SL Preview: Salford v St Helens

Salford host St Helens on Friday night in their first Super League game since being deducted points and dropping to the foot of table.

Coach Brian Noble will be expecting better from his Salford side after what he described as a ‘gutless’ performance in the 46-10 defeat to Wakefield last time out.

The club have agreed a fee for Bradford’s Elliott Whitehead but he does not look arriving in time for the visit of Saints, who are without key second row Sia Soliola.

Soliola was injured on Exiles duty and coach Nathan Brown has replaced him with young forward Joe Greenwood. On a positive note Anthony Laffranchi is back to full fitness for a Saints side who really need to find some consistency if they are to play a serious part in the season’s run-in.

19-man squad: Broughton, Gibson, Gleeson, Gaskell, Williams, Ashurst, Dixon, Wild, Godwin, McPherson, James, Neal, Fages, Sneyd, McGoldrick, Griffin, Evalds, Walne, Emmitt.

19-man squad: Wellens, Turner, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Puletua, Wilkin, Manu, Laffranchi, Clough, Jones, Makinson, Greenwood, Walmsley, Hand, Thompson, O’Brien.

Prediction: Saints to sneak it in a tight game.

Stats:

Salford’s last victory over St Helens was a 42-34 win at The Willows on 15 May, 2010 – with Saints winning six consecutive games against the City Reds since then.

Super League summary:

St Helens won 28

Salford won 4

St Helens highest score: 66-16 (H, 2001) (Widest margin: 58-4, A, 2000)

Salford highest score: 42-34 (H, 2010) (Widest margin: 39-26, H, 1997)