As the positional jockeying continues for places on the playoff grid Saints are faced with a visit from Wigan. And the existential dread that comes with it.
Paul Wellens’ side qualified for the playoffs even in defeat to Hull KR last time out. Wins in their last three games would probably be enough to secure a third placed finish and a home playoff. Which is a much easier thing to write than it is to realistically imagine. After That Nice Matty Peet’s side Saints go to Leigh, where they have not won since the Leopards returned to the top flight in 2023. Oh well…you get a home playoff if you finish fourth too…
If the schedule weren’t awkward enough there are also more injury concerns. Saints will go into this one without Morgan Knowles after he was forced out of the Rovers game early and subsequently failed an HIA. We have Rhyse Martin to thank for that. The former Leeds man escaped with a yellow card for his egregious clout around the head of Knowles. He does have a two match ban but that will be of zero benefit to Saints.
The bald truth is that Knowles is as close to irreplaceable as it gets. That Nice Matty Peet has generously tried to pick Wellens’ team for him, suggesting that Jack Welsby could be the solution. He would offer more ball movement and threat according to the Wigan Head Coach. Yet in imparting this wisdom he made sure to squeeze in a dig at Wellens remarking that Saints aren’t sure who their best fullback is.
To be fair he’s not wrong. Wellens - a man for whom every offload is a catastrophic loss of patience - has been jabbering recently about playing with two fullbacks. To my mind this is some kind of Guardiolan false nine nonsense. A desperate reach from a man under pressure but reluctant to drop his mate Jonny.
And so it’s incredibly unlikely that he will use Welsby as a Knowles replacement. Much as I bristle at being told what to do by the Evil Empire I’d actually love to see it. Welsby has all the skills required to revive the traditional loose forward position. A skill set closer to that of Paul Sculthorpe and Andy Farrell than Knowles and the frankly soul destroying names being touted as his long term replacement. The latest of which is Joe Shorrocks. Following on from last week’s Oli Partington gossip it seems that Saints are shopping exclusively from the did-nothing-at-Wigan aisle these days.
But you can fully expect Curtis Sironen, Matt Whitley and Joe Batchelor to attempt to fill the void by committee. There’s a shout for James Bell too but he’s played so little rugby this year that it would seem a risky move. If Bell starts it would be only his second of 2025. The first was the Challenge Cup tie with West Hull back in February. Shane Wright would be a candidate but injury keeps him out. Because why wouldn’t you sign an injury prone player on loan with a few games left of the regular season?
Saints are also without George Delaney through suspension. He was as lucky as Martin to avoid a red card for a high shot on Eribe Doro and did not escape a ban. He sits this one out having totted up enough disciplinary points to meet the threshold. Had he not done so Wellens might just have employed him or Matty Lees at 13 given that it is just an extra prop these days. Yet with Noah Stephens still sidelined there is even more onus on Alex Walmsley to get Saints moving forward.
On the positive side Kyle Felt should come back in having missed the trip to KR due to concussion protocols. Owen Dagnall is struggling to return before season’s end so Wellens can continue to deploy Tristan Sailor on the wing. Jonny plays then in all likelihood alongside the even more cast iron certainty Moses Mbye. Which doesn’t inspire. It seems staggering that in an attack this bad there is no room for Deon Cross in the side. The problem ain’t in the three-quarters.
Like Saints Wigan lost narrowly to Hull KR recently but have since come into a bit of form. Wakefield have been good this year but were dismissed 44-2 before a less surprising 40-4 stroll over dismal Catalans Dragons. That this upturn in attacking output has materialised since the return from injury of Bevan French is probably not a coincidence. Jai Field is the other obvious attacking threat but all of Jake Wardle, Adam Keighran and Liam Marshall are among the best in the league in their positions. French is so good he makes likely halfback partner Harry Smith look like a reasonable Ashes selection.
If it all goes terribly you can pass the time venting your disapproval of Luke Thompson’s career choices or else railing against the talent deficient shithousery of Brad O’Neill. Liam Farrell is an ageless presence in the back row while in Kade Ellis That Nice Matty Peet fails miserably to practice what he preaches when it comes to loose forwards.
Saints’ defence has been outstanding this year and should keep them in this irrespective of the depressing lack of flair in the side. Even without Knowles they seem unlikely to get blown away. It will come down to whether they can post enough points within their uber conservative structure. And whether they can keep their discipline. Penalty goals accounted for half of Rovers’ 12 points in last week’s loss. Smith isn’t quite in Martin’s class - landing just over 71% of his attempts this season - but offering up opportunities in what should be a tight contest is ill advised to say the least.
It’s well documented that Saints haven’t beaten any of Wigan, KR or Leigh since the derby win at Easter 2024 so there’s little reason for optimism. Clashes against those sides since have often been close because of Saints’ defence but all the same you never got a sense during any of them that a win was likely.
This could be more of the same. Close, yet somehow not…
Rhyse Martin got a grade D 2 match ban
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