St Helens begin their quest to regain the Super League title on Friday night when they host newly-promoted London Broncos.
Paul Wellens did win silverware in his first year as Saints boss, the club lifting the World Club Challenge in Wellens’ first competitive game in charge as they shocked Penrith Panthers.
However, they fell at the semi-final stages of both the Challenge Cup and the Super League play-offs, marking their first season without a domestic trophy since 2018.
The team are now in what seems to be a transitional year with the legendary James Roby and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook having both retired.
As such there’s a new captain at the helm with Jonny Lomax taking the armband but with such a major loss in leadership, can Saints rebound and earn silverware?
They’re tasked with what is the easiest start on paper with a home clash against the promoted London Broncos, and Paul Wellens has now named his squad for the game on Friday night.
Two English forwards miss out on opening night
Morgan Knowles misses out for St Helens with a “grumbling groin issue”. – Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Whilst St Helens have had a boost with the return of Sione Mata’utia, they are without forwards Joe Batchelor and Morgan Knowles.
Knowles had been named vice-captain alongside Jack Welsby but a “grumbling groin issue” and surgery on his thumb during the off-season means he’ll miss round one.
For Batchelor, the setback will be larger with a collarbone problem set to sideline him for a few weeks, whilst Moses Mbye also misses out.
That means a competitive debut for the man who has been brought in to replace James Roby, Daryl Clark becoming just the third man to wear the iconic Saints number nine in almost thirty years.
Saints’ other two signings Waqa Blake and Matt Whitley also are in line to feature whilst young Jake Burns has been named and could make his senior debut after being promoted from the reserves.
As for London, they’ve named their squad for their return to Super League and it features plenty of new signings including their latest which is Lee Kershaw.
The former Wakefield Trinity man had been trialling with the club but has since signed a one-year deal after impressing thoroughly in pre-season.
Other new faces include Jack Campagnolo, Hakim Miloudi, Sadiq Adebiyi and Rhys Kennedy who are all names in the squad.
St Helens 21-Man Squad
1. Jack Welsby
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Waqa Blake
4. Mark Percival
5. Jon Bennison
6. Jonny Lomax
7. Lewis Dodd
8. Alex Walmsley
9. Daryl Clark
10. Matty Lees
11. Sione Mata’utia
15. James Bell
16. Curtis Sironen
18. Jake Wingfield
19. Matt Whitley
20. George Delaney
21. Ben Davies
22. Sam Royle
23. Konrad Hurrell
24. Jake Burns
25. Tee Ritson
London Broncos 21-Man Squad
LEE KERSHAW
DAN HOYES
JACK CAMPAGNOLO
SAM DAVIS
MATT DAVIES
ROBBIE STOREY
HAKIM MILOUDI
ILIESS MACANI
OLIVER LEYLAND
JAMES MEADOWS
ROB BUTLER
MARCUS STOCK
WILL LOVELL (C)
JARRED BASSETT
JACK HUGHES
EMMANUEL WAINE
SADIQ ADEBIYI
RHYS KENNEDY
JORDAN WILLIAMS
DEAN PARATA
JENSEN MONK
