Super League: St Helens v Warrington Wolves preview
Last Updated: 06/09/14 12:05pm
St Helens can clinch their first League Leaders’ Shield since 2008 with success over Warrington Wolves at Langtree Park in Thursday’s match live on Sky.
Castleford’s win over Bradford on Sunday kept their triumph on ice, but the Tigers will be helpless to stop Saints’ march at the top should Nathan Brown’s men win on home soil.
While St Helens were toppling Leeds at Headingley last week rivals Wigan lost at Widnes and Warrington and Huddersfield drew at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
When the teams met in round one Saints ran out comfortable 38-8 winners although Warrington exacted a measure of revenge with a 41-24 success at the Magic Weekend in May.
Saints centre Mark Percival misses out after being concussed at Leeds, but Gary Wheeler is back in Nathan Brown’s 19-man squad.
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Brown is likely to move Matty Dawson to centre and bring Adam Swift back on the wing. Gary Wheeler also rejoins the squad.
"Taking the League Leaders Shield would be a good reward for the players," Brown told the club’s official website. "We've had a lot of injuries, there aren't many worse than us really, and we have found ways to win.
"Thursday will be a tough game. There's no score to settle (from Magic). We got a great result in the first round and they did the next time. It can happen when all the good sides play each other.”
Wolves head coach Tony Smith has made one change to his 19-man squad to face Saints with Anthony England making way for Roy Asotasi.
St Helens: Makinson, Turner, Jones, Swift, Hohaia, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Manu, Laffranchi, Flanagan, Amor, Wellens, Walmsley, Wheeler, Dawson, Richards, McDonnell.
Warrington Wolves: Asotasi, Atkins, Currie, R. Evans, Grix, Harrison, Higham, Hill, Laithwaite, J. Monaghan, M. Monaghan, Myler, O'Brien, Ormsby, Ratchford, Russell, Waterhouse, Westwood, Wood.
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