Warrington still without Daryl Clark for Salford clash

Correspondent

Daryl Clark is back for Warrington

Warrington will be without hooker Daryl Clark for Saturday’s clash with Salford, coach Steve Price has confirmed.

Price says his side will still be without England hooker Clark for the Salford game after he sat out the Magic Weekend with a stomach injury and he is monitoring the fitness of replacement hooker Danny Walker as well as prop Joe Philbin after they sustained knocks against Wigan.

Price says stand-off Blake Austin will come into consideration for Saturday’s game after sitting out the last three.

Warrington have not given up hope of pipping St Helens to second place in the table as the regular Super League season enter its final stages.

The Wolves cemented a top-three finish with a 10-6 win over fourth-placed Wigan at the Magic Weekend on Sunday and could yet climb a place if they win their last two games and Saints lose both of theirs.

Calculators may well be needed on the last weekend, with positions determined by win points percentage because of the uneven number of completed fixtures due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Warrington forward Ben Currie said: “To be honest, I don’t look at the table because it confuses me.

“I don’t know what’s going on with that table at the moment, I just get told where we are and what we’re likely to get.

“But, if there’s a chance of finishing second, we’ll 100% be going for it.”

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If Warrington beat Salford at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday and follow it up with victory at Castleford a week later, they will finish the season on 73.81%.

Saints, whose golden-point defeat by Catalans Dragons at the Magic Weekend ensured the League Leaders’ Shield goes to the French side, are currently on 78.95 but will drop to 71.43 if they lose at home to Leeds on Friday and at Salford in their last game.

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Price added: “As Ben says, it’s quite confusing so we don’t even focus on the table. It’s about our performances.

“The boys have dished up a lot of good things over the last two weeks and it’s important we keep working on a few areas we need to tidy up. The boys are in a good place.”