Wigan v St Helens: Super League preview
Last Updated: 19/08/16 10:42pm
St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham is predicting fireworks as his side jostle with Wigan for a top-two finish in Super League.
The arch rivals, currently third and fourth in the table, go head to head in a Super 8s round-three match, live on Sky Sports 2, which could prove pivotal in the race for the semi-finals.
Cunningham's men are on a roll after winning their last seven matches, including a resounding 23-4 triumph at the DW Stadium a month ago, and they will leapfrog their hosts into third place with a repeat victory on Friday night.
Cunningham insists, however, his side's recent win over the Warriors will count for nothing and is confident his players will not get carried away by their resurgent form.
"The last game has gone now, like the one earlier in the year, and this week will be as important as last week," he said.
"We are both vying for points on the table to get a foothold in the top four. It is a big game for everyone and there will be fireworks like there is every time we play them.
"We can't look at the end goal and will be continuing to do what we have done. Like our last seven games, the focus is on each game and we will treat the latest one as the biggest of the season. The players have responded to that approach.
"We can't get caught with our eyes on the prize - we have to keep picking up points."
While St Helens' form is on the up, Wigan have gone downhill since Leeds ended their seven-match winning run in July. They have won just one of their last four league games and also crashed out of the Challenge Cup but coach Shaun Wane admits there is no bigger occasion to stop the rot.
"It's a massive game," he said. "It's the Super 8s against our arch rivals so it's huge for us.
"We need to do better than we did last time against Saints but it's 1-1 between us this season. We hammered them at their home and they hammered us at our place so we're very motivated.
"We know how important it is but we all believe what we can do. We all trust each other and it's up to us to make people proud of us again."
Wigan are still without skipper Sean O'Loughlin and have lost winger Dom Manfredi to a season-ending knee injury, while St Helens have lost centre Mark Percival, meaning Cunningham is forced into a late re-shuffle after scrum-half Luke Walsh and forward Luke Thompson were handed two-match bans.
The club have decided not to appeal the suspensions so France international half-back Theo Fages is set to make his first appearance for two months and prop Lama Tasi is poised for a recall.
Fages recently resumed training after recovering from a knee injury and was due to return next week.
Wigan squad: Sam Tomkins, Josh Charnley, Anthony Gelling, Dan Sarginson, George Williams, Matty Smith, Dominic Crosby, Ben Flower, Liam Farrell, John Bateman, Sam Powell, Taulima Tautai, Oliver Gildart, Ryan Sutton, Lewis Tierney, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Willie Isa, Jake Shorrocks, Joe Bretherton.
St Helens squad: Jonny Lomax, Jordan Turner, Adam Swift, Theo Fages, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Kyle Amor, Atelea Vea, Jon Wilkin, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Lama Tasi, Greg Richards, Oliver Davies, Dominique Peyroux, Joe Greenwood, Jack Owens, Shannon McDonnell, Matty Fleming, Morgan Knowles.
Watch Wigan v St Helens live on Sky Sports 2 HD on Friday from 7.30pm. Catch the match for £6.99 on NOW TV. No contract.