Saints v Wigan Warriors - Preview

Super League’s top spot is on the line when Saints host Wigan in the Good Friday derby (April 15, kick-off 3.00pm).

Seven rounds into the 2022 competition Saints sit top of the Super League table but are only separated from the Warriors on points difference (albeit Saints are a whopping 122 points better off by that measure). With the teams also drawn together in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup we should be in for a fascinating pair of games over the next three weeks. Games which should give us some indication of whether Saints are still the dominant force or whether the pie-loving rugby league journalists are right to suggest that Wigan are bridging the gap under new head coach Matty Peet.

Saints boss Kristian Woolf has made just one change to his 21-man selection from the group named ahead of last week’s cup win over Catalans Dragons. Curtis Sironen fell foul of the disciplinary for the second time this season and misses out. He is replaced by Jake Wingfield who missed the trip to Perpignan due to concussion protocols. With Sione Mata’utia still out injured the only certainty in the second row looks to be the in form Joe Batchelor. Woolf has options in Mata’utia’s absence. He could give the nod to Wingfield or else move Morgan Knowles back from his regular loose forward role. If Woolf goes down that route then Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook or James Bell could be in line for a start. Sam Royle is another back rower in the 21 while prior to the start of the season there were whispers that Konrad Hurrell could move into the pack. That seems less likely for this one as Regan Grace’s continued absence suggests Hurrell will be needed in the three-quarter line while Will Hopoate deputises for Grace on the wing.

No such dilemmas in the front row with Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees restored to their starting roles last week either side of the living legend that is James Roby at hooker. McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Agnatius Paasi and Dan Norman are the likely interchange prop options.

Despite the loss of Grace the back line still looks powerful. Jack Welsby was superb in the win over the Dragons and seems to get better with every game at fullback. Hopoate is a solid presence on the wing while Tommy Makinson remains one of the best in the business. Hurrell will likely start at centre alongside the excellent Mark Percival. 

Lewis Dodd is another whose reputation grows with every game. His halfback partnership with Jonny Lomax is now well established. Look for a lot of what Saints do in attack to flow through this pairing once Walmsley and company have softened up the defence enough to create the space they need to weave their magic.

Peet is coaching in his first derby and only his 10th competitive game since taking over the reins from notorious enemy of ball movement Adrian Lam. This is by far Peet’s stiffest test to date. Like Woolf, he goes into it with his fair share of problems. Chief among these is the absence of long time problem child Zak Hardaker. The former Leeds and Castleford star’s off field conduct has not met the standards required by Peet apparently. Which is about as surprising as finding out that bears defecate in woodland areas. 

Whatever Hardaker has done this week it causes Wigan problems in the centres. With Kai Pearce-Paul and Ian Thornley (really? At Wigan?) also out Jake Bibby could be moved from the wing and John Bateman may operate in a role he was repeatedly and infuriatingly asked to perform for England under Wayne Bennett. Otherwise 20 year-old Sam Halsall may come in for only his 11th appearance in cherry and white. 

If there is a difference between this Wigan outfit and the vintage led by Lam it is that this mob have raw, destructive speed. Bevan French is back from a seemingly endless absence while in Jai Field Wigan possess one of the standout performers of the early weeks of the season. Only Makinson and Hull KR’s Ken Sio have managed more than Field’s nine tries in Super League across the first seven rounds. They are both wingers, while Field’s threat comes from fullback. If he gets a yard of space there is probably nobody in the Saints team who will reel him in, particularly in the absence of Grace. The key will be to do everything possible to deny that space to him and to the equally rapid French.

These strike players will be particularly important for Wigan in the context of not only Hardaker’s absence but that of Liam Marshall. Marshall is the lone survivor from a time when Wigan had the strongest wing group in Super League. The irony is that they kept plundering up the middle through ubergrubs Willie Isa and Oliver Partington regardless. Joe Burgess and Tom Davies have moved on - presumably to improve their chances of getting a pass - while the unfortunate Dom Manfredi was forced to retire through persistent injuries. When Marshall is fit he could form a scary back three alongside Field and French. Fortunately, not this week.

Somehow Tommy Leuleuai still plays regularly in the halves despite celebrating his 56th birthday recently. He has a new halfback partner this year in Cade Cust, who arrived from Manly Sea Eagles at the start of pre-season. Cust looked a lively presence when he was given his opportunities at Manly but you’d argue that he has not yet been totally convincing as a replacement for Jackson Hastings. Despite his apparent boredom and his desire to be elsewhere - even Salford - Hastings was as much of a threat as any playmaker could be inside the Lam strait-jacket. 

And so the grubs forwards. This is the area where Wigan look genuinely outmatched. Across all six positions Liam Farrell is just about the only one who would have a mere sniff of getting into the current Saints team. Sam Powell might inch into a conversation about backing up Roby. The continued love affair with Isa is baffling while the likes of Partington, Morgan Smithies and Liam Byrne are only really noticeable when they are trying to start a fight with their tedious ‘passhun’. If Bateman is switched to the centres then one or two more of this young group of ne’er-do-wells might get an opportunity for even more playing time. Which might be bad news for the heads and ACLs of the men in the red vee but in terms of the result of the match I’m feeling very happy about the prospect.  

We’re going to find something out about these teams this weekend. In losing to Toulouse Saints have already shown that they are far from infallible. Meanwhile Wigan will want to make a statement that the optimism and excitement around them under Peet is justified. Despite Toulouse Saints still look to be the team to beat. It is highly doubtful - even with French and Field - that Wigan have enough weapons to do it.

Squads;

St Helens;

1. Jack Welsby 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. LMS, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 20. James Bell, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 26. Sam Royle, 27. Jon Bennison.

