebiyi, Parata. Interchanges: Stock, Williams, Waine, Davies.

Referee: James Vella