St Helens v Catalans Dragons: Three key battles in Super 8s clash

By Tom Mordey | Twitter: @TomMordey |

Image: Jordan Turner is tackled by Krisnan Inu during St Helens' home loss to Catalans on April 14

What a game we have in store on Sky Sports on Friday night as St Helens and Catalans Dragons battle it out for that all-important fourth spot in the table.

A win for the French side at Langtree Park would see them jump above Saints because of their superior points difference.

St Helens are on a six-game winning streak but their last defeat was against the Dragons in Perpignan on June 11. Which way will this go? Here are three key head to heads:

Jordan Turner v Todd Carney

Image: Catalans hope Todd Carney can stay injury free for the remainder of the season

The battle between the two half-back pairings could go a long way to deciding the outcome.

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One man who has hit top form in St Helens' recent run is Jordan Turner. He may have announced a recent move to Canberra but on this evidence he seems determined to go out with another Grand Final winners ring on his finger.

Keiron Cunningham has moved Turner into the stand-off role for the last six games and his side have won the lot.

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Turner himself has scored in four of those matches, including the match-clinching try against Warrington last week. He also provided two try assists in that win over the Wolves, making it seven for the season.

Jordan Turner v Todd Carney

27 Age 30
6 Tries 4
7 Try assists 17
6 Clean breaks 4
18 Attacking kicks 52
1 40-20s 2

Cunningham has praised Turner's impact in recent weeks, commenting on his partnership in the middle with both Luke Walsh and Jon Wilkin. And if they keep it up, St Helens could well be on their way to Old Trafford.

For Catalans, Todd Carney will need a big end to the season. He has only featured intermittently recently because of injury but returned for the two games against Widnes, and was reunited with Thomas Bosc in the halves in last week's victory.

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On his day, Carney is up there with Super League's best. He has provided 17 try assists this season, seven more than any other team-mate, putting in 52 attacking kicks as well as scoring four tries.

Carney's eye for a pass makes him so dangerous in attack and he could be the key to helping the Dragons into that fourth position. 

Adam Swift v Jodie Broughton

Jodie Broughton scored four tries in Catalans' 30-12 win at Langtree Park in April

Two English wingers are up against each other and both possess plenty of pace and an eye for a break.

Adam Swift has struck up a strong partnership for St Helens with his centre Mark Percival. Take Jonny Lomax's try just before half-time against Warrington. Good work from Percival sent Swift away and he put Lomax in for an important score.

Swift has also got an eye for the line himself. He is the joint-top scorer for the Saints with 10 tries, alongside Joe Greenwood. And he also tops the clean break charts, racking up 19 so far this season.

Swift has been making metres too, 1571m at an average gain of 8.68m, again the best average for anyone in the St Helens side.

Image: Adam Swift has scored 10 tries for Saints in 2016

With Tommy Makinson a long-term absentee, Swift needs to step up as the senior winger in the Saints side and keep up his standards.

The Dragons have an English flyer of their own on the wing. Jodie Broughton has had possibly the best season of his career so far.

The 28-year-old is the top try scorer in the Catalans ranks with 19, a figure that also puts him third in the Super League rankings behind only Denny Solomona and Corey Thompson.

Adam Swift v Jodie Broughton

23 Age 28
10 Tries 19
19 Clean breaks 21
45 Tackle busts 47
1571m Metres made 2183m
8.68m Average gain 8.7m

Broughton's 21 clean breaks is way out in front for the Dragons, eight more than the next best, Fouad Yaha. The winger is also third in the metres list, registering 2138m at an average of 8.70m.

If you want to see just how dangerous he is with ball-in-hand, have a look at his fine solo score against Widnes. St Helens will have to keep a close eye on him. 

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook v Glenn Stewart

Image: Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook likes to get in the face of the opposition

It is a battle between two big packs this week but who will get the upper hand to give their side a platform?

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook has ruffled a few feathers recently! He had an altercation with Warrington's Jack Hughes last week, while clashing with Wigan's wrecking ball Frank-Paul Nuuausala in the derby win the week before.

St Helens will need all the physicality they can get in the coming games. McCarthy-Scarsbrook put in a decent performance against Warrington and crossed for the opening score, collecting Jordan Turner's pass to go over.

His season statistics show what a good all-round game the forward has. Switching between the second row and the loose forward position, McCarthy-Scarsbrook is fourth on the metres list with 1897m.

Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook v Glenn Stewart

30 Age 32
8 Tries 2
623 Tackles 848
1897m Metres made 1411m
12 Clean breaks 5
56 Tackle busts 28

He has also made 12 clean breaks, the second best in St Helens colours, his 16 offloads are fourth in the side's rankings and he's third in the tackle count with 623. But he tops the tackle busts count along with Alex Walmsley, both forwards smashing through 56 defenders.

Those high numbers make McCarthy-Scarsbrook an important member of Cunningham's side and St Helens will need him at his best for the rest of the campaign. 

Image: Glenn Stewart has shone for Catalans in his debut Super League season

As for the Dragons, they have the experienced Glenn Stewart in their ranks. He missed defeats to Wakefield and Castleford during Catalans' poor run, but the second row is back fit again and back in the side looking to pip St Helens to fourth spot.

Stewart's influence is obvious. He tops the Dragons' tackle count with 848, a figure that puts him fourth in the Super League rankings too. The Australian always goes looking for work, with 240 carries, albeit at an average gain of 5.88m per drive for 1411 metres.

A two-time NRL winner with the Manly Sea Eagles, Stewart's experience in the run-in will come in handy, but will that count on Friday night as the Dragons attempt to leapfrog Saints into fourth spot?

Watch St Helens v Catalans live on Sky Sports 2 HD on Friday from 7.30pm. Catch the match for £6.99 on NOW TV. No contract.

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