Wigan Warriors;

1. Bevan French 2. Jake Bibby 6. Cade Cust 7. Tommy Leuluai 8. Brad Singleton 9. Sam Powell 10. Patrick Mago 11. Willie Isa 12. Liam Farrell 13. John Bateman 14. Morgan Smithies 16. Harry Smith 17. Oliver Partington 19. Ethan Harvard 20. Liam Byrne 22. Joe Shorrocks 23. Jai Field 24. Abbas Miski 25. Sam Halsall 26. James McDonald 28. Brad O’Neill 

Referee: Liam Moore

Catalans Dragons 20 Saints 36 - Review

Saints made it through to a fourth Challenge Cup semi-final in five seasons with an impressive display at the home of the Catalans Dragons on Saturday (April 9).

A repeat of the 2021 Super League Grand Final was the draw that neither side really wanted but it was again Saints who came out on the right end of the scoreline. In many ways this was a much more dominant display than the one at Old Trafford in October. Saints ran in six tries to the Dragons four and were able to pull even further clear thanks to Tommy Makinson’s six goals from seven attempts.

The first of these opened the scoring with a Makinson penalty goal as the Dragons were caught offside just three minutes in. It was a lead that Kristian Woolf’s side would relinquish 13 minutes later as the outstanding Josh Drinkwater linked up with Sam Tomkins and Tyrone May to put Fouad Yaha over in the left hand corner. Tomkins could not add the extras which left the French side clinging to a slim advantage at 4-2.

The next 10 minutes was a period which swung the game irreversibly Saints way. The champions and Challenge Cup holders blitzed the Dragons with a dazzling spell of running rugby which yielded three tries virtually before Steve McNamara’s side had time to register what was happening. It was a real purple patch which evoked memories of the free-flowing style which many of us grew up on. If Saints can ally this kind of skill and speed to the ruthlessness and defensive solidity which have become hallmarks of Woolf’s tenure they are going to be very difficult to beat in league or cup.

The first blow in this decisive period was struck by Jack Welsby on 20 minutes. The fullback found Will Hopoate in space on the right flank and was on hand to take the return pass from the ex-Canterbury Bulldog to score under the posts. Makinson’s second goal of the day put Saints back in front at 8-4. This time was a lead they would not surrender.

Barely three minutes later Welsby was involved again in what was arguably an even more dazzling score. The move began with Alex Walmsley, who punched a big hole in the Dragons defence to allow Jonny Lomax quick ball with which to find Curtis Sironen. The Australian’s Saintly offload inside to Welsby had the Dragons defence in tatters, before the fullback moved the ball inside to Lewis Dodd. Dodd stepped beautifully inside the last defender for a score that was highly complex but which looked ridiculously easy. It was Dodd’s 13th try for Saints on his 33rd appearance and showed exactly why there has been a buzz about his potential since he was running around for the reserves awaiting a first team chance. Another Makinson goal gave Saints clear breathing space at 14-4. 

Having missed Saints last three games Walmsley again showed his value with his powerful runs, punishing defence and quiet pack leadership. Meanwhile Sironen continues to be a somewhat schizophrenic presence. His offloading game is one that fits perfectly with the finest traditions of the club. Yet he proved when getting himself sin-binned for what the disciplinary deemed a careless tackle on Benjamin Garcia that there is a darker side to his game, one probably more born of a lack of subtlety and clear thinking than of outright malice. The former Manly man has already missed the win at Hull KR in March through suspension and dodged another when a further charge resulted in a zero game penalty notice, the disciplinary’s way of telling players not to do that again. Unfortunately Sironen did not heed the warning and was not only yellow carded for the challenge but will also now miss the Good Friday derby with Wigan.

A few moments before Sironen’s untimely exit Saints hit Catalan with another telling blow. James Roby and Lomax combined to put Mark Percival in space on his favoured left channel and he charged through the flimsy turnstile defending of Joe Chan and Arthur Romano. It was Percival’s sixth try of the season in all competitions and the 105th of his Saints career since his debut nine years ago. Hard to believe that a man still a couple of weeks short of his 28th birthday is rapidly approaching eligibility for a testimonial. He must have thought Chan and Romano had already entered into the testimonial spirit such was the lack of conviction in their attempts to halt him. Another successful Makinson conversion put Saints firmly in command at 20-4.

As Sironen was trudging off following his indiscretion so too was Catalans talisman and Man Of Steel Tomkins. Clearly the ex-Wigan man is a huge loss and if McNamara wants to look for excuses he could point to Tomkins’ absence as mitigation for his side’s failure to really get back in the game. Tomkins would not be ruled out of the game for another 15 minutes of playing time, during which the Dragons’ medical staff optimistically tried to prod and massage his ageing body back into some kind of serviceable condition. That they could not do so offered an opportunity to Arthur Mourgue, who is one of the more exciting young players in Super League right now. It was Mourgue’s first game of the year after a couple of months out with injury but whatever the Dragons lost in terms of Tomkins’ nous and experience they lost nothing in terms of flair and imagination. 

Just a minute after being reduced to 12 men Saints conceded. Playing a man light is some mitigation but the ease with which Gil Dudson powered over from close range from Micky McIlorum’s short ball was still fairly startling given the tightness of Saints’ defence so far in 2022. Mourgue’s conversion reduced the arrears to 20-10. Had Yaha not dropped Mourgue’s incisive pass with the line seemingly wide open a few minutes before the break the Dragons could have really exerted some scoreboard pressure. It was as close as McNamara’s men would get, and always looked like being a pivotal moment which would cost the Dragons any chance they had of hauling themselves back into the game.

That point was hammered home four minutes into the second a half. A good break by Batchelor led to Percival being hauled down just short of the line. From there Morgan Knowles plundered a try from dummy half that was as easy as the one Dudson had scored earlier. As Makinson goaled to push Saints’ advantage out to 26-10 the news came through that Tomkins would not be returning. This is not a Saints side given to losing 16-point advantages despite the outlier of what happened to them against the same opponents at Newcastle in September. If you are trying to overturn that kind of deficit without your talisman the task becomes nigh on impossible.

