Saints Get Ready For A Graceless Age

The news we’d all been doing our best not to hear came through on Tuesday (July 5) when it was announced that Regan Grace will leave Saints at the end of the 2022 season. The Welsh winger has accepted an offer to switch codes to rugby union, where he will join French outfit Racing 92. A Saints statement revealed that Grace had turned down an offer to extend his stay at Saints in favour of a new challenge. 

Although Grace is a product of the prolific Saints Academy he is that rare thing among Welsh rugby league internationals - a genuine Welshman. Grace is a Port Talbot boy, where the other code is very much in the blood. He started his rugby league journey at South Wales Scorpions before joining Saints where he has - at the time of writing - scored 86 tries in 138 appearances. He is one of eight players to appear in all three of Saints’ Grand Final successes between 2019-21 and was on the winning side when Saints lifted the Challenge Cup at Wembley last year also. 

Grace made a try scoring Saints debut at Wigan in April 2017, the game immediately following the departure of club legend Keiron Cunningham from the coaching position. He became a regular under Justin Holbrook thereafter, making a further 23 appearances in that season and crossing for another 10 tries. 

Grace possesses out and out pace, a throwback to the days when the very best wingers just needed a yard of space to inflict mayhem on opposition defences. In an era in which wingers are increasingly used as battering rams to make hard metres Grace offered something a little different to what many Super League teams had at their disposal. Whether he has fulfilled his potential is a matter for debate. There are still times when he appears hesitant rather than trusting his speed to get him to where he needs to be.

Still, his medal haul tells a story of success and he leaves us with some outstanding memories. A hat-trick in a 36-10 Good Friday drubbing of Wigan in 2019 stands out as do further trebles in a 48-0 shellacking of Leeds Rhinos in August 2020 and in last year’s 23-18 cup quarter final win over Huddersfield Giants. Grace’s key role in that cup run also included a majestic length of the field interception try to secure a semi final victory over Hull FC at Leigh Sports Village. Injuries have reduced him to only five appearances with just two tries so far in 2022. Yet now that he has regained his fitness he looks set to be a major player in Saints’ bid to win that much sought after fourth consecutive Super League Grand Final come September. It would be some way to bow out.

Grace’s decision to leave - although disappointing - is not particularly surprising. The move to union has always been whispered about in the background due to his nationality and the obsession with the 15-man game in that part of the world. When Grace signed only a one-year deal with Saints in May 2021 the signs were ominous. Clearly at that point he wanted to keep his options open should the opportunity to switch codes arise. No doubt the fact that there is a Rugby Union World Cup in France on the horizon in 2023 was a consideration even then. By moving across now he has given himself time to prove his worth to Wales coach Wayne Pivac. Sadly this - and the Covid-related 12-month delay to the Rugby League World Cup - mean that he will now be very unlikely to feature in what looks set to be the biggest international tournament in rugby league since 2017. 

Grace featured in that tournament five years ago but the lack of a consistent international programme in rugby league means he has only managed six appearances for his country. That has to have been a factor in his decision to join Racing 92, though it also seems fairly likely that he will be the recipient of a hefty pay rise. As long as league lags behind its rival in putting on international events which showcase its stars on the biggest stage it can expect to keep losing players from time to time as they seek that opportunity. In the case of Grace his background probably made a switch to union inevitable at some point in his career. Now 25, Grace is likely to be giving Racing 92 and the Welsh Rugby Union his peak years. 

At club level there was very little left for Grace to achieve in league. The only club competition he has never won is the World Club Challenge. Injury ruled him out of his one opportunity when Saints went down 20-12 to Sydney Roosters in 2020. The Covid pandemic put paid to his and Saints’ chances of competing for it again despite qualifying as Super League champions for both the 2021 and 2022 events. 

Any time a prominent league player switches to the dark side there will be those who castigate him for it. I’m no fan of union myself. Frankly I’d rather watch the whole of the last series of A Question Of Sport on a constant loop than watch five minutes of union. Yet it is difficult to find any rage to aim towards Grace. We’ve always suspected it to be his destiny and league has made little or no progress towards matching the financial rewards and exposure offered by union during his time at Saints. Athletes are potentially only ever one injury away from the end of the road and need to maximise their potential and their opportunities. Even injury free it is a relatively short career. The more rational among the fan base will not blame Grace. They will instead continue to question the structural issues within our game that make the move to union make sense for many.

Whatever your views on the move it has happened, meaning Saints now have some recruiting to do. The recent injuries to our back line have been evidence that we were already threadbare at wing. Now we arguably need to bring in two wide men. Without Grace the back line is in desperate need of a genuine speedster. As good as Tommy Makinson is he no longer express pace if he ever has been. Josh Simm’s loan move to Hull FC suggests Kristian Woolf does not see him as the answer. Shay Martyn and Jumah Sambou have both had a taste of first team rugby recently but neither is making a particularly loud claim for regular game time as yet. 

Looking outside the club the overseas quota is maxed out so any new arrivals would need to be home based unless one of our overseas stars were to leave. The most prominent name on the list of British free agents for 2023 is Greg Eden. He’s a prolific try scorer but has not shown the reliability - particularly defensively - which would interest Woolf. That’s assuming the current head coach will make the decision given that as yet there has been no announcement on whether he will be here for 2023. If money and those pesky things called contracts were no barrier then the best option running around Super League might be Leeds Rhinos’ Ash Handley. Or if we wanted to be really mischievous Bevan French has not yet committed to Wigan beyond this season. Think of the meltdown. It would be great.

Back in the real world we now need to enjoy Grace while we can. At best we will probably see him a dozen or so more times in the red vee before he departs. He will go with the best wishes of most of us, especially if he adds that fourth Super League ring to his impressive collection.

Catalans Dragons 20 Saints 18 - Review

Saints’ winning run in Super League came to an end at six games as they were edged out by Catalans Dragons in Perpignan on Saturday (July 2).

