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Saints planning revenge mission

Aug 21 2009

By John Lawless, Liverpool Echo

 

ST HELENS will be looking for swift revenge when they take on Huddersfield Giants at the GPW Recruitment Stadium tonight.

The Giants knocked Mick Potter’s men out of the Carnegie Challenge Cup with a shock 24-14 semi-final win just a fortnight ago.

There has been some criticism of the fixture planning which catered for just a three-week gap between the Cup semis and the final.

But in terms of the engage Super League, it could play nicely into Saints’ hands this evening.

With Wembley just a week away, the Giants are set to field a weakened side.

Paul Whatuira, Stephen Wild and Jamal Lolesi were already ruled out with injury.

And coach Nathan Brown looks set to ring further changes including stepping down ace Australian fullback Brett Hodgson who will be replaced by namesake British youngster Elliott Hodgson.

Former Saints prop, now Huddersfield assistant coach, Paul Anderson is still expecting his charges to be competitive.

He said: “We know they’re ready to play Super League and they’ll get the opportunity.

“I’ve got all the confidence in the world in what they can do.

“Elliott Hodgson has been going really well and probably needs the challenge of playing at a higher level.”

Saints still have some selection problems of their own with Maurie Fa’asavalu, Jason Cayless, Bryn Hargreaves and Kyle Eastmond set to miss out through injury.

But coach Potter could receive a massive boost with the return of Sean Long and Keiron Cunningham.

By general consensus, Long’s cunning and drive have been missed recently as he recovered from a broken jaw.

A return this week could hardly be more timely particularly with alternative half-back Eastmond unavailable.

Cunningham missed out on last week’s defeat at Hull KR with a hamstring injury picked up in the Cup semi-final but is expected to have recovered sufficiently to take his place.

Saints’ Lee Gilmour needs one try for a career century of touchdowns in club and representative matches.

Huddersfield have not won at St Helens since November 26 1978 when they had a 16-15 victory in the old Division One.

Since then Saints have won 13 successive home matches, including all 11 in Super League.

They will be hoping to continue that trend this evening as they run neck-and-neck with Leeds at the top of the table.

St Helens: (from) Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Meli, Pryce, Long, Cunningham, Graham, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery, Roby, Puletua, Clough, Ellis, Ashurst, Lomax, Emmitt, Johnson.

 

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