Salford Red Devils vs St Helens: Team news, match preview and score prediction

The sign of a Champion side is the ability to win when not at your best and St Helens did exactly that to down Wakefield last week.

The Champions will again face a tough test against an in form Salford side who are chasing a place in the play-offs.

Salford have the tools to shock the Champions, so the Saints will have to be on it once again to keep ploughing ahead to the League Leaders’ Shield.

Team News

Salford are down to their last 18 players with Ryan Brierley and Danny Addy dropping out after last week. Ben Hellewell is out of the squad after an impressive loan stint at the club from Featherstone but at least Sitaleki Akauola is back.

After a difficult game at Wakefield last week, St Helens only have one player back in the shape of loose-forward Morgan Knowles who replaces Dan Norman who has a slight knock. The likes of Will Hopoate and Sione Mata’utia are still absent.

Match Preview – Key Battles:

Ken Sio vs Regan Grace: It’s such a shame that we won’t see Ken Sio and Tommy Makinson in the same game this week with both scoring tries for fun in 2022. However, Saints’ other winger is just as good. Headed to rugby union, he only has a few weeks left to make Super League memories and it will be a sight to behold watching him up against Sio.

Brodie Croft vs Jonny Lomax: Brodie Croft has really taken to Super League and his running game has been a sight to behold recently. It’ll be fascinating to see it up against the league’s best defence as well as his opposite number Jonny Lomax who will look to boss the game.

Kallum Watkins vs Joe Batchelor: Kallum Watkins has really impressed at second-row and it’ll be great to see him battle with one of Super League’s best but most underrated backrows in Joe Batchelor.

Where the game will be won and lost:

Salford’s best bet here will be trying to emulate what Wakefield did last week and match Saints in the middle. Then the Red Devils will have the skills and ball movement to cause the Champions problem. But should the Champions get into their processes like usual they’ll be tough to beat.

Score Prediction: Salford Red Devils 10-26 St Helens