Perhaps if Percival had been sat down for 10 minutes by referee Chris Kendall for a very iffy looking high shot on Romano that Catalans may have been offered some hope. It was the sort of challenge which would have earned Percival a rest in the early weeks of the season but which is now deemed perfectly acceptable once more. The Dragons did score next however, Yaha with nothing more than an act of defiance as he took a great pass by Drinkwater to go over for his second score of the afternoon. Another Mourgue conversion later the gap was back to 10 points at 26-16.

The Dragons had a hand in the score which pretty much left them warming up old cliches about concentrating on the league. Just three minutes after Yaha’s score the Dragons coughed up possession in their own half, compounding the error with the concession of a set restart. That position allowed Dan Norman to go over from short range after Sam Kasiano was guilty of an absurd over read of Joey Lussick’s intentions. The former Salford and Parramatta man is no doubt capable of the sort of looping long ball which Kasiano appeared to be expecting but instead kept it simple with a short pass which presented Norman with his third try in his last four appearances. Makinson’s fifth conversion of the day gave Saints a healthy looking 32-16 advantage going into the final quarter. 

With Sironen out and Sione Mata’utia still injured Joe Batchelor will be a key figure for Saints when Wigan come to town at Easter. He showed his increasing quality again with the final Saints try of the game, charging through some questionable, perhaps tired defending before executing a clinical and quite improbable grounding. It was only his second try of the season and only his fifth in 38 appearances in the red vee. Yet it is the unseen things which make Batchelor a vital cog in this machine. You’d have to think he will be the first name on the team sheet for the Wigan game given the absences in that second row position. It is for Woolf to decide who partners Batchelor in that area. He could move Knowles from his 13 spot and fill that with Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook or James Bell. Alternatively, Jake Wingfield could be available again after a head knock ruled him out of this one, while Sam Royle has not let anybody down in his burgeoning career and could be offered a chance in the biggest game of the season outside of knockout football. Makinson’s sixth and final goal of the day pushed Saints out to a 36-16 lead. 

The scoreline could have had some real gloss on it if Sironen’s try-scoring effort had not been preceded by a knock-on by Walmsley in the build-up. As it was the Dragons made the final impression on the scoreboard when Tom Davies went over late on. Again Drinkwater was involved, moving the ball out to the right for the ex-Wigan man to touch down in the corner. Mourgue could not convert but by then the argument was already over. Saints had come through what always looked a difficult away draw and advanced to the last four again.

On the subject of tricky draws, the Super League threepeaters will now face Wigan in that semi-final on the neutral territory of Leeds United’s Elland Road on May 7. With either Huddersfield or Hull KR awaiting in the final at Tottenham three weeks later you can expect the winner of the Saints-Wigan semi-final to be installed as a big favourite to claim the trophy. Not that it needs it but Friday afternoon’s league meeting between the two local rivals now arguably has another dimension to it.  For Saints an opportunity to demonstrate the superiority which most observers suspect they still have not only over Wigan but over the rest of the competition. For Wigan a chance to show that they are for real and can beat last year’s double winners. 

I’ll believe them when I see it.

Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Davies, Romano, May, Yaha, Pearce, Drinkwater, Dudson, McIlorum, Napa, McMeeken, Garcia, Julien. Interchanges: Mourgue, Dezaria, Chan, Kasiano

St Helens: Welsby, Hopoate, Hurrell, Percival, Makinson, Lomax, Dodd, Walsmsley, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles. Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Norman

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Catalans Dragons v Saints - Challenge Cup Preview

The Challenge Cup moves back into the spotlight this weekend as Saints visit Catalans Dragons in a quarter final tie on Saturday afternoon (April 9, kick-off 2.30pm).

The match-up is a repeat of last season’s Super League Grand Final, when Saints secured a 12-10 win over the French outfit who had earlier pipped Saints to the League Leaders Shield. The victory at Old Trafford gave Saints a third Super League title in a row and a ninth since the switch to summer and the launch of Super League in 1996. 

Saints have made a solid start to their bid for a fourth consecutive Grand Final win, topping the table with six wins from their first seven games. The only blip so far was the jarring 22-20 loss at bottom club Toulouse on March 19. The champions will be looking for better things on their return to France although the Dragons have also made a promising start to the league campaign. Defeat to Huddersfield last week was only the second suffered by Steve McNamara’s side in their first seven league outings. The other came at Saints on the opening night.

Saints coach Kristian Woolf has made three changes to his 21-man squad following last week’s 26-0 win over Leeds Rhinos at Headingley. Will Hopoate comes back into the fold at the expense of Josh Simm. Hopoate has only managed three appearances for the club since joining from Canterbury Bulldogs at the start of 2022, and has not featured since the 28-2 win over Warrington on March 11. He will hope to get the nod to start somewhere in a three-quarter line that is still missing Regan Grace with a hamstring injury. In all likelihood Hopoate will start on the wing ahead of Jon Bennison despite the youngster impressing in the win over the Rhinos. 

That would leave Konrad Hurrell to continue to partner Mark Percival in the centres with the remaining wing spot held down by Tommy Makinson. The England winger is currently Super League’s joint top scorer with 10, including two at Headingley last time out. Salford’s Ken Sio is the only other Super League player who can match that tally over the first seven rounds. 

The front row may have a more familiar feel to it this week. Matty Lees has not played since the defeat in Toulouse but returns to the squad for this one. Of even greater significance will be the presence of Alex Walmsley should he be ready after missing the last three games with a hamstring problem. Saints are a side transformed with Walmsley on deck. The ex-Batley man will celebrate his 32nd birthday the day after this tie but few would dispute that he is still the premier front rower in Super League. 

Between Lees and Walmsley at hooker James Roby will play game number 501 of an illustrious career which has already seen him collect four Challenge Cup winners medals. That is some achievement when you consider that Saints went 13 years without winning the game’s oldest trophy before defeating Castleford Tigers in last season’s final. Joey Lussick is the alternative to Roby while behind the starting props Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Agnatius Paasi should resume their impact roles off the bench. Kyle Amor is not included while Jake Wingfield misses out due to concussion protocols. Dan Norman has been quietly establishing himself over recent weeks and will hope to build on that here.