This was always a tough assignment on paper despite the Dragons’ surprise defeat at Castleford in their previous outing. When it was confirmed that Saints had travelled to France on the day of the game alarm bells rang. Memories of that shock defeat at Toulouse in March jumped to the front of my mind. The explanation given for the decision was that the team had encountered difficulties with the journey home when they stayed over on their second visit to Toulouse a month ago which had impacted preparations for the next game. 

The next game in this case is Wigan at Magic Weekend in Newcastle on Saturday. If the question is which game would you rather prepare thoroughly for then the answer is fairly obvious. But do you have to choose? Is it not possible to travel to Perpignan the day before the game and get back without it impacting preparation for a game happening a full week later? In the current climate of travel chaos maybe not. But who among us would be surprised if the problems on the route back from Toulouse last time were the result of a financial decision? Travel arrangements are far from the only reason this one got away. There were lots of reasons as we will see. But travelling on the day was always going to be raised as a factor should the result not go the right way.

Another factor was the problems surrounding our squad at present. On game day it was revealed that Konrad Hurrell had not travelled due to illness. Hurrell has been Saints’ most in-form player of late and was sorely missed. Mark Percival’s continued absence and that of Will Hopoate meant that Saints went in with only two players in their regular positions in what you might call their strongest back five. That figure would be reduced to one when Tommy Makinson was withdrawn with a hamstring problem after just 25 minutes. Excitement at Sione Mata’utia’s return from suspension was justified but he had to fill in at centre once more. By the time of Makinson’s injury we were running with a right edge of Joe Batchelor at centre and Ben Davies on the wing. Jon Bennison again filled in for Hopoate at fullback,

Not ideal then. But before we get too sorry for ourselves consider this list. Arthur Mourgue, Tom Davies, Mike McMeeken, Benjamin Garcia, Tyrone May, Jordan Dezaria, Julian Bousquet and Joe Chan. All of these were missing for Steve McNamara’s side. It was a tight game, almost coin-flip territory. But if you look only at the result you might suggest that the Dragons coped with their absences better in a battle between two banged up teams. Both will have days when they are stronger between now and the run up to the September 24 Grand Final.

The way Saints started the game showed no signs of any concern about who was not present. They were a little indisciplined to begin with - conceding three penalties in the first eight minutes - but by then had already opened the scoring. Just five minutes were on the clock when James Roby, Jonny Lomax and Jack Welsby combined to give Mata’utia a walk in on the left edge. There was a hint of a forward pass from Welsby as he registered his 18th assist of the season but there were no complaints from any Dragons defenders. Welsby’s 19th assist would arrive later. Only Tui Lolohea and Jake Connor have delivered the killer pass more often this term.  It was Mata’utia’s fourth try of a season too frequently interrupted by injury and suspension. Makinson could not add the extras but Saints were off to a positive start leading 4-0.

It got better for Saints eight minutes later. Roby and Lomax caught the Catalans defence out on the short side and when Batchelor expertly found Makinson the Saints winger exchanged passes with Lomax and dived over in the right hand corner for a superb score. It was a slick move which would have unlocked any Super League defence and was Makinson’s 17th try of the Super League season.  Nobody else in the competition can match that tally so far in 2022. Yet unlike the batting of Jonny Bairstow the fours were not turning into sixes as Makinson again failed to land the conversion. Those early misses would prove costly but for now Saints were in charge at 8-0.

And so here comes the controversy. There’s always something, isn’t there? Davies was taking what Terry O’Connor boringly refers to as a ‘tough carry’ away from his own end of the field when he was met with the full force of Dylan Napa’s rule-breakery. Sent off against Saints on his Dragons debut in February the former Sydney Rooster and Canterbury Bulldog attempted to pay tribute to his own act, clubbing Davies in the head with his shoulder. 

That kind of contact - direct to the head and delivered with a large helping of shoulder was a stonewall red card in the clampdown of the early weeks of the season. It still should be. Yet after a lengthy delay during which he was presumably waiting for video referee Tom Grant to review the decision, on-field whistler James Child was seemingly advised that a yellow card would be sufficient. A punishment hasn’t been this lenient since Sam Powell only got six games for trying to paralyse Bennison. Napa has been referred to a tribunal on a Grade D charge and has subsequently been handed a five game ban. Which probably tells you all you need to know.

The officiating was somewhat improved when Saints went close soon after Napa’s departure. Roby put a testing kick into the in-goal from dummy half where Davies and Samisoni Langi both appeared to miss it before it was grounded by Sam Tomkins. It was reviewed to determine whether Davies had managed to ground the ball first but was correctly ruled a goal-line dropout.

When the Dragons did get back into the game it was on the back of a pretty basic mistake by Saints. Lomax uncharacteristically thumped a kick out on the full allowing the French side to take over in good field position. In the ensuing set Tomkins cut through the Saints defence on a 30 metre burst like it was 2012 all over again. That set up the position from where Josh Drinkwater lobbed a perfect right to left kick out to Fouad Yaha. The French international took it cleanly and although he was not able to get to the line himself he popped the ball up for Matthieu Laguerre to squeeze over. It was another decision sent up for review with an initial decision of no try as Lomax got to Laguerre just as he was grounding the ball. Yet replays showed the ball had hit the ground a fraction before the Dragons’ man went touch in-goal. Tomkins missed a tough conversion from out on the left touchline but Catalans were right back in it at 8-4.

All of that unfolded with Napa still in the sin bin. Saints still have the best defence in Super League even after shipping 20 points in this one so it was a surprise to see them allow Catalans to cross with one man fewer on the field. Not the sort of thing you expect from a side which currently allows opponents only 11.17 points per game. They were undone with a pinpoint kick from Drinkwater and there is further mitigation in the destruction of their regular right edge defence due to the absence of Hurrell and Makinson. Not that Saints coach Kristian Woolf will be offering that up as an excuse. He’ll no doubt view it as an area which needs to be tightened up.

