Cummins wary of Saints backlash

Bradford coach Francis Cummins is wary of a Saints backlash when they visit Odsal this weekend.

Saints have had a disappointing start to the season, losing heavily at home to Huddersfield, scraping a win at Widnes and then being held at Langtree Park by Hull last week.

In contrast, the Bulls’ home form has been excellent, racking up comprehensive victories over Castleford and Wakefield.

Cummins told the club’s official website: “Someone is going to have to cope with the backlash of Saints’ irregular form and we’ve got to make sure that it’s not us. We need to go at their weaknesses but most importantly, play to our strengths. 

“If we improve but don’t get the result I can still be happy, that is the stage I am still currently at. Don’t get me wrong, I want the two points desperately but we just need to improve with the ball a bit more.

“You can’t afford to be complacent when you face a team like Saints. There is a reason they are one of the top teams and one of those reasons is that they have class players. 

“They’ve been in Grand Final after Grand Final and it tells me that they have got quality all over and they’ve got a model that works for them. They have a great coach in Nathan Brown and they will still be there or thereabouts. 

“They will be hoping for a good result this weekend, as are we, but teams like that don’t stay in slumps for long.”

St Helens‘ early season woes were added to this week with the news that full-back Paul Wellens will be out for a month with a calf injury, joining Lance Hohaia and Josh Perry on the sidelines.