The absence of Wingfield and the still sidelined Sione Mata’utia means a return to the squad for the lesser spotted James Bell. Bell showed some good touches in a pre-season friendly with his former club Leigh Centurions but has so far been unable to make an impact at Saints. He has yet to feature for his new club in a competitive match. He will do well to take too much playing time off the vital cog in the machine that is Morgan Knowles at loose forward, but his inclusion in the initial squad is at least a sign of progress.

Without Mata’utia we should see Curtis Sironen partner Joe Batchelor in the second row. Sironen was found guilty of a Grade A charge following the trip to Leeds but has been cleared to play. The authorities’ loss of nerve over the clampdown on foul play has worked in Saints favour here. Otherwise Sam Royle may have sniffed an opportunity to start after featuring in the last two. He may still earn a place on the bench. That will depend on whether Woolf wants three props on the bench or is happy to go with two. One of the number nines - be it Roby or Lussick - seems a lock in for one of the bench spots. 

All of which wild selection speculation is in stark contrast to the creative spine where there seems little debate about who should get the nod. Jack Welsby should continue at fullback and the halfback pairing of Jonny Lomax and Lewis Dodd seems settled now also. An injury in one of those positions is perhaps the only circumstance where you might worry about Saints having adequate cover. 

Amid the Dragons’ defeat at Huddersfield last week was an amusing spat between the two head coaches over the French side’s travel arrangements. The kick-off at the John Smith’s Stadium was delayed by 35 minutes after high winds forced the Dragons to divert to Toulouse before boarding their flight. Giants coach Ian Watson claimed that the delay was overly generous to Catalans and was critical of their decision to travel on the day of the game. Meanwhile McNamara was unimpressed and hit back by suggesting that Watson’s comments were ‘disgraceful’ and that it was a ‘freak of nature’ which had disrupted their travel plans.

Huddersfield laughed last, winning 28-12. The Dragons will have to pick themselves up from that disappointment. Boosting their hopes of doing just that is the fact that McNamara can welcome several key figures back into his 21. The exciting Arthur Mourgue features for the first time this season following an ankle injury, while both Mitchell Pearce and Jordan Dezaria return from suspension. Micky McIlorum and Benjamin Julien are also restored. On the other side of the ledger McNamara is still without Samisoni Langi, Alrix Da Costa, Dean Whare and Julian Bousquet. 

Despite those losses there is still plenty of quality in this Dragons side. Dylan Napa was dismissed in that opening night loss at St Helens and is sure to be keen to put that right, while Tyrone May is another with significant NRL experience. Sam Tomkins is the reigning Steve Prescott Man Of Steel, while his ex-Wigan colleague Tom Davies is a genuine contender for England selection on the wing at this autumn’s World Cup. On the other flank Fouad Yaha is powerful and prolific if a little accident prone.  

In the forwards Matt Whitley and Mike McMeeken are arguably as good as any second row pairing in Super League. Joe Chan has been linked with a move to the NRL this week and Benjamin Garcia adds further quality. Sam Kasiano is probably best described as hot and cold, but if he’s hot he could give a slightly under cooked Saints front row all they can handle.

Saints won convincingly in that last meeting but if you go back to the two meetings prior to that these two sides look well matched. Saints always looked like winning at Old Trafford but such was Catalans’ spirit that Woolf’s men ultimately only just edged it. Few will forget the clash at Newcastle on Magic Weekend when Saints threw away a commanding lead in the last five minutes to lose by a point 31–30. In many ways that experience could have served Saints well. Never again will they assume that a job has been done on the Dragons until they hear the final hooter sound.

Catalans fans may point out that Saints do not have a great record in Perpignan. Their last win there came back in 2018 but that was a season when Saints made two trips to the home of the Dragons and came away with wins on both occasions. This could be a close one. It was not the draw that either side would have chosen. Saints have not dazzled in possession this year so far but I’m expecting their suffocating defence - which has allowed an average of only just over seven points a game in 2022 - to just about get them over the line and into the last four.

Squads;

Catalans Dragons;

1. Arthur Morgue 2. Tom Davies 5. Fouad Yaha 6. Mitchell Pearce 7. Josh Drinkwater 8. Gil Dudson 9. Micky McILorum 11. Matt Whitley 12. Mike McMeeken 13. Benjamin Garcia 15. Benjamin Julien 16. Paul Seguier 17. Mickael Goudemand 18. Matthieu Laguerre 19. Arthur Romano 20. Tyrone May 22. Dylan Napa 23. Jordan Dezaria 27. Joe Chan 28. Sam Kasiano 29. Sam Tomkins

Saints;

1. Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. LMS, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 20. James Bell, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 26. Sam Royle, 27. Jon Bennison.

Referee:  Chris Kendall

Leeds Rhinos 0 Saints 26 - Review

Despite all the talk of what might have been it’s as you were in Super League after Saints thrashed Leeds 26-0 at Headingley on Friday night (April 1). Saints are still top of the pile while the Rhinos remain in crisis despite the unfailing optimism of interim coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan in his post game interview. 

Before kick-off there were nagging doubts about Saints from some quarters. Their last league outing had ended in a shock defeat to the league’s bottom club Toulouse, a setback which was followed by a routine Challenge Cup win at Whitehaven which didn’t really reveal a huge amount about where Kristian Woolf’s side were in terms of form. 

Heartening Leeds further before kick-off was the fact that Saints went into this one without several key players. Already set to be without Will Hopoate, Regan Grace, Matty Lees and Sione Mata’utia when the squads were announced 48 hours before kick-off, Saints were dealt a further blow when Woolf decided not to risk Alex Walmsley. That left the champions without both regular starting props, elevating impact players Agnatius Paasi and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to starting roles. They were backed up only by Dan Norman, Jake Wingfield and Sam Royle off the bench with no place even for Kyle Amor in the match day 17.

