Saints v Giants: Teams
St Helens will turn to their young guns against Huddersfield on Friday after in the wake of injuries and international call-ups.
Last Updated: 10/06/10 5:15pm
St Helens will turn to their young guns against Huddersfield on Friday in the wake of injuries and international call-ups.
Prop James Graham and hooker James Roby are away on international duty with England and several players, including Kyle Eastmond, are ruled out with injuries.
Tony Puletua, Jamie Foster and Tom Armstrong have recovered from injury and are included in Mick Potter's 19-man squad for the home contest with the Giants.
Second-rower Paul Johnson, who will make a Super League debut if he is involved on match-day, also makes the squad.
"That's the beauty of having local products in your squad," Potter told Saints' official website, referring to the lack of established first-team players available.
"They all need blooding at some stage.
Not ideal
"It's not ideal of course as you'd like to blend them in slowly, but you have to get on with it and I'm sure the guys who are playing will do the best they can."
Huddersfield will have to cope without Kevin Brown, who is set for an England debut on Saturday, but Shaun Lunt is included after being released from the international set-up.
Centre Jamahl Lolesi will also be available to play after missing last week's win at Bradford with a back strain.
The hosts have lost two of their last three matches, but Giants coach Nathan Brown is doubtful that the poor run will make them more vulnerable.
"Regardless of St Helens winning or losing last week, I don't think it's going to change their approach to facing us," he told the official website of Huddersfield.
"Like us, they are going to have some players come in and have the opportunity to impress their coach going forward.
"I would imagine they are going to be pretty keen and pretty hungry but we are focusing on what we can control and that is our performance."
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gidley, Meli, Pryce, Fozzard, Cunningham, Puletua, Flannery, Hargreaves, Moore, Clough, Ashurst, Wheeler, Dixon, Emmitt, Armstrong, Magennis, Foster, Johnson.
Huddersfield squad: B. Hodgson, Cudjoe, Lolesi, D. Hodgson, Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Mason, Gilmour, Fa'alogo, Wild, D. Griffin, Lawrence, Faiumu, Grix, Patrick, McGillvary, Horne, Brough.