Friday’s Super League teams: St Helens spring surprise, Wakefield suffer huge blow, Wigan’s double boost
St Helens head coach Paul Wellens
The teams are in for Friday night’s two Super League games – with St Helens springing a surprise, and Wakefield Trinity suffering a huge blow.
The Saints are without three key players for the clash. George Whitby has failed a HIA and is replaced by Moses Mbye at scrum-half, who filled in there last week at Salford.
Perhaps the big surprise is that Jake Wingfield comes straight into the starting 13 having not been involved in the match-day 17 at all last week. He plays back row in the absence of Curtis Sironen, who doesn’t make it.
Agnatius Paasi comes back into the Saints’ 17 too, replacing the injured Joe Batchelor.
As for Leeds, they are unchanged – just as Brad Arthur said they would be in his pre-match media conference.
The other game on Friday sees Wakefield take on Wigan – and Trinity have been rocked with a huge blow as captain Mike McMeeken misses out.
McMeeken is one of three changes from the team that lost to Leigh, with Matty Russell and Josh Rourke also dropping out of the 17. They are replaced by Lachlan Walmsley, who starts on the wing, Seth Nikotemo and Cam Scott.
Lachlan Walmsley, Seth Nikotemo and Cam Scott all come back in the gameday 17 with Mike McMeeken, Matty Russell and Josh Rourke dropping out.
Meanwhile, the reigning champions welcome back Bevan French in a major boost for Matt Peet. Jack Farrimond drops out; he is 18th man. Luke Thompson is also back for the Warriors.
Wakefield: Jowitt, Walmsley, Hall, Pratt, Johnstone, Trueman, Lino, Cozza, Smith, Faatili, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts. Interchange: Scott, Hood, Vagana, Croft.
Wigan: Field, Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall, French, Smith, Byrne, O’Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Ellis. Interchange: Havard, Mago, Leeming, Dupree.
St Helens: Sailor, Feldt, Robertson, Cross, Dagnall, Lomax, Mbye, Walmsley, Clark, Leeds, Wingfield, Whitley, Knowles. Interchange: Paasi, Delaney, Stephens, Burns.
Leeds: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Lumb, Croft, Connor, Palasia, O’Connor, Oledzki, Gannon, McDonnell, Watkins. Interchange: Holroyd, Lisone, Bentley, Smith.
