Saints v Bulls: Teams
St Helens make two changes to the 19-man squad that assembled for last week's 18-18 draw at Hull.
Last Updated: 08/06/12 10:26am
St Helens make two changes to the squad that assembled for last week's 18-18 draw at Hull.
Wing Francis Meli and prop Anthony Laffranchi are both available again after missing that match through injury, but Ade Gardner remains sidelined.
Saints teenager Josh Jones is once again included after signing a new three-year deal at the club. The 19-year-old made his debut earlier in the season and has impressed in scoring four tries in eight appearances.
Carl Forster, 20, has also put pen to paper on a two-year contract.
Short turnaround
Bradford boss Mick Potter has reported no fresh injury concerns and despite having only a four-day turnaround following Monday's 46-32 victory over Castleford, names an unchanged 19-man squad.
Shaun Ainscough looks set to keep his place on the wing after scoring a hat-trick of tries against the Tigers, while it is hoped talented teenager John Bateman shakes off an ankle problem in time to play.
Matt Diskin, Elliot Kear, Craig Kopczak and Chev Walker all remain on the sidelines and Adrian Purtell is awaiting further tests after suffering a heart attack two weeks ago.
Full-back Brett Kearney believes the Bulls are on course for a strong finish to the regular season.
"If we play well enough in the second half of the season, we want to be looking at finishing sixth or seventh," he told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
'We don't want to be the last team in the eight. We want to win the majority of our games and, if we do that, we are going to get a spot in the play-offs.
"We are putting ourselves in a position to win every game. Every game bar two this season we have been on contention for, and we just have to improve on that."
The Bulls will travel to Langtree Park looking to complete the double over their opponents after beating Saints 12-8 at Odsal back in March.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Shenton, Soliola, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, Perry, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Puletua, Wilkin, Flannery, Laffranchi, Flanagan, Clough, Dixon, Gaskell, Makinson, J. Jones.
Bradford squad: Ainscough, O'Brien, Lulia, Whitehead, Joseph, Burgess, Jeffries, Addy, Hargreaves, Olbison, L'Estrange, Pryce, Platt, Bateman, Gale, Sibbit, Kearney, Elima, Manuokafoa.