Saints kick off Super League title defence against Castleford Tigers

St Helens come to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle fresh off beating NRL Premiers Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge, but will they carry on the success or will Castleford pounce and record a famous win?

The Saints’ time down under showed their true quality, outclassing a young St George Illawarra Dragons in their first game in Australia, and then taking favourites Penrith Panthers to golden point before Lewis Dodd knocked over the decisive drop-goal to win the World Club Challenge.

They are coming into the regular Super League season in great form and will relish the chance to start on a high at Castleford this weekend.

One big problem they face is the hangover from their travels. Not only did the Saints face a 55-hour journey back to the UK, but going down to Australia for a World Club Challenge takes a huge amount out of any team. In 2018, Leeds Rhinos showed the effects a World Club Challenge can have on a squad.

A year after their Super League Grand Final win, the Blue and Amber were in a relegation fight. These factors could play a big role in their performance this weekend, and it is vital that St Helens get their Super League defence off to a big start this weekend if they are to fully get the whole excursion out of their system.

Castleford will be looking to correct the wrongs from last week, after they started their campaign with a 32-30 loss to Hull FC. This game was very mixed for Castleford; they looked all over the shop in the first-half. Hull FC were able to tear them apart and get the ball out wide quickly.

The second-half was much better for Lee Radford’s men, the combinations were clicking and they looked much better, but it wasn’t enough to return to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle with the two points. They will take plenty of positives from that second-half performance, but will need to carry these over into a full 80 minute display if they are to get a famous victory against Saints.

In team news; Paul Wellens has named his strongest possible 21-man squad ahead of his first game in charge of St Helens, despite the difficult journey back home. The mercurial full-back Jack Welsby is named in the team and prop Alex Walmsley is in line to make his 250^th appearance for the club.

However there are some notable absentees. Star winger Tommy Makinson will miss the game after he picked up a head knock against Penrith, meaning new signing Tee Ritson could come in on the wing and cause real damage out wide. The injury list also includes Will Hopoate, Agnatius Paasialso and club legend James Roby, who all picked up knocks in Australia.

Lee Radford has selected a virtually unchanged 21-man squad from last week’s defeat in East Yorkshire, including the likes of Joe Westerman, Jacob Miller and Greg Eden, who returns to the match-day squad in place of Suaia Matagi.

Castleford 21-man squad:

1. Niall Evalds, 2. Greg Eden, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Mahe Fonua, 5. Bureta Faraimo, 6. Gareth Widdop, 7. Jacob Miller, 8. George Lawler, 9. Paul McShane, 10. George Griffin, 11. Kenny Edwards, 12. Alex Mellor, 13. Joe Westerman, 14. Nathan Massey, 16. Adam Milner, 17. Jack Broadbent, 19. Albert Vete, 20. Muizz Mustapha 21. Jake Mamo, 24. Cain Robb, 32. Liam Watts

St Helens 21-man squad:

1. Jack Welsby, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Jonathan Bennison, 6. Jonny Lomax, 7. Lewis Dodd, 8. Alex Walmsley, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16. Curtis Sironen, 18. Jake Wingfield, 19. James Bell, 20. Dan Norman, 21. Ben Davies, 22. Sam Royle, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Lewis Baxter, 25. Tee Ritson, 30. George Delaney

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