Eight minutes later the reigning league leaders (minor premiers in NRL speak) hit the front. Again it was Saints’ right edge which was exposed. Drinkwater started the move in which Matt Whitley and Laguerre combined to send Yaha rampaging down the left touchline. As the cover converged on him he showed great presence of mind and no small amount of skill to send a perfectly weighted kick back towards the Saints posts. At which point it was missed by both Roby and Jake Wingfield allowing Drinkwater a fairly simple grounding. The central position of that grounding made Tomkins’ task with the conversion even more simple and the home side went in 10-8 up at the break.

Now if you think the fact that Catalans scored with 12 men on the field means we should not take for granted that we would have won had be stayed off, how do you think the Dragons would have coped with 11 men? With another referee on another day that is exactly what could have happened. Under a minute had gone by after the interval when Micky McIlorum- England international and former Head Boy at the Shaun Wane School Of Grubbery - should have had his afternoon ended early. Bennison had collected a high ball deep in his own half when Shithousery’s McIlorum tested the youngster’s appetite for punishment with a shoulder direct to the head. More subtle perhaps than Napa’s earlier effort but no less dangerous, it was deemed worthy of only a penalty by Child. The Match Review Panel clearly found that decision unpalatable and have slapped McIlorum with a three-match ban. And people complain that they don’t do anything.

Saints shook off that distraction and were the next to score. Drinkwater - who was otherwise excellent all evening - rather lost the plot when he picked up a ball from an offside position which had ricocheted into his path after Lomax’s attempt to kick through the defensive line had been blocked. A few plays later those old faithfuls Roby and Lomax linked up with Welsby who sent an exquisite looping pass over to Davies to allow the makeshift winger to dart in at the right hand corner. With Makinson off Davies took over the goal-kicking responsibilities himself. Yet he enjoyed no better fortune on this occasion and despite having scored three tries to the Dragons’ two Saints held only a two-point lead at 12-10.

Within seven minutes of scoring his third try of the season Davies was saving one at the other end. Yaha takes some stopping, but after he was put into space by the craft of Mitchell Pearce and Drinkwater Davies was equal to the challenge. Yaha looked almost certain to score before Davies clattered into him, forcing him into touch into the bargain. 

Unfortunately it was a temporary reprieve for Saints as this fluctuating contest moved back in the direction of the hosts. Langi found himself on the end of a sweet move as Drinkwater put Whitley through a gap on the left, received it back from the back rower and found Langi on his left shoulder with an open run to the line. Tomkins landed his second goal to give the hosts a 16-12 lead. 

Saints’ attempts to hit back where scuppered by their own indiscipline. Batchelor had put Saints in prime attacking position with a 30 metre burst down the right flank and after Child hit Catalans with two consecutive ‘6 again’ calls it needed Laguerre’s desperate hand to prevent Lomax from opening the door on the left hand side. Yet from the resultant scrum Child pinged Lomax for running around the back of James Bell after the ex-Leigh man had got his run through the defensive line all wrong. It was the second time in the game that Saints had been penalised while in possession after a first half incident in which Alex Walmsley had found himself in possession having been ahead of the play-the-ball. These are small miscues, but in a game this close they can take on extra significance.

Entering the last quarter the try that ultimately made the mountain too high to climb arrived. Again there was an element of self harm in the Saints defence as they conceded back-to-back repeat sets in quick succession to help the Dragons down the field. Once within range it was Pearce who picked the lock on this occasion, lobbing a sensational ball out to Arthur Romano. He quickly shuffled it back inside to Dean Whare who celebrated his return to the side after a 14-game absence with a simple try. Although Tomkins was again unsuccessful with the conversion McNamara’s side had some breathing space at 20-12.

Yet this is not a Saints team to let things go lightly. To paraphrase CJ From The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin they didn’t get where they are today by giving up when they go two scores behind. And where they are today is threepeating, back-to-back-to-back Super League champions. Within three minutes of Whare’s effort Welsby dragged his side back into the fight. The 2020 Grand Final hero is becoming more dominant as a playmaker with each game and showed on this play that he has game intelligence and no small amount of impudence. 

There seemed little to do but defend and await another chance when Sam Kasiano rumbled forward 35 metres from his own line. Picking out Welsby he careered into the Saints man who looked as though he might need the assistance of Mata’utia to bring down the soon-to-be Warrington Wolf. Except he didn’t. As Mata’utia dropped off contact Welsby timed his act of grand larceny to perfection, ripping possession away from a bewildered Kasiano and sprinting away to dot down untouched. Child’s initial suspicion was that the steal had been fair, a first impression that was confirmed on review to get Saints back in it. With nobody in the vicinity of Welsby when he touched down he was able to do it under the posts to allow Davies to land Saints’ solitary goal of the day and reduce the arrears to 20-18.

Considering he was the only regular three-quarter playing in his natural position we hadn’t seen a huge amount of Regan Grace to this point. We won’t be seeing a whole lot more of him in the long term future either but that’s probably a whole different column. For now let me divert your attention to his sudden re-emergence as an attacking threat during the last 15 minutes of this one. It was a resurgence which ultimately led to him ending the game as Saints’ top metre maker. More on which later.

Firstly he caught a routine grass finder close to his own 20 metre line and somehow found a route through the defensive line before embarking on a 50 metre dash into Dragons territory.  My one complaint about Grace has always been that I’m not sure he backs his ability enough. If he had really pinned back the ears and honed in on the try line he might have dismantled the Catalans defence and put Saints back in front. As it was his almost imperceptible hesitation allowed the not exactly Usain Bolt-like Pearce to drag him down from behind. The disappointment was compounded later in the set when Welsby lost possession under pressure from Pearce and Benjamin Jullien. Welsby’s claims that the ball had been stolen were waved away by Child.

Bennison offered hope with a great half break from deep inside his own half which had to be halted by Kasiano dragging him down by his collar. That sort of thing is frowned upon in the NFL but is apparently fair game in Super League. Saints couldn’t take advantage of the platform created anyway after Walmsley - having his one off day of the year - spilled possession near half way as another chance - like the time remaining - slipped away.

