St Helens hit with crucial blow ahead of Catalans clash

St Helens coach Paul Wellens has given an injury update on Mark Percival and Joe Batchelor, who left the field against rivals Wigan Warriors on Good Friday.

The news regarding Percival is not good. The centre needs to be checked out after Wigan’s Liam Byrne was red-carded after a high tackle.

Wellens confirmed this to the St Helens Star saying: “Mark Percival is going to have to get checked out. I have not spoken to the doctors yet, but obviously, he took a bit of a head knock there, which we’ll have a look at.”

This will mean he will miss the game next week with it being a head injury.

Joe Batchelor is fine. The second row was redeemed fit enough to play, but the medical team decided it was better to keep him off the pitch.

Wellens said of Batchelor to the local paper: “He was ready to come back on the field, but we didn’t quite get that done in time, which was frustrating, and we ended up losing an interchange.”

The Saints made some changes from last week’s Challenge Cup. Tommy Markinson returned with a win after a two-week layoff, leaving Wellens a big decoy on the other flank going into Rivals weekend against Wigan Warriors.

In the end it was decided that Waqa Blake will sit out the game with Makinson coming onto the win, Percival returning from suspension to take the centre spot. Jon Bennison kept his place in the side.

Blake will likely return to replace Percival next week in what will be a big game.

St Helens injury come at terrible time

In truth the injury to Percival, who for the last decade has arguably been the best centre in Super League, couldn’t have come at much worse a time.

The centre will now miss out the big trip to Catalans Dragons which see the two league leaders collide. Both sides have picked up five wins from their opening six games and are joint on 10 points so far this season.

It will be a huge game as St Helens take over a thousand fans to France. A week after they face a do or die clash against another side who have started the season well: Warrington Wolves. That came is in the Challenge Cup quarter-final.