2019 Super League – St Helens vs Wigan Warriors Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is St Helens vs Wigan Warriors taking place? Thursday 31st January, 19:45
Where is St Helens vs Wigan Warriors taking place? Totally Wicked Stadium
What channel is St Helens vs Wigan Warriors on in the UK? Sky Sports Arena
Where can I stream the match in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for St Helens vs Wigan Warriors?
St Helens – https://www.saintsrlfc.com/tickets/match-tickets/
Wigan Warriors – https://www.eticketing.co.uk/wiganwarriors/Events/Index
THE TEAM NEWS
ST HELENS
Head Coach: Justin Holbrook
Squad: Amor, Ashworth, Coote, Fages, Grace, Knowles, Lees, Lomax, Makinson, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Naiqama, Paulo, Percival, Peyroux, Richardson, Roby, Taia, Thompson, Walmsley
Unavailable: Name unavailable players here
- St Helens will be looking to right some wrongs in 2019 after a sense of underachievement having just won the League Leaders' Shield in 2018.
- Steve Prescott Man of Steel Ben Barba returned to the NRL but Saints have recruited well whilst Alex Walmsley returning from a serious neck injury is a massive boost for St Helens.
- Amongst those new recruits are Lachlan Coote, Joseph Paulo and Kevin Naiqama who are all in line to make their debuts after they were all named in the 19-man squad.
WIGAN WARRIORS
Head Coach: Adrian Lam
Squad: Bullock, Clubb, Davies, Escaré, Farrell, Flower, Gildart, Greenwood, Hamlin, Hardaker, Isa, Leuluai, Marshall, Navarrete, O’Loughlin, Powell, Sarginson, Tautai, Williams
Unavailable: Jarrod Sammut, Joe Burgess, Dom Manfredi
- Wigan will be looking to defend their Super League crown after hitting form at the right time at the back end of the 2018 season before defeating Warrington in the Grand Final.
- There has been big change at Wigan with Adrian Lam taking over as head coach from the long-serving Shaun Wane whilst John Bateman and Sam Tomkins will be a huge loss having departed for pastures new.
- Zak Hardaker is set to make his first Wigan appearance having joined the club following the completion of his drugs ban but fellow new signing Jarrod Sammut is out having copped a ban in pre-season.
THE PREDICTION
St Helens will get an early chance to lay down their intentions for the season as they host last year's winners and bitter local rivals, Wigan Warriors, in Round 1. Saints are one of several teams to have recruited well from the NRL and look like being major contenders once again. With all of the changes at the Warriors over the winter, they could take a while to gel so it's the home side that can get off to a strong start with a win here.