More valuable time was spent having to defend a period of pressure as Drinkwater forced Bennison to concede a dropout and then Welsby hastily played the ball to nobody three metres from his own line - at potentially disastrous cost to Lomax’s fragile head as Alrix Da Costa slid in. It was left to Morgan Knowles to put an end to the raid as he forced Kasiano to part company with the ball - not for the first time during the evening.

Back then to Grace, who scampered for another line-bending 20 metres having been put in space by Welsby. The Welshman handed on to Bennison and within two plays Saints were in field position not to be sniffed at at this stage of proceedings, 40 metres from their own line. Having started the set Grace ended it, if not quite in the way we would all have liked. Saints plotted their way down the field to manufacture a chance as Welsby, Curtis Sironen and Mata’utia were all involved in finding Grace. 

This time there was no room for hesitation whatsoever. Yet rather than put his head down and go low Grace took the aerial route favoured by so many wide men in recent years. Annoyingly, Romano read those intentions and got enough of Grace to force him to ground the ball outside the field of play after first glancing the corner post. Child was unconvinced about the grounding but reviewed it just in case. His initial instincts had been spot on. Yet if Grace could have done better it was nothing compared to the ineptitude of the TV director who ran 5 or 6 replays before finding a useful one which showed the grounding. Little wonder televised matches finish late.

Saints needed that unshakable defence to fashion themselves another opportunity. Instead Tomkins sliced through it, dealing it if not a fatal blow then a very damaging one as he cut through on a 30 metre gallop to within 10 metres of the Saints line. Rather than risk a kick and the concession of a 7-tackle set the Dragons were content to turn it over on the last and leave Saints needing to go 95 metres to score. For all its qualities, and despite the fact that they rolled methodically down the field to create Grace’s chance moments earlier, Woolf’s Saints are not set up to go 95 metres quickly. His strength is in making sure they don’t need to do that very often. Which he has proven very good at. 

A Wide To West moment never seemed likely here. The set ended with a Welsby kick deep into the Dragons half which there was no hope of chasing successfully. They would have to force a mistake. Yet when Knowles brushed the face of Gil Dudson it earned the hosts the penalty they needed to run out the clock and preserve the win. 

It had been a pretty good advert for Super League, despite the result and despite never quite veering into classic territory. Top performers for Saints were Grace - most of whose 145 metres seemed to be earned late, Mata’utia who gained 128 and Welsby with 117. Even the slightly off colour Walmsley got through his customary century with 113. Three other Saints (Sironen 110, Bennison 105 and Lomax 104) passed that mark also. 

Catalans’ best go-forward man was Tomkins with 126, a metre ahead of Yaha on 125 with Langi contributing 109. The fact that there were seven Saints over 100 metres and only three Dragons perhaps says something, though I’m not sure what.

Defensively Roby was again the main man for Saints, this time joined in the 30+Tackle Club by Knowles (39), Lees (36) and Batchelor (31). Roby outworked all of them with 46. Jullien was the only other man over 40 tackles on either side as he put in 42, while Whitley managed 32 and Pearce and Mikael Goudemand 30 apiece.

 

The error count was fairly low in a flowing game by modern Super League standards. Saints only had six misfires with Catalans offering one more at seven. This was despite Saints managing eight offloads and the Dragons five. It wasn’t Harlem Globetrotters stuff but nor was it up the jumper rugby either. Perhaps the most telling and decisive stat was the goal-kicking, where between them Makinson and Davies made only one of four while Tomkins landed two of four for the home side. That ultimately proved decisive but - just like travel arrangements - there are many more variables which win or lose a game.

An opportunity to obliterate Catalans’ chances of retaining the League Leaders Shield has been lost but the battle is still on. Starting with this weekend’s competition distorting Magic Weekend in Newcastle. In the usual show of imagination Saints have been paired with local rivals and currently second placed Wigan while the Dragons get to face off against hapless, couldn’t buy a ‘w’ in an upside-down M&M factory Warrington. What is more we are likely to face Wigan without Makinson who it was revealed by Woolf has a tight hamstring. Hurrell should be back but Hopoate’s involvement is about as reliable as Nadine Dorries at a Rugby League World Cup promotional event. Or Nadine Dorries anywhere, really. 

Wigan can draw level with Saints at the top of Super League if they win the extra derby, but the champions will stay top unless the margin of their defeat is some calculator-busting cricket score. That seems a stretch, but the holes in Saints three-quarter line added to the ongoing issues in the halves and at fullback have perhaps given the match-up a more even feel to it. 

Saints haven’t lost two in a row in the league since October 2020 when a 12-10 defeat at Salford was followed by an 18-6 home loss to Wigan. We all know how that season ended though and it is for that reason that Woolf does not concern himself with the destination of the League Leaders Shield. 

Which is a pity because this time last week it was all but in the bag.

Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Laguerre, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, Dudson, McIlorum, Napa, Whitley, Jullien, Goudemand. Interchanges: Da Costa, Seguier, Romano, Kasiano

Saints: Bennison, Makinson, Davies, Mata’utia, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Paasi, Lussick, Wingfield, Bell

Referee: James Child

Video Referee: Tom Grant

   

 

Catalans Dragons v Saints - Preview

Saints make their fourth trek across the English Channel of 2022 when they travel to face Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan on Saturday night (July 2, kick-off 5.00pm BST).

As they do so Kristian Woolf’s men sit comfortably atop the Super League table. They have a four-point lead over nearest challengers Jai Field and Bevan French Wigan having lost only two of their first 16 Super League matches. One of those was in France when the Threepeaters were shocked 22-20 by Toulouse. They come in to this one on a six-game winning streak in Super League. Besides Toulouse the only other club to lower Saints’ colours in the league this year is Castleford where a virtual Saints academy side went down 30-10 at the end of April.  Last time out the champions were tested for a while before eventually reducing Leeds Rhinos to cheap shots and toddler tantrums in a 42-12 win.

The Dragons have also had a strong year for the most part. Their loss at Castleford last week was more surprising than that of Saints earlier in the season, simply because they appeared to take it more seriously. A strong-looking Dragons side went down to a 17-16 golden point loss thanks to former Saints halfback Danny Richardson’s drop-goal. He’d also converted the Tigers’ last try from the touchline to force the extra period. Nobody said the lad wasn’t good at kicking. That’s not why he’s not here anymore. 