Woolf had another selection surprise in store when he named Jon Bennison in Grace’s left wing position. Grace has been absent for all but the trip to Whitehaven so far in 2022 but it has been Josh Simm who has so far been preferred as Tommy Makinson’s wing partner. Yet it was Bennison who was handed only his second start for the club, the first having been in a 26-14 defeat at Salford last September which arguably cost Saints a shot at the League Leaders Shield in 2021.

Leeds had a few key figures of their own missing. David Fusitu’a, Harry Newman, Ritchie Myler, Brad Dwyer and Alex Mellor had long since been ruled out while a groin injury prevented Aidan Sezer from taking his regular halfback slot. That meant Liam Sutcliffe partnered Blake Austin in the halves while Liam Tindall, Cameron Smith and Jack Broadbent all started. Nevertheless there seemed a feeling that the list of absentees on both sides would have a greater effect on Saints than it would on Leeds. That was something of a miscalculation as it turned out.

We can’t get into the minutiae of what unfolded in this one without first paying tribute to James Roby. The Saints captain became only the fourth man to make 500 appearances for the club. Roby is in his 19th - and he says final - season after making his senior debut against Widnes all the way back in March 2004. A time when not only were Widnes an actual Super League club but Wayne Rooney was an 18 year-old phenomenon lighting up the European Championships, Brad Pitt was starring as Achilles in an epic retelling of the Iliad and Franz Ferdinand were A Thing. 

Since then Roby has picked up five Super League titles and four Challenge Cup winners medals. He has scored 114 tries and 459 points for his hometown club, of which he has been captain since 2018. He has made 31 appearances for England and seven for Great Britain. Throughout his career Roby has been among the very best in the world at the number nine position and would surely still be in contention to feature in this autumn’s World Cup had he not announced his retirement from the international scene last year. Roby is a player who can do it all in both attack and defence, a man with great humility who has led by example long before he was given the armband by Justin Holbrook. He is still performing as well as any hooker running around Super League in 2022. There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe him and the contribution he has made and continues to make.

Roby deserves every accolade that comes his way, so it would be churlish of me to dwell too long on the out and out revisionism that is currently being applied to the career of Keiron Cunningham. To listen to some fans on the great Roby-Cunningham debate you would think the latter had enjoyed a couple of decent seasons before fading into obscurity. These are the same people who voted for Cunningham ahead of any other Saint in history to be the one recreated in bronze outside the stadium. Perhaps that vote and the current insistence on Roby’s goathood are symptomatic of the modern obsession that everything that is happening in sport now must be the best that it has ever been. Whichever side of the fence you sit the two deserve a place beside each other in the pantheon of all-time greats of not only Saints but of rugby league and even sport itself.

To the match then, and if Leeds were feeling optimistic ahead of this one that would have been reinforced when they had the first clear opportunity to score. It seemed like Saints might create something with good ball deep in Rhinos territory but a Jack Welsby pass missed it’s mark and almost found itself in the hands of Ash Handley on the Leeds wing. Handley had two or three more similar opportunities throughout the game, none of which stuck. Yet it is a telling and rather sad indictment of how the Rhinos performed with ball in hand that a Handley intercept always looked their most likely way of breaching a typically miserly Saints defence.

Moments after Handley’s first near miss Saints took the lead. Roby was at the centre of it, taking possession from a Saints scrum and feeding former Rhino Konrad Hurrell. The Tongan got on the outside of his defender and plunged over easily for his second try of the season and his first since the opening night win over Catalans Dragons on February 10. Makinson was unable to add the extras but - though they didn’t yet know it - Saints had already scored enough points to seal the win and return to the Super League summit.

Handley thought he’d secured his next opportunity to hit Saints on the counter but would have been dismayed to get half way down the field only to find that referee James Child had pulled play back for a Saints scrum because Broadbent had got a hand to Jonny Lomax’s pass and knocked it forward towards Handley. It was further evidence that despite not being unduly disturbed defensively, Saints were not quite firing in attack in the first 40 minutes. 

Lomax would settle into his attacking stride later. For now he was enduring a frustrating time not helped by the fact that the authorities have seemingly abandoned the recent crackdown on foul play. Twice he was caught high, first by Sutcliffe and then by former Saint James Bentley. Both would probably have resulted in yellow cards in the early weeks of the season. That a penalty was deemed sufficient in each case will please those who crave violence in the sport and who claim that ‘the game’s gone’ when that violence is punished. The rest of us are left to wonder whether those running the game are serious about protecting its future if they are prepared to shift under mild pressure from keyboard fans, not to mention old school neanderthal coaches rattling off misogynistic tropes about netball whenever his players transgress. 

The best way to respond to being roughed up is to post more points. This time it was Makinson going over for his ninth try of the season - his 10th would follow later and move him to the top of the league’s try scoring charts. The winger took Welsby’s pass and scooted over unopposed to double Saints lead to 8-0 with a quarter of the game played. Again Makinson failed with the conversion but goal-kicking was just about all he got wrong on the night. He reeled off 197 metres on 13 carries, a tally which was some 72 metres better than the next best Saint in this category, Curtis Sironen who had 125. Tellingly, Handley’s 120 was the best that any Leeds player could manage. Only Broadbent joined Handley in the 100+ club for the Rhinos, and just barely at 103.

Sironen had a mixed night. He was another who was fortunate that the clampdown on foul play has vanished into thin air after he caught James Donaldson high. The former Manly man has failed to hold down a regular starting slot in the early part of the season thanks to the form of Mata’utia and Joe Batchelor. He will continue to struggle to do that if he cannot clean up the errors from his game which were evident here. For all his effort and go-forward four errors is far too many to expect to be a regular starter in a side selected by the risk averse Woolf. 

