Saints v Reds: Teams
St Helens hope to keep the pressure on at the top of Super League with a win against struggling Salford on Friday.
Last Updated: 24/06/10 7:22pm
St Helens can keep the pressure on major rivals and Super League leaders Wigan with a win against struggling Salford on Friday night.
Mick Potter's side currently lie third in the table but a victory over the Reds would see them move to within two points of the Warriors before their own match Saturday.
Wigan lost out in a thrilling derby between the two teams last Sunday and Saints can secure a third straight win if they beat Salford.
But it was the Reds who staged a surprise the last time they met St Helens, recording a 42-34 victory at The Willows in May.
"I'm looking forward to the Salford game and we know we need to improve from our last performance against them," Potter told Saints' official website.
"We need to do more work on their last plays - they score a lot of tries from their last plays and they are good at them. We need to nullify it as much as we can.
Focused
"If you are off your game one to five per cent things slip through. We will need to turn up, be 100 focused and not relax at all."
St Helens will be boosted by the return of winger Ade Gardner, who has missed the last four games with a rib injury.
Chris Dean will also come back from an ankle problem and Jonny Lomax is included in Potter's squad but the in-form Francis Meli has been ruled out with an Achilles problem.
Kyle Eastmond and Jon Wilkin are not yet ready to return to action from their respective ankle and shoulder problems.
Salford's victory over their Friday opponents has been a fleeting highlight in a season that currently sees them languishing 12th in the Super League table.
Coach Shaun McRae will be able to welcome back Mark Henry and Stephen Ratchford, who both missed last Friday's 28-22 home defeat to Castleford.
With hopes of a play-off spot fading fast, a repeat of the shock scoreline in May would be a huge boosts for the visitors.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Pryce, Fozzard, Cunningham, Graham, Puletua, Flannery, Roby, Hargreaves, Moore, Clough, Ashurst, Dean, Dixon, Lomax, Magennis, Foster
Salford squad: Fitzpatrick, J. Smith, Henry, Talau, Gibson, Adamson, Parker, Sidlow, Alker, Broughton, Sibbit, Ratchford, Swain, M. Smith, Littler, Leuluai, Tyrer, Holdsworth, Boyle