Notwithstanding that nasty jolt the Dragons have been good enough to this point to sit fourth in the standings. They have won 11 of their 16 matches. That defeat at Castleford is one of five in the league this term starting at Saints on opening night back in February. They have also lost to Huddersfield twice and even managed to go down to a 14-8 defeat to Hull FC in April. Yet Steve McNamara’s side are hanging in there to the extent that a win in this one would bring them back within four points of their guests. 

Woolf has made two changes to the 21 which were on duty for the visit of Leeds. Suspended pair Sione Mata’utia and James Bell are free again to further enhance the already impressive back row options at Woolf’s disposal. That’s bad news for Sam Royle who drops out of the squad but will be consoled by the fact that he had signed an agreement to stay with the club for 2023. At 22 he has enough time on his side to develop and earn a spot in the side when the options ahead of him aren’t quite so numerous. 

If Mata’utia - who has been excellent when he hasn’t been injured or banned - is to come straight back into the starting line-up it could be at the expense of either Curtis Sironen or Joe Batchelor. That would be tough on either. Sironen is coming off arguably his best game for Saints last time out while Batchelor has been very consistent since holding down a regular spot. Bell and Morgan Knowles complicate the back three picture even further in the pack. It’s a nice problem for Woolf to have. 

The same cannot be said of the headaches caused by Will Hopoate’s fitness problems. Here we are about to embark on Round 17 of his first season with the club and Hopoate finds himself having made only six Super League appearances. The last of those was at fullback in the 26-18 home win over Hull KR on June 12. He has played centre just twice, flattening the notion that he would be a good fit to replace Kevin Naiqama. Konrad Hurrell has done that better than this scribbler expected. With Mark Percival also out Ben Davies has been getting his chance to impress in his favoured position after filling in at stand-off earlier in the year. Yet with Mata’utia back in the reckoning Woolf may again choose to alleviate the congestion in the back row by deploying the former Newcastle Knight in the threequarters. Again that would be harsh on Davies but I guess that’s life as part of the league’s strongest squad.

The solution to The Hopoate Situation last week was Jon Bennison and could very well be again. That frees up Jack Welsby to partner Jonny Lomax in the halves with the wing spots virtually owned by Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace.

At the front end of the pack there has been yet more staff retention. Dan Norman made a try-scoring contribution off the bench against Rohan Smith’s Rhinos and followed that up by signing a deal which keeps him at Saints until at least the end of 2023. With Norman there are echoes of the way Joe Batchelor has established himself at Saints after seeing very little playing time initially. The ex-London Bronco has featured in eight matches in all competitions this year after managing just two appearances last term. The return of Bell might make it more difficult for Norman to hold on to a bench spot this week but the new deal shows he is willing to fight for playing time in the immediate future. 

While doing so he is sure to learn a thing or two from Alex Walmsley who is the regular starter and talisman in the front row where he is joined by Matty Lees and the legend that is James Roby at hooker. Agnatius Paasi scored his first try for Saints last week at the 39th attempt and provides exceptional impact and offload-related excitement from the bench. Joey Lussick - having been one of the few regulars tasked with going to Castleford for that defeat back in April - is the only ever present in the Saints squad this year and there is no reason why that would change here. His dummy half play is invaluable in its own right but the bonus is his ability to protect Roby by reducing his minutes as he winds down in what he is still telling everyone is his final season before retirement. 

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is still out which opens up a bench spot. Yet as Saints get closer to full strength there’s a scramble for it. Jake Wingfield is the man in possession and will hope to hold on to it. 

McNamara’s preparations have been hit by the loss of two key players since the defeat at Castleford. Former Wigan winger Tom Davies will need to see a specialist about a knee injury while England back rower Mike McMeeken has a broken thumb which could see him miss the next 6-8 weeks. The Dragons were already without Arthur Mourgue after he picked up an ankle injury in France’s 34-6 win over Wales a fortnight ago. 

That still leaves McNamara with some pretty handy cards to play. Sam Tomkins is still one of the best in the business at fullback, while the recently returned Josh Drinkwater was building a formidable halfback partnership with Mitchell Pearce before his injury. Tyrone May is a possible trump card as he returns having missed the trip to West Yorkshire. 

Matthieu Laguerre is back and he along with Dean Whare and Samisoni Langi give McNamara real strike at centre. They will miss Davies but on the opposite wing Fouad Yaha has that modern winger’s combination of pace and power that is currently in vogue. He has found his way to the try line on 10 occasions in Super League this year with only Makinson, Ken Sio and Ryan Hall managing to do so more often.

It’s going to be all change in the front row for Catalans next year as both Gil Dudson and Sam Kasiano head for Super League’s baron featureless desert otherwise known as Warrington. Not that McNamara has to this point gone into a Matty Peet style rant about two rugby league professionals choosing to take up an offer from another club. For now Perhaps the rumoured capture of Sio Siua Taukeiaho from Sydney Roosters is a softening of the blow that poor old buffet building Matty just doesn’t have. Mike Cooper just doesn’t have the same ring to it. For now Kasiano and Dudson remain in the French camp and will lead the battle against Walmsley et al along with Julian Bousquet and Dylan Napa. Fresh from his re-emergence as an international player under best mate Shaun Wane Micky McIlorum should start at nine backed up by Alrix Da Costa.

In the back row Matt Whitley is perhaps the one that got away for Saints having arrived in France from Billinge via Widnes. He’s a classy operator but the hole left by McMeeken alongside him is significant.  Mikael Goudemand or Joe Chan could fill it with the impressive Ben Garcia at 13.

The French side have a somewhat shorter Super League history than most having only joined the competition in 2006. Despite that there have been many memorable tussles between these two. The Dragons reached the Challenge Cup final in only their second season but were undone by an Ade Gardner double and tries from Paul Wellens, Paul Clough and a 21 year-old Roby as Saints won 30-8 to lift the first of what would be three Challenge Cups in a row in 2007. 

