Saints v Wolves: Teams
St Helens could hand a debut to 19-year-old winger Tom Armstrong in Friday's Super League game against Warrington.
Last Updated: 12/02/09 11:50am
Super League title hopefuls St Helens could hand a debut to 19-year-old winger Tom Armstrong in Friday's Super League game against Warrington.
Saints coach Mick Potter is without former New Zealand international Francis Meli for the visit of Wolves and may opt for Armstrong as his replacement.
Meli's return to England has been held up by visa problems, while new signing Tony Puletua, another ex-Kiwi international, is also expected to make his debut in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Jason Cayless and Lee Gilmour, who is set for a switch to centre, have both been named in Potter's 19-man squad after recovering from injury.
Youngsters Jamie Foster and Matty Ashurst could also feature on Friday evening.
Exciting
"Both Tom Armstrong and Jamie Foster can play," said Potter.
"They have done well in pre-season and, if they get the nod, they will not be out of their depth."
When the sides met at Knowsley Road last season, Sean Long struck a last-gasp drop-goal to clinch a dramatic 17-16 win for Saints.
And Warrington head coach James Lowes expects Friday's clash to be equally as exciting and open.
"Going to St Helens it's a great surface, a great place to play with great spectators he told Sky Sports News.
Debuts
It will be an open, fast game of rugby between two sides who like to play rugby.
"They have got some really good players who will throw it all over, play football like it's supposed to be played over here.
"We have got to match that and I'm sure we will - we'll certainly match their enthusiasm and we've got to play well for 80 minutes."
Warrington's England centre Martin Gleeson misses out on a return to his former club after failing to shake off an unspecified injury picked up in pre-season training.
Another ex-St Helens player, Mickey Higham, and former Hull prop Garreth Carvell will make their Warrington debuts and there are returns for long-term injury victims Louis and Vinnie Anderson, Chris Bridge and Paul Johnson.
Utility back Bridge has not played a competitive match since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the corresponding match at Knowsley Road almost 12 months ago to the day.
Stand-off Lee Briers has recovered from an arm injury sustained in last week's friendly against Hull KR but Jon Clarke, Stuart Reardon and Simon Grix are still on the sidelines.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Pryce, Long, Cayless, Cunningham, Graham, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery, Roby, Hargreaves, Puletua, Clough, Fa'asavalu, Foster, Ashurst, Armstrong.
Warrington squad: Penny, Hicks, Bridge, Johnson, King, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Higham, Wood, L. Anderson, Blythe, Rauhihi, Carvell, Riley, Harrison, Westwood, V. Anderson, McCarthy.