In the final game of the season, top meets bottom in a match between two sides who will look back on the regular season very differently.
The Saints will lift the League Leaders’ Shield at the end of this game as they look to make history with a fourth consecutive Grand Final win galvanised by the departing Kristian Woolf.
As for Toulouse, this is their Super League farewell although they’ll be hoping it’s a see you later rather than a full on goodbye and they can finish things on a high with a shock win over the Champions.
Team News
Jack Welsby, Jonny Lomax, James Roby, Matty Lees, Joe Batchelor and Konrad Hurrell all return for the Champions after rests as Curtis Sironen and Morgan Knowles return from bans. Josh Simm misses out through injury as the likes of Sam Royale drop out. Alex Walmsley misses out with a foot injury whilst Will Hopoate and co are still not ready to return.
Toulouse are again without a natural halfback with Corey Norman, Lucas Albert and Tony Gigot all absent from the squad. Former Saint Dominique Peyroux features. There could be a debut for Benjamin Laguerre.
Match Preview – Key Battles:
Jack Welsby vs Olly Ashall-Bott: A pair of young fullbacks will take centre stage. Ashall-Bott is all about his running game and will look to cause the Champions endless problems with ducking and darting runs whilst Welsby is more of an all-rounder and will look to cause the French side endless problems.
Matty Lees vs Daniel Alvaro: It’ll be Daniel Alvaro’s job to help stop Saints’ pack which is easier than done but Alvaro has had a massive impact on Toulouse since his arrival and will provide a stern challenge to the league’s best pack including the criminally underrated Matty Lees who will hope to return with a bang.
Where the game will be won and lost:
Kristian Woolf will be wanting an efficient performance here. He’ll want the Champions to go through their processes from minute one to 80 and get through unscathed with a strong win to give them momentum going into the play-offs after back-to-back defeats.
Score Prediction: St Helens 30-6 Toulouse Olympique