Catalans gained a modicum of revenge for that when they surprisingly thumped the then league-leading Saints 35-16 in the 2018 Challenge Cup semi-final at Bolton. The Dragons went on to win the cup for the first time that year beating Warrington in the final.

Turning to Super League the sides did of course meet in last season’s Old Trafford Grand Final. It was a tight affair, Saints edging it 12-10 to pick up that third successive Super League title. Eleven of the Saints 17 from that night could feature here while 12 of those on duty for Catalans are again in the mix for this one. 

The other notable Super League clash between these two last year came at Newcastle at Magic Weekend. Saints managed to turn a 30-12 lead into a 31-30 defeat in not much more time than it took Nadine Dorries to demonstrate exactly why she shouldn’t be anywhere near any Rugby League World Cup promotion events today. That’s rugby LEAGUE Nadine. Perhaps you should stick to drinking Pimms on Henman Hill. Where’s Prince Harry and Clare Balding when you need them? Even Tony Adams knew his Kangaroos from his Wallabies. This just in…Clare is drinking Pimms on Henman Hill.

Back to the plot, and overall Saints have won 28 and lost 16 of the previous 44 Super League meetings between the clubs. The champions recorded a 36-20 Challenge Cup win in Perpignan earlier this season but haven’t won there in the league since a 26-22 success in September 2018. They went down 20-16 in May of last year, didn’t travel in 2020 due to Covid and were beaten 18-10 in April 2019.

It is a pivotal period for Saints if they have genuine designs on staying top of the pile and collecting the League Leaders Shield going into the playoffs. All of the other top four clubs are on the agenda over the next three weeks. After this it’s Threepeat vs Matty Peet at Magic before a Huddersfield Giants side unashamedly auditioning for a job as a Woolfball tribute act rolls into town on July 15. Three wins and you’d have to think that all the tinkering in the world wouldn’t stop Saints winning the LLS for the first time since 2019. Any bumps in the road during this run could allow one of the other three - possibly the Dragons - to pounce as Saints take their now traditional late season breather. 

Catalans are defending the shield so should be desperate for the win which will keep them in the hunt to do that. That depends on whether McNamara puts the same premium on it having already put it in le cabinet a trophees a year ago. Coming in off the back of that Tigers defeat won’t help confidence levels and with the loss of Davies and McMeeken I’m backing Saints to get the first of the three wins they need to put them in a position of real comfort ahead of the playoffs. 

Did you expect any other prediction? A fait accompli, if you will.

Squads;

Catalans Dragons: 3. Samisoni Langi 4. Dean Whare 5. Fouad Yaha 6. Mitchell Pearce 7. Josh Drinkwater 8. Gil Dudson 9. Micky McIlorum 10. Julian Bousquet 11. Matt Whitley 13. Benjamin Garcia 14. Alrix Da Costa 15. Benjamin Jullien 16. Paul Seguier 17. Mickael Goudemand 18. Matthieu Laguerre 19. Arthur Romano 20. Tyrone May 22. Dylan Napa 27. Joe Chan 28. Sam Kasiano 29. Sam Tomkins

St Helens: 1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 5. Regan Grace, 6. Jonny Lomax, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13, Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 20. James Bell, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 27. Jon Bennison, 29. Dan Hill.

Referee: James Child

Video Referee: Tom Grant

Saints 42 Leeds Rhinos 12 - Review

It was meant to be closer, and for a while it was.  Ultimately though, Saints dealt with the threat posed by an allegedly resurgent Leeds Rhinos without too many alarms.  A 42-12 win keeps Kristian Woolf’s side four points clear of Wigan, while below them Huddersfield Giants overhauled Catalans Dragons into third place after the French side were surprisingly beaten at Castleford by the Tigers.

There were a couple of changes to Woolf’s line-up ahead of this one.  Curtis Sironen came back into the back row to replace the suspended James Bell while Jon Bennison was drafted in at fullback for the persistently infirm Will Hopoate.  Mark Percival still wasn’t ready so Ben Davies – who has just penned a new two year deal with the club – continued at centre with Sione Mata’utia also still serving a ban.  Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook remains laid low by his facial injury and so the bench was occupied by Jake Wingfield and Dan Norman as well as regular pine riders Joey Lussick and Agnatius Paasi.

 

Just what is going on with Hopoate anyway? He was touted as a replacement for Kevin Naiqama when he arrived from Canterbury Bulldogs but has been anything but - not withstanding Naiqama’s current incarnation as a kick-fluffing international stand-off with Fiji. Hopoate hasn’t had a look in at centre due to the form of Konrad Hurrell. When he has played it has been as a fullback because Jack Welsby has been required in the halves since the injury to Lewis Dodd. Hopoate has looked good in that role and given Saints better balance but having made only seven appearances for the club will we ever be able to rely on his creaking body?

If Hopoate isn’t going to prove reliable there is hope in the shape of Bennison. Half of his first team experience to date has been on the wing but he produced an assured performance at fullback here. If there are concerns about him they are mostly physical. At times in this one he held the ball too long and then had to back himself to get to the try line when the passing lane disappeared. Quicker decision making is something which will hopefully develop. You get the sense that he has an important part to play for the remainder of this year with Dodd gone for the duration and Hopoate participating about as often as Robbie Williams links up with Take That.

Now if you are like me you will have gorged on a veritable feast of international rugby league over the weekend, in both the men’s and women’s games. Not for them the undignified spectacle of a made up friendly against whoever answers the phone to Ellery Hanley. Proper international matches as New Zealand hosted Tonga men and women, and put on clashes between Samoa and Cook Islands and an absolute belter between Papua New Guinea and Fiji at Mount Smart. 

With all that going on what is the Tongan national coach and one of its better players doing being burdened by a Thursday nigh Super League appointment? It’s great for Saints that they had their head coach and arguably most in-form player available but what does it say about how seriously (or not) we are taking the international game? I think we all widely recognise that the reason the other code gets more attention and makes more money is the strength of its international structure versus our more parochial set-up. Expansionists are only expansionists so long as their club’s key personnel aren’t required to do anything strenuous which doesn’t directly benefit their club. But do we want a credible international game, or don’t we?

