St Helens looking forward to the challenges of a different Super League, says James Roby

James Gordon

St Helens skipper James Roby says they can’t wait to get going again, after they returned to training earlier this week.

The champions are back in Super League action on August 2 against Catalans, as part of the triple-header which re-starts the season that has been suspended since Saints lost to Castleford on March 15 – the odds are already live, and the intriguing offers with online-bookies.org.uk are, too, ahead of the restart.

He told Saints TV: “I can’t wait to get going. That game will be here before we know it.

“It’s good to be back and see the lads again. Everyone’s got a bounce in their step and a smile on their face, so it’s nice to be back and it gets you focused on what’s ahead.

“Coming back in has made it a bit more real. The skills were sharp on the field, even though we’ve been training in smaller groups, everyone looks like they’ve been looking after themselves.

“There are a lot of changes, we’ll do our job as players it’s out of our control, we’ll just get on with what we can and enjoy being around each other again and appreciate it.

“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s get the season going. The games are going to come quite fast and it’s a bit of a challenge for us and one we’ll enjoy, so hopefully we’ll embrace it and make the most of that.”

St Helens and Leeds returned to training on Monday, following Catalans and Huddersfield over the weekend.

Several other clubs are still locked in negotiations relating to player pay cuts, although Hull KR announced that their players were due to return on training on Monday despite no agreement yet being reached.

The fixtures for the restarted Super League are due imminently – with Saints’ game against Catalans, along with Hull KR against Toronto and Huddersfield versus Leeds scheduled for August 2 being catch-up games due to postponements in the early part of the season.