Predicting likely St Helens line-up for Wigan Warriors derby with fresh dilemmas to consider
St Helens celebrate their Golden Point extra time win against Salford Red Devils in Round 21 of the 2024 Super League season
St Helens head to Magic Weekend on Saturday facing an unprecedented situation in terms of team selection.
The Saints are without a whole host of frontline backs, a problem which has been made even worse in recent weeks. Already missing Jonny Lomax and Jack Welsby, Daryl Clark and Lewis Dodd have also picked up injuries.
So what will Paul Wellens do on Saturday evening – and how will he line the Saints up against Wigan Warriors?
The obvious place to start, and to consider what on Earth the Saints might do, is in the spine. They have now lost Clark for a number of weeks due to injury, while Dodd is also ruled out for the coming weeks, too.
That leaves the Saints desperately short, arguably more than they have ever been. Throw in the ban to Morgan Knowles and it means they will face their biggest rivals without their starting 1, 6, 7, 9 and 13.
So what do they do?
It seems straightforward to suggest that Harry Robertson will continue at fullback, given how he has excelled in recent weeks. But Robertson could get the nudge in at half-back, which would potentially move Jon Bennison into the side at fullback.
It’s when you look at the options for half-back do you realise that could become a distinct possibility. Will Roberts could have been in line for a debut – but he played for the Saints’ academy on Friday evening, immediately scrubbing him out of contention in that regard.
But you suspect Bennison might be needed on the wing due to changes elsewhere: so Robertson stays at fullback. That means someone is needed to partner Moses Mbye at half-back: and the likely bit looks like Ben Davies. He can play at centre or in the back-row: but also at half-back, and he’s likely to be slotted in there on Saturday.
That means Jake Burns gets a whirlwind elevation up to starting hooker in the biggest game in Super League.
What about everywhere else? Tee Ritson and Tommy Makinson could well continue on the wings but Bennison could yet make the 17, perhaps on the bench if Wellens needs to give anyone in a makeshift spine a breather, and Bennison can come on at fullback.
Waqa Blake will be one centre and someone is going to have to slot in there as a stop-gap with Davies going to half-back. That will most likely be Matt Whitley.
Matty Lees is one starter, and if Alex Walmsley is ready to go from the off, he will be the other. That leaves a senior back-row of Joe Batchelor, Curtis Sironen and James Bell. It’s one area the Saints are incredibly strong as things stand.
The bench? Agnatius Paasi and George Delaney are two locked in picks. Noah Stephens also probably is. It’s then a question of what Wellens does with the last bench spot. Does he take a gamble and roll with a back in Bennison to cover multiple positions? Or does he go with another forward.
If it’s the latter, it’s probably Jonny Vaughan who gets the nod. But we suspect it could be Bennison.
Predicted St Helens line-up: Harry Robertson; Tommy Makinson, Waqa Blake, Matt Whitley, Tee Ritson; Ben Davies, Moses Mbye; Matty Lees, Jake Burns, Alex Walmsley, Joe Batchelor, Curtis Sironen, James Bell. Interchange: Agnatius Paasi, George Delaney, Noah Stephens, Jon Bennison.
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