Yet If we are going to have mid-season internationals which require personnel to travel from one hemisphere to the other can we have a proper window without league fixtures to allow that to happen without the domestic game being diluted or short changing fans? It’s a radical suggestion I know but how about ditching loop fixtures to fit those internationals in and make best use of them. I know. Cold. Day. In. Hell. 

Enough griping then as we get into the nitty gritty of the action. There was a disproportionate amount of video referee intervention in this one beginning with Hurrell’s seventh minute try. Saints moved the ball right through James Roby, Morgan Knowles, Jonny Lomax and Bennison to allow Hurrell to squeeze in at the right hand corner. It was the perfect response by Hurrell to some of the observations about his weight being offered by the taxi-load of fans who had come to cheer on his former club. Hurrell ended up close to the sideline, forcing Tommy Makinson so wide that he was almost sat in the front row of the south stand. But Hurrell stayed in field to notch his sixth try of this Super League season and his seventh in Saints colours.

After that Leeds briefly flickered into life. Harry Newman started an eventful evening for him personally with an example of his quality, streaking away from his own 20m line to start a move that saw the ball sweep through 10 pairs of hands and end with Lomax bringing down Rhys Martin 5m from the Saints line. It was a warning sign but came to nothing more.

And it just woke Saints up. They looked like they may have blown their next opportunity when Hurrell passed to Makinson too early after another foray down Saints’ right edge. The winger batted it back inside and even then it had to be saved by Hurrell before Bennison fell on it. That set up the position from where Roby found Welsby who hit Knowles. With defenders converging the ex-Welshman flipped a majestic ball around the the corner for Walmsley to ease over. The big man is not known for his try scoring but would double his season’s tally in one evening. Yet this one was all about Knowles. Loved by fans for his effort, endeavour and all around Morgan-knowles-iness, he showed that there are a few tricks in the box with this outstanding lock-picker of a pass. Makinson’s second successful conversion gave Saints a 12-0 lead.

Still Leeds were in the fight at this point. They should have made more of good field position given to them by a Walmsley error from the kick-off but botched their lines when Bodene Thompson ran around the back of Martin to concede a penalty for obstruction. 

Yet only two minutes later Newman had the Rhinos on the board. Blake Austin sent a high kick out to Leeds’s right wing where David Fusitu’a kept it alive for Newman. The England World Cup hopeful cut back in-field and left a trail of Saints defenders in his wake as he motored over to score his second try of an hitherto injury wrecked season. More video was necessary as replays showed the ball just leaving the hand of Fusitu’a in the direction of Newman before the former New Zealand Warrior’s not inconsiderable backside touched what Stevo used to call terra firma on the wrong side of the whitewash. Close but a correct call. Martin is fifth on the list of Super League goalscorers in 2022 and had little trouble cutting the arrears to 12-6. 

Walmsley flirted with danger soon after when his movement of the arm during a big shot on Zane Tevano looked suspiciously like an afterthought. It was one of those which might have been viewed more dimly in the early weeks of the season but which did not move referee Tom Grant enough to produce a card. That despite the classless encouragement offered by Austin for Grant to reach into his back pocket. 

Optimists among the Leeds support - and let’s be fair only the optimists made the journey - might view the next few minutes before half time as the period which swung the game decisively in Saints favour. Much has been made of how Sam Walters was denied a try by the video referee just before Regan Grace was awarded one by the very same route at the other end. Realists will point out that Walters just didn’t score. The youngster was first to react to Kruise Leeming’s dab behind the defensive line but got no closer to grounding it than I got to taking Mark Cavendish’s place in the Quick Step Alpha-Vinyl team for the upcoming Tour De France. 

Then came Grace’s punishing blow to Leeds’ belief. Again the video was called upon as Grace battled to get the ball down in the left corner. It was a scrappy-looking end to what had been a spellbinding passage of play. Woolf often talks in terms of the physical elements of the game. Effort, energy, building pressure. But this was a side set up by him chucking the ball around like the proverbial hot spud. Topping Leeds’ earlier Harlem Globetrotters tribute Saints moved the ball through 11 sets of hands before Grace turned inside his marker and lunged for the line. Grant sent it up for review as a try which was crucial in the outcome. It looked an iffy, slightly questionable grounding but there was no conclusive evidence that Grace had lost possession as the ball hit the ground. Sorry Leeds fans, them’s the rules.

Makinson missed his first conversion but Saints took a 10-point lead with them as they left the field for Woolf’s words of wisdom at 16-6.

Within three minutes of the restart Saints increased their lead. Lomax’s pass out wide to the right was an ugly one, but as it ricocheted off Makinson it bobbled it’s way into the arms of the unstoppable Hurrell. His second touchdown of the night saw Saints open up a 14-point lead at 20-6 and was a rare example of a try which didn’t require further examination from Liam Moore in the video booth. Makinson could not add the extras but it was hard to see a way back for Leeds from this point.

But again there was a brief flicker from Rohan Smith’s men. A raging against the dying of their light. Austin’s right to left cross-field bomb was knocked back by Ash Handley to Martin who had time enough to present Bodene Thompson with a walk-in to the left of the posts. Again the conversion presented little drama for Martin and perhaps it was game back on at 20-12. 

For all of four minutes, although Saints’ next score did come with a little luck involved. Grace was pretty fortunate to get away with a ball strip on Zak Hardaker near the Leeds line in the latest of Grant’s eccentric decisions. From there Agnatius Paasi barged over for his first try for Saints in his 39th appearance. Of course he should not be judged on his try scoring record any more than Sir Paul McCartney should be judged on whether he can still sing Hey Jude. Paasi is an impact man with an offload game that is extremely welcome in an era of effort areas, the grind and going through the processes. Just a wonderful player to watch and richly deserving of getting off his duck egg. Makinson was on target this time as Saints led 26-12.

