It’s probably all on this.
Saints welcome Castleford Tigers to town on Friday night (September 13) knowing that a win will probably see them sneak into the playoffs. Lose, and with a trip to the ever improving Leigh Leopards coming up in the final week of the regular season the red vee will almost certainly miss out. If they do it will be for the first time in the summer era. Some 29 seasons.
The stakes are high for Cas too in 2024 but unfortunately that has nothing to do with winning rugby league matches. The Tigers have won only seven of their 25 league games to this point. They sit 10th out of 12 with only hapless Hull FC and London Broncos beneath them. But for them it is all about collecting the sport’s newest and tragically most important currency - IMG points. Their Super League fate rests on attendances, the validity of plans to improve the Mend-A-Hose Jungle and the installation of a brand new big screen. Because you know…video replays are not causing any problems in the game right now.
Saints boss Paul Wellens has been able to make five changes to his 21-man squad as a clutch of big names come in. I say a clutch. What is the collective noun for underperforming, repeatedly injured stars? A disappointment? A squib? Regardless, back come Tommy Makinson from suspension as well as the often injured quartet of Lewis Dodd, Mark Percival, Daryl Clark and James Bell. They replace the banned Moses Mbye, the injured Harry Robertson, the departing Sam Royle and youngsters Jonny Vaughan and George Whitby.
If experience counts for anything then Saints - despite the loss of Mbye - should be in a stronger position going into a game than they have been for months. Given the importance of the game that’s quite a boost following on from the unexpected return to action of Jack Welsby at Warrington last time out.
Wellens revealed post match that the plan had been to keep Welsby at stand-off rather than fullback but the injury to Robertson scuppered that idea. It may be that Welsby - if he is deemed fit to start following his 46-minute reintroduction against the Wolves - will revert to the role he has occupied since Lachlan Coote left for Hull KR.
Makinson should reclaim his familiar right wing spot in what looks like being his last home appearance for Saints before he joins Catalans Dragons for 2025 and 2026. Percival will likely partner the eccentric and deeply unpopular Waqa Blake in the centres leaving Wellens a straight choice between Jon Bennison and Tee Ritson on the left wing. The alternatives to Blake are the equally unloved Ben Davies or the absolute forward and not a back that is Sione Mata’utia.
The former Newcastle Knight has announced his intention to head back home to Australia at the end of this campaign for family reasons. With that he’s also in line for his last ever home appearance for the club. He’s had four trophy laden seasons with Saints in which he has made 82 appearances and scored 17 tries. More importantly he has won two Super League Grand Finals and a World Club Challenge. It’s fair to say that in contrast to Blake - to pluck an example out of thin air - Mata’utia has been one of the more successful NRL imports of recent times.
If Dodd is fit he could partner Jonny Lomax in the halves again. It’s a combination which attracts plenty of understandable moans and groans from fans as Lomax ages and declines while Dodd tries not to pick up another disastrous injury which might kibosh his big move to South Sydney Rabbitohs. He’s another who could be bidding farewell to the home fans in this one. At his best he’s an exciting talent who could be set for a big future down under. But when was the last time you saw him at his best? He’s as likely to be Hull FC’s big signing for 2026 as he is to make it in the NRL. Perhaps more likely.
The addition of Clark against the club with whom he won the Man Of Steel in 2014 looks extremely helpful. However it is offset slightly by the loss of Mbye. His brush with the disciplinary decision makers should give Jake Burns another opportunity while the long time front row pairing of Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees remains intact thanks to some more of Mike Rush’s legendary legal manoeuvring. Lees had been handed a one-match ban for getting up close and personal with referee Chris Kendall at Warrington but that has been overturned on appeal.
With both Bell and Knowles available for the first time since the August 8 win over Salford Wellens has options in the back three. He could utilise Bell in the second row but some of his best work has been off the bench to spell Knowles at 13. Curtis Sironen is out but that still leaves Mata’utia to partner either Matt Whitley or Joe Batchelor in the second row. One of those two could be on the bench with Bell but Wellens also has Burns along with prop trio Agnatius Paasi, George Delaney and Noah Stephens. On paper Saints look to have significantly more depth than in recent weeks.
Tigers coach Craig Lingard must do without one of his star men in fullback Tex Hoy. Liam Horne - sent off along with Makinson when Saints scored 52 points in the second half of a 60-4 win in West Yorkshire in May - returns from suspension. Cain Robb misses out as does centre Corey Hall on loan from Hull KR. Academy graduates Akim Matvejev and Alfie Horwell are included in the Tigers 21 for the first time.
With Hoy out Luke Hooley may get an opportunity at fullback. There is pace out wide in the backs in the shape of Innes Senior and Jason Qareqare but Alex Mellor may have to fill in at centre. Lingard has already confirmed that Matvejev will make his debut and so he could be the one to partner Mellor. Jenson Windley made his debut in the halves against Warrington recently and having featured against Hull FC and Leigh since then should compete for minutes again though both Rowan Milnes and Jacob Miller are available.
If he is included in the 17 it will be the last time you will see another former Man Of Steel in Castleford history playing in St Helens. Paul McShane gets set to retire at the end of the campaign but with Horne back and Horwell also a hooker by trade it is not certain that the veteran will see any action. Two other veterans lead the pack in Joe Westerman and Liam Watts with Muizz Mustapha and Georges Hill and Lawler likely to be involved too. A third George would be quite something but unfortunately Griffin misses out.
This is the third meeting between the two this year with the away side victorious on each occasion. That second half at Castleford was Saints at their most ruthless but the Tigers gained revenge by pulling off an 8-6 upset in early July. If Saints miss the playoffs - which will probably involve losing at home again to Lingard’s men - then they know where to look for the results which cost them the most.
Thankfully I don’t see it. With the cavalry summoned from the treatment table by Wellens and with the Tigers having very little on-field motivation a third away win in this fixture feels unlikely. It might not be pretty but expect Saints to limp into the playoffs and just about preserve a proud record that only they hold.
The last word should be for Makinson. His 203 tries in 333 appearances for the club is impressive enough. He has also kicked 280 goals and won the 2018 Golden Boot as the international game’s best performer. But perhaps it is the hard yards he has made on kick returns and early in tackle counts which have been so crucial to Saints’ success in recent years that mark him out as being at least in the conversation about all time great Saints wingers.
Squads;
St Helens;
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, 12 Joe Batchelor, 13 Morgan Knowles, 15 James Bell, 17 Agnatius Paasi, 19 Matt Whitley, 20 George Delaney, 21 Ben Davies, 24 Jake Burns, 25 Tee Ritson, 31 Noah Stephens.
Castleford Tigers;
1 Luke Hooley, 5 Innes Senior, 7 Jacob Miller, 8 Liam Watts, 9 Paul McShane, 10 George Lawler, 11 Elie El-Zakhem, 12 Alex Mellor, 13 Joe Westerman, 14 Liam Horne, 16 Rowan Milnes, 17 Nixon Putt, 20 Muizz Mustapha, 23 Jason Qareqare, 25 Brad Martin, 29 George Hill, 31 Fletcher Rooney, 32 Daniel Hindmarsh, 38 Jenson Windley, – Akim Matvejev, – Alfie Horwell.
Referee: Jack Smith
Video Referee: James Vella
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