Friday 3 June 2016 12:26, UK
Langtree Park will play host to another fierce derby on Friday as Warrington travel to St Helens hoping to keep in touch with Super League leaders Hull FC.
The Wolves are just two points off the top but the Saints need a win themselves, having slipped six off the pace following last week's defeat to the Airlie Birds.
So where will this one be decided? Here are three key head-to-head battles:
Theo Fages v Chris Sandow
The last time the two sides met in April, Chris Sandow's absence hit the Wolves hard as they were beaten for just the second time in Super League this season.
But the scrum-half is back from injury and back to his creative best, starring in the 52-18 hammering of Leeds Rhinos last week. Sandow's kick for Tom Lineham's try highlighted just what Warrington have missed during his absence with that hamstring injury.
Until being forced off in the round nine victory over Wigan, the half-back was arguably the competition's form player, going over for eight tries in the early season rounds. He's also provided a remarkable 17 try assists in 2016, the joint-second most in Super League, despite playing just 10 games.
Sandow's partnership with Kurt Gidley in the halves will be the key to Warrington's chances of a first Old Trafford win come October, so can the scrum-half continue to inspire the Wolves as they target a return to the top of Super League?
Level with Sandow in the competition's assists chart is St Helens scrum-half Luke Walsh, but he was forced off with a leg injury early on last week in the defeat to Hull FC. Keiron Cunningham is expecting him to miss out for a few weeks and given that Walsh has played every game so far in 2016, the Saints will need someone to step up in his absence.
Half-back partner Theo Fages could be that man. He has settled in at stand-off following a slow start to his Saints career and impressed again during that defeat to Hull FC.
Fages has started every Super League game since the Wigan derby in round seven and he's quickly made an impact. With 12 try assists, he comes in just five behind Walsh, while Fages also has an eye for the line himself, crossing six times to make him St Helens' third top scorer.
The Frenchman has only made 20 attacking kicks so far this season and he'll need to shoulder more responsibility in the absence of Walsh. The Saints need a big game from him come Friday.
James Roby v Daryl Clark
We picked out this match-up back in April when the two sides squared off, but it's worth highlighting again with the hookers being two of the competition's most exciting players.
Roby is the model of consistency, defining the hooker position in the Super League competition. In addition, he's stayed injury-free this season, missing just one game back in round two.
As usual, Roby's stats are up there with the best, second on St Helens' tackle count with 542, third on the metres list with 1384m, and as always, ahead of everyone else in Super League with runs from dummy half, 157 so far.
Roby has also weighed in with two tries and three try assists in 2016, proving what an all-rounder he is.
It's no surprise that in the only game Roby missed in Super League this season, St Helens were hammered 44-10 by Salford. So come Friday, watch out for the Saints No 9 dictating play from around the ruck.
Pushing Roby hard for that England shirt come the end of the season is Daryl Clark. He has shown just why Warrington forked out to bring him over the Pennines from Castleford after that testing first year at the club.
Another strong runner from dummy half, Clark's made 101 runs from the ruck, racking up 1572 metres at an astonishing average gain of 11.07m per drive. That includes 11 clean breaks, the second best in Warrington colours, and 60 tackle busts - again, the second best in the Wolves ranks.
Clark also scored twice against Leeds last week to take his try tally up to five for the season. So can the 2014 Man of Steel continue his good form in 2016 by matching James Roby on Friday night?
Jon Wilkin v Ben Currie
There is another potential English match-up in the second row between the experienced Saints captain Jon Wilkin and Warrington's young pretender Ben Currie.
It has been a tricky year for Wilkin as leader of this Saints outfit. They haven't found the consistency to take a grip at the top of the table and the skipper needs to make sure the Saints don't fall away after two consecutive Super League defeats.
Wilkin leads by example. He tops the St Helens tackle count with 573, a figure that sits fifth in the competition rankings. He has also made 207 carries, the fourth most in St Helens colours, for 1165m.
But Wilkin also chips in with the Saints attack. Eight try assists and 26 attacking kicks offer the side a different outlet going forward, helping ease the pressure on the half-backs.
Wilkin has not missed a game this season, alternating between the second row and the loose forward position. With Luke Walsh injured, he may have to step in at half-back in his absence.
Warrington have one of the best youngsters in the competition in their pack in the shape of Ben Currie. He is joint-top of the Wolves try charts, having crossed 11 times this season, putting him level with winger Tom Lineham. That's the best total for any forward in Super League, with St Helens' Joe Greenwood the next best with nine.
But tries aren't the only asset in Currie's game. He is fourth in the Warrington tackle rankings, making 410 so far, fourth on the metres list with 1497m, coming at an average gain of 8.75m a drive.
Currie has also made seven clean breaks and 40 tackle busts while throwing 23 offloads, the second best in Warrington colours. Those sort of statistics are a coach's dream and Tony Smith knows what a talent he has on his hands.
Wayne Bennett will be keeping a close eye on Currie's form until the end of the season.
Watch the Super League preview every Wednesday on Sky Sports News HQ at 11.30am - and don't miss St Helens v Warrington from 7.30pm on Sky Sports 3 HD on Friday.
