PREVIEW: engage Super League round 23 SAINTS versus WIGAN

This week’s Friday night football sees the in-form and resurgent Wigan Warriors travel to league leading St Helens. The Warriors will be eager to add the Saints’ scalp to that of second-placed Leeds Rhinos, which they took in impressive style last Friday night.    

I left that game impressed with a number of Warrior performances. Yes, Sam Tomkins is living up to the hype, he’s a star in the making, the second coming of Sean Edwards. And yes Andy Coley looks to have finally grown into the role of Wigan prop. But it was fullback, Cameron Phelps, who impressed me most. Perhaps I’ve just overlooked his contributions hitherto, but he looked rock solid in the role and chimed into the attack well.

The Saints are looking vulnerable and inconsistent at the moment. Dreadful at Salford. A good win over Warrington a poor performance at home to Wakefield and a high-scoring win in London. Which of those schizophrenic Saints sides turns up on Friday night will likely determine the outcome of the game, because the home side will need to be at their very best to better their deadly rivals.

The Warriors’ last win at St Helens was almost six years ago now (28-4 on 5 September 2003) although they did earn a 21-21 draw the following year before hitting a five game losing skid and then squeaking another, 16-16 last September. Amongst those losses was an unforgettable club record 75-0 loss of course (RL Challenge Cup tie in 2005).

TEAM NEWS

Early team news looks good for the Saints with talismanic fullback, Paul Wellens, likely back in action after recovering from a broken hand sustained in an unspecified incident on the weekend of the 17th July. Originally scheduled to be out for four weeks, Wellens return will boost home confidence as will the return of winger, Ade Gardner (illness).

But the Saints lengthy injury list underlines their vulnerability in this contest, it includes senior players Sean Long, Jason Cayless, Maurie Fa’asavalu, Bryn Hargreaves and James Roby, plus squad players Gareth Wheeler and Jonny Lomax.

Wigan’s Australian second rower and stand-in skipper, Phil Bailey, faces a race to prove he’s recovered from the dead-leg suffered in the victory over Bradord on July 19. Bailey missed last week’s victory over Super League leaders Leeds and, despite being named in Brian Noble’s 19-man squad, remains a doubt.

19-man squads:

MILESTONES:

• LEE GILMOUR (Saints) needs one try for a career century of touchdowns in club and representative matches ( 24 for Wigan, 22 Bradford Bulls, 51 St Helens and two in representative games).
• PAT RICHARDS of Wigan Warriors needs five points for a career total of 1,000 for the club. The Australian’s 995 poiYnts consist of 69 tries and 361 goals, including three drop goals.