Mata’utia is still a few weeks away from fitness so there should be other chances for Sironen to press his claims. Yet even if he cuts out the errors Sironen will still have to fight off the challenge not only of Mata’utia but of Batchelor, who has improved beyond measure over the last 12 months. Batchelor only gained 73 metres on 10 carries in this one but importantly he was error free and he contributed 38 tackles on a night when Saints dominated defensively. The only Saint who could top Batchelor’s tackle count was Roby. Naturally. The skipper chipped in with 40 defensive efforts - bettered only by Smith (52) and Kruise Leeming (41). But then Leeds spent a lot more time defending over the 80 minutes.

Eight points in the first half did not reflect Saints dominance but it did highlight their lack of attacking fluidity. Woolf is nothing if not a problem solver and that was in evidence in the second half.  Yet it was again Leeds who had the first opportunity as Bennison shelled Sutcliffe’s sky scraping kick to gift Leeds a full set deep in Saints territory. 

On only the first tackle of that set Saints swarmed around Tindall and forced him into touch. Just as well as they were protecting a slender lead, perhaps. On the other hand you get the feeling that the same outcome would have transpired if Saints had been leading by 30. A healthy desire to defend their try line is drilled into this Saints side, the result of which has been the concession of just 50 points in their seven Super League outings so far. That’s an average of just 7.14 points per game. Even when the attack doesn’t quite click you won’t lose many games if you are only giving up seven points per game. Unlocking Saints defence is a conundrum that the rest of the league are charged with solving. An out of sorts Leeds lacking their key playmaker was never going to find the solution.

The Rhinos thought they had come up with an answer 10 minutes into the second half, but Jack Walker’s try was rightly disallowed for an obstruction by Rhyse Martin. The moment that finally broke their resolve came a few minutes later and again it owed much to Saints defensive tenacity and Leeds’ current propensity for outright panic. Saints rushed up in defence to smother the Rhinos playmakers forcing Sutcliffe to throw an ill-advised flick pass out to the left wing. It was easily picked off by Makinson who streaked away to put real daylight between the sides. Breathing rather heavily from the exertion Makinson handed on the goal-kicking duties to Mark Percival. The centre converted to push the lead out to 14-0.

If Bennison was still thinking about his earlier mistake he needn’t have worried. Things were about to get an awful lot better for the youngster. Again Percival played a part, surging through a gap and putting Bennison away down the left touchline. Bennison kept his composure superbly to find Dodd on his inside. The young half crossed easily for his sixth try of the season. Percival’s second conversion turned the lights out on Leeds who now trailed 20-0.

Bennison was unfortunate not to find himself surging down the touchline again shortly after, Lomax’s wide ball adjudged to have gone forward by Child. Yet perhaps the moment which confirmed that Bennison has the potential to succeed arrived with 10 minutes left. Taking a Leeds bomb close to his own line he jinked away from a couple of would-be tacklers and set off on a 30 metre jaunt which allowed Saints to start their set on the half way line.  Bennison ended the night with 112 metres on 12 carries, a pair of clean breaks, just that one error which was arguably made up for by the try assist to Dodd. How long it will be before we see Bennison at this level again is unclear but his inclusion it is not something which should worry Saints fans on this evidence.

There was time for one more moment of magic to underline the difference in class between the sides. It was Lomax who provided it, noticing that Walker had moved up into the defensive line leaving space in behind. The Saints stand-off executed the perfect chip and chase to touch down and put the exclamation mark on the win. Another Percival conversion pushed the final score out to 26-0.

And so eventually - after an unconvincing start in attack - Saints proved that they can win and win well without Walmsley. Looking at those who filled in for him and for Lees there is a reasonable argument that there is adequate back up when needed. Very few props in the world could replace Walmsley without some sort of drop off, but Paasi’s 112 metres on 14 carries is a perfectly acceptable performance as are the 91 metres gained on 10 carries by McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Both were active defensively too, McCarthy-Scarsbrook weighing in with 25 tackles and Paasi adding 22. Not bad considering both had an increased work load in relation to what they are used to.

Beyond those two Norman also held his own and actually added more go forward than McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Norman racked up 105 metres on just nine carries and made 24 tackles. He may be disappointed that he could not cross for a try for what would have been a third consecutive game but he is starting to establish himself as a viable option in the prop rotation. Saints may need him to be given the current injury situation and the advancing years of McCarthy-Scarsbrook and the absent Amor. 

While Leeds continue to naval gaze following another drubbing Saints have reasserted themselves as the team to beat once more. They face what looks a tougher test next week when they go to Catalans Dragons in the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup (April 9), before returning home for the first derby meeting with Wigan on Good Friday (April 15). Woolf’s caution in leaving out Walmsley at Headingley has hopefully ensured that the ex-Batley man will be fit for those two vital games.

Saints last visit to France ended in ignominy, but there was enough in this performance to suggest that they won’t suffer the same fate when it really matters in Perpignan next week.

Teams;

Leeds Rhinos: Walker, Tindall, Briscoe, Broadbent, Handley, Austin, Sutcliffe, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Bentley, Martin, Smith. Subs: Gannon, Mustapha, O’Connor, Donaldson

Saints: Welsby, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Paasi, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles. Subs: Norman, Royle, Wingfield, Lussick

Referee: James Child

Leeds Rhinos v Saints - Preview

Well, hello again. It’s been a while. So long in fact that the first entry on these pages in 2022 focuses on Saints’ BetFred Super League Round 7 visit to Headingley to take on Leeds Rhinos.

These sides have had wildly contrasting starts to the season. Saints sit top of the early table having lost only one of their opening six league games. They are the competition’s leading points scorers with 176 at an average of 29.3 per game, while no team in the top flight have conceded fewer than the 50 given up so far by Kristian Woolf’s men (8.3 points per game). 

Compare that to the 10th placed Rhinos who have given up 141 points in their six outings so far at an average of 23.5 per game. Only Toulouse, Castleford and Salford have conceded more points so far this season. No Super League team has posted fewer than Leeds’ 90 points across the first six rounds. That’s just 15 points per game.

