Engage Super League
St Helens vs Wigan
Match schedule
Date:Friday, 31 July 2009
Kick-off: 2000 BST
Competition :Engage Super League
Venue: Knowsley Road
Live / Repeat: Live
St Helens full-back Paul Wellens has surprisingly been included in the squad to face Wigan on Friday despite breaking his hand only a fortnight ago.
Winger Ade Gardner is also available but youngsters Gareth Wheeler and Jonny Lomax are sidelined while prop Bryn Hargreaves has mumps.
Wigan's Phil Bailey is doubtful with a dead leg so Martin Gleeson could could be handed the captain's armband.
Sean O'Loughlin is not ready to return after a month out with a knee problem.
Wigan coach Brian Noble told
Perhaps in recent years they've tried to turn down the emotion on the Wigan side in what it means to the town but there's still that element of nerves you want from your players, that element of excitement with a full house, television, local bragging rights and fans screaming that little bit harder.
"And of course suddenly a player might do something special or something he wouldn't normally do so of course you've got to have emotion because you want your players to bring the special effort out."
Wigan centre Sam Tomkins told
Everybody enjoys winning and winning becomes a habit like losing does, I think. We're all in that winning mentality and just really pulling together.
"We've shown some determination to come from behind a quite a few times in the last couple of weeks and we've shown some real persistence especially towards the end of the game.
"To be truthful, we've been getting in arm wrestles and winning them.
St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Meli, Pryce, Cunningham, Graham, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery, Puletua, Clough, Eastmond, Dean, Dixon, Ashurst, Armstrong, Emmitt, Johnson.
Wigan: Roberts, Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Leuluai, Fielden, Riddell, Paleaaesina, Bailey, J. Tomkins, Coley, Hansen, Prescott, Pryce, Phelps, Gleeson, Mossop, S. Tomkins, Flanagan.