Leeds probably weren’t coming back after that but they could have chosen to dig in and slip to an honourable defeat. Instead they chose to implode. Discipline - if it was ever present - left the building as first Thompson and then Tetevano and James Bentley reminded Grant what he had situated in his back pocket. Thompson went first, clumsily tripping Matty Lees to earn himself 10 minutes to rethink his life. 

While he was away Saints went close through Lees and when Mikolaj Oledzki had to desperately smother a Welsby kick close to the line. Yet the champions broke through again when Lomax timed a pass perfectly to Joe Batchelor who went over untouched, even finding time to run around the posts to improve the angle for the conversion. It was a painful decision as Bentley - by now slipping darkly into the black hole of his frustration - slid knees first towards the recent England debutant. It was probably not malicious. More careless. Which is probably what persuaded Grant not to take any action as Makinson popped over another goal for a 32-12 lead. Bentley’s walk of shame would come.

Before it did it was Austin’s turn to look a little sheepish as his dropout sailed out on the full. In the ensuing set Welsby offered up a short ball to Dan Norman to cross for Saints’ seventh try of the evening with eight minutes left. Norman has had to bide his time for opportunities since arriving from London Broncos but has featured eight times in all competitions this season scoring four tries. Makinson somehow managed to fail with the extras but at 36-12 it was of little consequence.

No sooner had Thompson returned from the sin bin than Tetevano restored Saints’ one man advantage. Lomax’s kick out to the right led to a fairly sloppy piece of play involving Bennison and Hurrell. The Tongan centre tried to improvise, kicking through the line only to be met with an inexcusable intervention by Tetevano. It was late, high and was performed with very little other than the Leeds man’s shoulder. Pick your poison. Which of the three do you want to send him off for? 

With echoes of a similarly brainless assault on Theo Fages in the Challenge Cup meeting between these two from last year Tetevano walked and has subsequently earned himself a five-match ban. 

Before Tetevano trudged off a modern day melee developed. The kind during which no punches are thrown, everybody grabs each other and the officials light up a cigar and wait for everyone to calm down before dealing with it. This one was stirred up by Walmsley who immediately reacted to Tetevano’s misbehaviour by running in and pushing the Rhinos man in retaliation. As he had earlier Walmsley escaped further action as Grant spoke only to both captains to appeal for them to get their players to stop acting up and get on with it.

It was a warning that a by now seething Bentley failed to heed. Oledzki had dropped a tired pass by Leeming which had allowed Jake Wingfield to surge down the field only to be stopped a few metres short by Oledzki’s admirably determined chase. As Walmsley attempted to take a quick tap following another offside call Bentley reached around to knock the ball away from a position with a different postcode to the one marked ‘square at marker’. 

Grant saw it as a professional foul, compounding Bentley’s humiliation at getting a good old fashioned flogging at the home of his old club by forcing him to walk off the field via the scenic route along the length of the west stand. As he did so some bright spark threw some form of missile at him, likely a plastic bottle. That individual is one we can do without. Saints have already stated that they have studied the CCTV and are dealing with it.

With Bentley no longer around to break the rules in stopping him Walmsley crashed over for his second try, his fourth of the season and his first double since a 48-18 thrashing of Salford in January 2020. Yet again Grant felt compelled to review it, sending it up as a try and having it confirmed by Moore. It did look as though part of the ball had made contact with the ground - however briefly and despite the best efforts of several Leeds defenders. 

It was all too much for Newman who launched into a full scale, foot-stamping tantrum in the faces of the officials. He was not carded by Grant but he did receive a two-match suspension from the match review panel, upgraded to three after his appeal was deemed frivolous. If he does have designs on a place in the England squad for the autumn - and there’s no doubt he has the talent - he will need to start displaying behaviour a good deal more mature than he managed here.  Makinson landed his fifth goal to put Saints 30 points to the good at 42-12.   

Statistically Sironen took his opportunity, ending the game as Saints top ground gainer with 121m. Paasi (104), Walmsley (103) and Lomax (101) all made notable efforts. For Leeds Martin worked hard for his 120m while Newman’s 106 were perhaps prettier to watch before his late combustion. 

Defensively Roby was Saints’ top man again with 31 tackles, the only member of the home side required to top 30. If Bentley had the nous to match the endeavour shown by his 47 tackles he would be some player. He endured a miserable night no doubt made worse by a stellar performance by Hurrell in the battle of the two men who swapped clubs at the end of last term. Leeming put in another industrious defensive shift with 35. Matt Prior contributed 32. 

Saints kept their errors to a modest seven which was a key. That is a figure way below their average of 11.6 per game coming in while the Rhinos’ 10 errors was slightly up on their 9.2 per game average before this game. 

Saints certainly played the more penetrative rugby, managing nine clean breaks, three of which were attributed to Walmsley who seems to relish playing against the Rhinos. Only Fusitu’a and Newman managed to get the other side of the Saints defensive line into open space in the entire 80 minutes.

A 30-point win against a Leeds side which is thought to be improving is a great way to go into a pivotal period for Saints. They meet all of the other top four sides over the next three weeks. They travel to Perpignan to face Catalans this weekend, renew hostilities with Wigan at Magic Weekend in Newcastle on July 9 and then welcome in-form Huddersfield Giants to St Helens on July 15. 

If Saints can win all three of those games it could deal a fatal blow to the hopes all of them might have had of winning the League Leaders Shield as the games will be running out by then. That would allow Woolf to manage his squad late in the season in preparation for the playoffs. However, if Saints cannot manage that and the position at the top of the league is still close late in the season then don’t be surprised to see Woolf allow someone else to pose in front of the sponsor’s billboard with the most undeservedly maligned trophy in sports. He has previous for resting his stars late in the season and it has brought him spectacular results when the Grand Finals have rolled around.    

Saints: Bennison, Makinson, Hurrell, Davies, Grace, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles. Interchanges: Lussick, Paasi, Wingfield, Norman

Leeds: Hardaker, Fusitu’a, Newman, Martin, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Bentley, Thompson, Donaldson. Interchanges: Tetevano, Walters, Myler, O’Connor