If the stats look bad for Leeds then perhaps their main hope can be found in the still significant absences in the Saints 21-man squad. The champions are still without Will Hopoate, Matty Lees and Sione Mata’utia through injury. Regan Grace made his first appearance of the season in last week’s 46-4 Challenge Cup win at Whitehaven but misses out again here after leaving the action early at the LEL Arena. All of which means that Sam Royle and Jon Bennison keep their places in the initial selection as does prop Dan Norman. The former London Bronco has waited an age for his first team opportunities since making the move north at the start of 2021 but has now scored tries in his last two outings. 

What will not encourage Leeds so much is the return of Alex Walmsley. The England international has not featured since a 28-2 win over Warrington on March 11 but looks set for a return in this one. That’s especially bad news for Leeds when you consider that the 31 year-old has averaged 229.5 metres in his last two appearances against the Rhinos. In the final game of the 2021 regular season Walmsley shredded Leeds for 275 metres. He followed that up with 184 when the teams met for a place at Old Trafford three weeks later. If he’s fully fit Walmsley is a certain starter leaving  Norman, Agnatius Paasi, Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to compete for the starting berth which ordinarily belongs to Lees.

Also set for a return having been rested last week is Morgan Knowles. It is no exaggeration to say that Saints are a different animal defensively with both Walmsley and Knowles on the field. Knowles should get the nod to start ahead of Jake Wingfield who deputised at Whitehaven. With Mata’utia out there may be another starting opportunity for former Manly Sea Eagle Curtis Sironen. The Australian former City Origin representative has managed only four appearances for his new club so far and will be hoping for a run in the side to help build some form. His omission so far has largely been down to the excellent strides made by Joe Batchelor. The former York man has nailed down a regular starting spot this year after initially struggling to establish himself. Sironen has it all on to keep hold of a starting shirt at Batchelor’s expense when the previously in-form Mata’utia returns to fitness.

Which brings us to the hooking role. We’re all set for a special occasion for a very special number nine. James Roby looks certain to make his 500th appearance for the club whether that is from the start or from the bench behind Joey Lussick. Only three other Saints have reached that milestone. Kel Coslett (531), Eric Chisnall (523) and Billy Benyon (514) are the men ahead of Roby on Saints all-time appearance list. He could still surpass one or two of them by the end of what is expected to be his final season in the red vee. 

Full disclosure - I’ve always been Team Cunningham in the great debate between Saints two all-time great hookers. Cunningham was an absolute freak of a player in his youth who seemed impossible to tackle with his speed off the mark and his powerful high knee lift running style. I’d argue that he played against better teams too, with the salary cap having by now spread talent around the league and so driven down standards among the very best teams. But that is not to take anything away from the brilliance of Roby who - like Cunningham - can do it all offensively and defensively, has an inexhaustible energy and is a fine leader and tactician. Roby deserves all the accolades and plaudits that will come his way when he retires - even his own statue. For now he remains a key piece of the Saints puzzle and will be fresh having only played a short cameo at Whitehaven last weekend.

Without Hopoate and Grace the back line should have a similar look to it as it had prior to Grace’s brief return last week. Josh Simm should come back into the right wing spot from where he has scored four tries already this season. On the opposite side will be the now veteran Tommy Makinson. His switch to Saints’ busier attacking flank has helped him notch eight tries of his own this term. Yet even when he is not scoring tries Makinson’s qualities as a kick returner, metre-maker, defender and all around inspiration need no further elaboration. 

Mark Percival might have expected to be partnered in the centres more regularly by Hopoate but the Tongan’s struggles with fitness have offered former Rhino Konrad Hurrell the chance to show that he can still do it in the three-quarters. Hurrell appears to have a renewed enthusiasm for his rugby under his national coach. That has helped turn Simm into a winger and has meant that Saints haven’t felt the blow of losing Hopoate for so many games too harshly. I will again put my cards on the table and admit to being riddled with scepticism when Woolf brought Hurrell over from Headingley but to this point the former Gold Coast Titan is proving his worth.  

In the creative department Jack Welsby is settling into Lachlan Coote’s old fullback role, while Jonny Lomax and Lewis Dodd are establishing a great halfback partnership which justifies the decision to allow Theo Fages to join Huddersfield more with each passing week. 

This column priding itself on at least the appearance of balance we need to talk about Leeds. At the start of the season during the 13 Pro-Am season preview shows I was repeatedly firm in my conviction that Leeds would be much better this year and that they should be competing for at least a top four spot. I still look at their squad and wonder why it is not happening for them. The biggest disappointment for them has to be the performance of their new halfback combination of Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer. The two were once deemed good enough to form an NRL partnership with Canberra Raiders so should really be lording it over most of the opposition in Super League. Yet though he starred for Huddersfield when fit Sezer in particular has flitted between flustered, inept and disinterested so far in a Rhinos shirt. Meanwhile Austin’s Powers appear to be waning. Perhaps Daryl Powell does know something about this game after all. 

It has all added up to a miserable season so far for Leeds, culminating in a solitary win over Wakefield Trinity and the mutual consenting of coach Richard Agar through the exit door. Pseudo psychologist Jamie Jones-Buchanan is in interim charge at present while Gary Hetherington combs Australia for the right man to take the club forward. If he finds him then all is not lost. It is still early enough in the season for a squad containing the likes of Jack Walker, Harry Newman, Ash Handley, Mikolaj Oledzki, Matt Prior, Kruise Leeming, James Bentley and Zane Tetevano to clamber back into playoff contention. But the turnaround needs to happen soon. A visit from the champions of the last three seasons must be about as welcome as Chris Rock at the Alopecia Society. 

For now Jones-Buchanan still has his share of injuries and absentees to worry about. Brad Dwyer picked up a ban after he was sin-binned for tripping in last week’s Challenge Cup hammering by Castleford, while Tetevano will serve the last of his two-match suspension here also. Newman, Ritchie Myler and Tom Holroyd are all still missing as well as winger David Fusitu’a. His return has been delayed for a few more weeks by minor surgery on his knee. 

