Match Preview by Emma Holley
Trinity take on Saints tonight at the Emerald Headingley stadium, and will be hoping to right their wrongs of last weekend.
Both sides are set to face each other in successive weeks, due to fixture rearrangements.
Tonight’s fixture will be played at Leeds, whereas next week’s match (Thursday 15th October) will be played at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, acting as Saints’ home tie.
Trinity:
Last Sunday saw Trinity soundly beaten by the Catalans Dragons over in Perpignan, and they have been preparing for a short turnaround ever since.
Head coach Chris Chester has named a squad which sees a fair few changes for Friday night’s clash, with several players having to stand down for this fixture.
It has been a tough few days for the club, after one positive coronavirus test on Monday. Recent weeks have been a challenge for Trinity and unity is needed now more than ever, but CEO Michael Carter insists that the players will still give the game the best go they can.
He added in this week’s press conference: “We’re doing everything we can to fulfil the fixtures.”
Looking ahead to tonight’s match, Chester said: “It’s tough but it’s still a competitive side we’re going to be able to put out there.
“We’re going to do the best we possibly can this week. We’ve had an honest conversation with the players today.
“There’s certainly a really positive vibe within the staff and playing group that we can still go to Saints and do a real good job and get something out of the game.”
Saints:
St Helens have named a strong squad for Friday’s clash, with Tommy Makinson making a return to the 21-man squad, after serving a five match ban.
Saints were last in action against Wigan almost two weeks ago, where they battered the Warriors 42-0.
Kristian Woolf’s men currently occupy the top spot of the table with a 75% win percentage, and are unbeaten since the Super League restart in August.
They will be hoping for a win this Friday, to further themselves from rivals Warrington and Wigan, who follow closely behind in second and third place.
The one’s to watch for the League Leaders are Tommy Makinson, one of Super League’s top metre makers in 2019 and the Golden Boot Award winner in 2018, and opposite winger Regan Grace.
Former Man of Steel and veteran hooker James Roby is another one Trinity will be looking out for, as well as influential playmaker Lachlan Coote, and the dynamic halfback pairing in Theo Fages and England international Jonny Lomax.
Previous meetings:
Both sides are yet to meet in the 2020 season. Their last meeting was away at the Totally Wicked Stadium last August, where Trinity suffered a 26-6 defeat.
Trinity also met with Saints in last year’s Challenge Cup semi-final, but were well-beaten 48-10. The most recent home fixture against St Helens was in February last year, where St Helens broke Trinity hearts and clinched the win in the dying minutes of the game, 18-24.
In 2018, Trinity experienced close encounters with Saints; edged out 30-34 away, but victorious at home, 24-20, showing Trinity can challenge their opponents.
2017 also saw the two sides battle it out for a top four place, where Trinity heartbreakingly lost out 16-18 in an intense home game. Nevertheless, reflection on previous meetings will make Trinity that more determined, and show that certain games can be learned from.
Tonight’s match will be televised LIVE on Sky Sports, with a 5:30pm KO.