St Helens’ options for Castleford Tigers clash analysed with suspensions and injuries considered

St Helens coach Paul Wellens will again be forced to shuffle his team around for their clash with Castleford Tigers due to suspensions and injuries.

Just when it looked like the Saints were getting some bodies back, they will now be without a number of key players for Friday’s huge home game against Castleford.

They will be without prop Matty Lees and utility Moses Mbye this weekend, with the pair receiving one-match penalty notices from the match review panel following their 16-2 defeat at Warrington Wolves last Saturday.

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And they were dealt an injury blow to promising fullback Harry Robertson, who came off in the first half of the Warrington defeat with a knee injury, with Jack Welsby then shifting to the No. 1 role on his first game back following a lengthy lay-off with a hamstring injury.

With the aforementioned injuries and suspensions in mind, Wellens will have to shuffle his team around this week. Here’s the primary options at his disposal ahead of a massive game against Castleford at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday night…

Who takes the spot at fullback?

Well, Robertson hasn’t officially been ruled out of this week yet. Wellens is likely to provide an update on the academy product in his pre-match press conference later this week.

But if Robertson isn’t fit to feature, then the obvious choice would be Welsby playing the full 80 minutes at fullback.

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Who will fill the void left by Matty Lees and Moses Mbye?

England international Lees has been outstanding in the middle of a depleted Saints team this season: and will leave a big hole this weekend as he serves his one-match ban. However, speaking in general terms, forwards are slightly easier to plug the gap rather than a spine player, for instance.

The most likely option for Lees’ replacement would be young prop Noah Stephens, who has impressed in the first team this year, coming on the bench, with the more senior George Delaney taking Lees’ starting spot.

Mbye has stood up for Saints this year, and has been one of their highlights in what has been a – quite frankly – grim period on the injury front, so he will be a big miss.

However, there could be a like-for-like replacement, with Wellens revealing after the Warrington game that there’s a chance that half-back Lewis Dodd (elbow) and hooker Daryl Clark (foot) could be back available this week following a period on the sidelines.

So, if Dodd is back this week, then it’s a straight swap for Mbye, you feel.

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But this is where it gets tricky

What if Dodd isn’t fit to play this week? What if Robertson isn’t fit to play this week? This is where it gets a bit complicated regarding team selection for Wellens.

If scrum-half Dodd isn’t ready to face Castleford on Friday, then Welsby could slot into the halves alongside skipper Jonny Lomax, with Robertson keeping his position at fullback – again, that’s IF the youngster makes it.

But if Robertson is ruled out of Friday’s game, then winger Jon Bennison moves into the fullback position, with the experienced Tommy Makinson coming back into the side on the wing after serving his two-match suspension.

The Saints will also have to do without Curtis Sironen for the remaining two games of the regular season after Wellens revealed the Australian back-rower suffered a setback to his calf issue: but he could return in the first week of the play-offs.

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