NRL TEAMS - 2024 Round 4
2 days ago | LeagueUnlimited Media
Official English Super League Round 23 previews -Friday games. Warrington Wolves v St Helens and Wigan Warriors v Salford City Reds
Cullen prepares for Saints encounter
Warrington will hope the feelgood factor from their sensational signing of Andrew Johns can propel them to a long-awaited win over St Helens on Friday.
The Wolves have twice been beaten by their rivals in the engage Super League this season, the points being settled in the last minute on both occasions.
Sean Long landed a last-gasp drop goal as Saints won 31-30 in April and Keiron Cunningham capped a fine comeback from 16-4 down with 10 minutes remaining with a late try in March.
Saints have been in fine form for most of the season and are just one point behind leaders Leeds, but after landing Johns on a short-term deal, Warrington have renewed hope as the play-offs approach.
Yet Johns will not actually join the club until next month, so chief among their priorities this week will be competing for 80 minutes against Saints.
Coach Paul Cullen said: ?We will have to create our own luck by improving our discipline from the previous two encounters.
?Our shape, our structure, our gameplan and our tactics were sufficient to lead St Helens going into the final 60 seconds.
?Unfortunately our discipline at the play-the-ball was 1% off ? such are the margins in Super League X.?
Saints have brought in a new coach in Daniel Anderson since the sides last encountered each other and Cullen has been impressed with the Kiwi.
Last week?s Powergen Challenge Cup loss to Hull was Anderson?s first defeat since taking charge at Knowsley Road in May.
Cullen added: ?He is of international class and has certainly made his mark since his arrival.?
Warrington are nine points behind Saints in fourth place but are now serious Grand Final contenders having recruited Johns for the play-offs.
Anderson is anticipating another fiery occasion.
He said: ?There was the game when Keiron Cunningham scored and then there was the drop goal from Sean Long.
?It?s a local derby as well and it?s a home game for Warrington against Saints. It?ll be pretty spicy.?
Warrington v St Helens, Friday August 5, Halliwell Jones Stadium
Warrington 18-man squad: Grose, Fa?afili, M. Gleeson, Kohe-Love, N. Wood, Leikvoll, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Noone, M. Gleeson, Westwood, P. Wood, Lima, Appo, Bridge, Riley.
St Helens 18-man squad: Wellens, Albert, Lyon, Talau, Gardner, Hooper, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, P. Anderson, Gilmour, Sculthorpe, Roby, Wilkin, Graham, Fa?asavalu, Bennett, Edmondson.
Referee: I Smith
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Radlinski blow for Warriors
Coach Ian Millward will hope to get Wigan back into play-off contention as Salford visit the JJB Stadium on Friday.
Wigan beat the Reds in Millward?s first game in charge but have won only two of their seven matches since and are four points adrift of the play-off positions.
Centre Stephen Wild admits it has been a difficult season for the club but remains upbeat.
Wild said: ?It has been up and down with injuries, people coming and going.
?Confidence is a bit low at the moment because we lost again to Wakefield but we still have a goal to get into the top six.
?We know if we win our next seven games we will be up there in the top six, and if we are in the top six we will have a good chance of winning it.
?It is going to be a tough game but over the next seven games it doesn?t matter if you are playing a top side or a bottom side because everyone is fighting relegation or to get in the top six.?
Wigan?s hopes were not helped this week when Great Britain full-back Kris Radlinski was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury that requires surgery.
It was the latest in a series of blows for the club but Millward is not letting his spirits drop.
He said: ?I am very positive and I think the fans should worry when I am not positive.
?I think everyone needs to move on and look towards this week?s game against Salford.
?We have had a break, they have had a break. It will be a good game and hopefully we will get a victory.?
Wigan v Salford, JJB Stadium, Friday August 5
Wigan 18-man squad: Dallas, Aspinwall, Vaealiki, Carney, Orr, Moran, Seu Seu, Newton, Hargreaves, Tickle, Hansen, Wild, Sculthorpe, Beswick, Gleeson, Tomkins, Allen, Brown.
Salford 18-man squad: Beverley, Hodgson, Littler, Langi, Robinson, Shipway, Alker, Rutgerson, Fitzpatrick, Baldwin, Coley, Sibbit, Charles, Brocklehurst, Stringer, Hartley, Highton, McAvoy.
Referee: S P Ganson
Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for the above previews