So is there enough quality available to the Rhinos to see them challenge Saints? Handley is the real deal on the wing and is set to make his 150th appearance for the club. The front row is solid in the form of Oledzki, Prior and Leeming although not having Dwyer available to inject into the action at the opportune moment could lessen Leeds’ threat from dummy half. James Bentley’s main challenge will be to keep his marbles in place against his former team-mates long enough to stay on the field. Rhyse Martin is a dependable presence in the back row and an excellent goal-kicker.

Yet it all still seems to come back to that faltering halfback partnership. Can it click into gear against the best side in the competition, with key pieces around it still missing and with morale about as low as it can go? You’d have to say probably not, which is why I expect Saints to run out comfortable winners, Leeds are probably in a false position which I expect to improve if Hetherington gets his coach finding mission right. Saints on the other hand are not in a false position. They will get home by at least 18.

Squads;  

Leeds Rhinos;

1 Jack Walker 4 Liam Sutcliffe 5 Ash Handley 6 Blake Austin 7 Aidan Sezer 8 Mikolaj Oledzki 9 Kruise Leeming 10 Matt Prior 11 James Bentley 12 Rhyse Martin 15 Alex Mellor 17 Cameron Smith 19 Bodene Thompson 20 Tom Briscoe 21 Morgan Gannon 23 Jack 24 Jarrod O’Connor 25 James Donaldson 27 Muizz Mustapha 28 Max Simpson 29 Liam Tindall

St Helens;

1, Jack Welsby, 2, Tommy Makinson, 4. Mark Percival, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. LMS, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 18. Kyle Amor, 19. Jake Wingfield, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 26. Sam Royle, 27. Jon Bennison.

Referee:  James Child

This Week In League - November 24

Unless you’re very old like me you won’t remember ever seeing live rugby league on terrestrial, free-to-air television. I have very fuzzy memories of Clive Tyldesley commentating on Saturday afternoon games broadcast regionally. Tyldesley went on to be a top football commentator for both BBC and ITV. Meanwhile television coverage of rugby league - although far more ubiquitous in these times of multi-channel digital and satellite systems - has now regressed to the point where it falls on Terry O’Connor to describe the action. 

Like just about every no-talent sixth-former with access to YouTube, rugby league is absolutely desperate for exposure. As much as O’Connor tries, even he can’t persuade the entire nation to part with enough of their hard earned to acquire a subscription to Sky Sports. Great swathes of the nation have been missing out on the greatest game these last 25 years. That’s partly because even Tanya Arnold couldn’t tell you what time The Super League Show will be broadcast by the BBC on any given week, but also because the live action has been behind a paywall. 

Finally, this is being addressed for the coming season. Super League today announced a two-year deal for Channel 4 to screen live matches. They will show 10 in 2022 including two end of season playoff games. It will all kick-off on Saturday February 12 when Leeds Rhinos host Warrington Wolves at the sponsors vacuum that is Headingley;

“The opportunity to offer live Super League action to fans on a free-to-air platform across the whole season is fantastic and one that we hope will continue to serve our current fans, as well as attract many new fans to the sport.” Said Super League Chairman (for now) Ken Davy. 

I’d like to end this section with a pithy put-down of the geriatric Tory. But on this I can’t fault him. Bravo Ken. Good job. You Tory f**k!

To France now where Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara has delved into the contact book     as he continues his Dick Dastardly-like pursuit of those pesky Saints. The headphone-wearing motivational speaker has called on a friend from his time as the Sydney Roosters assistant coach in the shape of prop-forward Dylan Napa. The 29 year-old has played State Of Origin for Queensland as recently as 2019, but has rather less impressively spent the last three seasons with the NRL’s whipping boys the Canterbury Bulldogs;

“I'm very excited for the opportunity.” Napa said, though it is not clear whether he was talking about joining Catalans or getting away from Canterbury;

“I have a great relationship with Steve McNamara from my time at the Roosters and can't wait to get over to France, put in the work and earn respect from my team-mates and coaching staff.” He added;

“Having worked closely with Dylan at the Roosters, I know first-hand the impact he can have in this competition.” Reckoned McNamara;

“I spoke many times with him throughout the negotiations and his will, desire and enthusiasm to get back to his best form was overwhelming.”

Touching 30, suffering from a dip in form, a slightly dodgy personal history involving leaked videos and revenge porn? Can’ say he doesn’t fit the profile for a Dragons overseas recruit.

There’s a vacancy in the Dragons prop group partly due to the departure of everyone’s second favourite Tomkins brother. Former Wigan, Hull KR and England kick & clap merchant Joel had been due to sign for Leigh Centurions. However, the female bar staff of Leigh can breathe a collective sigh of relief now that Tomkins has instead decided to retire;

“I thank Leigh for their understanding of my situation.” He began;

“I wish them every success for the future. I wanted to do the right thing by the club, and they respect that.”

Another largely forgotten ex-Wiganer - Leigh Head Of Rugby Chris Chester - put aside his annoyance at having to spend more time thinking about recruitment to comment;

“Joel's had a great, great career and he's a person I've a huge amount of respect for. He always comes across as humble and we'll miss his leadership which was one of the biggest reasons we recruited him.”

Over at Chester’s old club Wakefield there have been moves made to shed any suggestion of a negative attitude to diversity which may have arisen from their players’ very public aversion to taking the knee. Chairman Michael Carter enabled that stance, but has nevertheless led Trinity to becoming the first Super League club to sign the Muslim Athlete Charter;

“I am delighted to launch this charter with a commitment to becoming a more socially diverse and inclusive club” parped Carter, to the consternation of those blurts on Twitter who think being nice to people is ‘woke’:

“I want people of the Muslim faith to feel that they can become a part of Wakefield Trinity.” He continued. 

“Whether that is as a player, coach, staff member or fan, and (I) look forward to working progressively together on this charter.”

And on that note, having seen both Davy and Carter engaging in initiatives which I whole-heartedly support, I’m going for a lie down in a dark room. See you next week.