Super League Grand Final: St Helens vs Salford Red Devils talking points
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St Helens vs Salford
Super League
6:00pm Saturday 12th October
The Super League season climaxes on Saturday evening as Salford Red Devils along with St Helens do struggle in the Grand Final.
Saints come back in Old Trafford for a record time, intending to lift the Super League trophy for the first time since hammering Wigan Warriors 14-6 at the Grand Final five years ago.
Salford, on the other hand, have attained this point for the very first time in the clubs history and also have their sights on finishing a victory after being chased by many pundits to be involved in a relegation battle this year.
Here, we have a peek at some critical problems, data and team news as Saints and the Red Devils prepare to lock horns for Super League glory…
It will be a night for goodbyes on both sides at Old Trafford on Saturday, using names leaving from St Helens and Salford at the End of the Super League season.
For Saints, it is after agreeing to return home to Australia and take the same function with NRL unwanted Gold Coast Titans, their coach Justin Holbrook who is saying farewell.
Victory from the Grand Final are the perfect way to finish Travels years using the club for Holbrook, especially after falling out on promising the Challenge Cup.
St Helens captain James Roby made no secret of how the desire to provide a winning send-off to Holbrook is an additional motivational factor for the players as well as the impact the 43-year-old has created was praised by the hooker.
Justin departing adds another reason for us, Roby said. What hes done for us as a team and to find the town generally over the last few years was brilliant, and there could be nothing more fitting in my own eyes than to ship him home as a winner.
But we have got Salford in front of those who are a top high quality team, have been playing quite well, and completely deserve where theyre and the story-line which goes with it.
However on the Red Devils aspect, it is several of the players whove been instrumental.
Of those named in Ian Watsons 19-man group to the Grand Final, Jackson Hastings and Jake Bibby are currently linking Wigan Warriors, George Griffin is off to Castleford Tigers and Josh Jones is currently making the change on to Hull FC.
Were fully focused on sending them out on a high, Salford captain Lee Mossop said. Weve been driving a wave for the past a couple of months and it is an excellent spot to be at the moment.
Everybody is buzzing, but Ill be unbelievably proud to lead them out.
St Helens are the dominant group in Super League this season, wrapping the League Leaders Shield and going on to finish top of this table with a record margin of 16 points.
It wasnt any real surprise to watch Holbrook nominated for the trainer of the year award, combined with Grand Final reverse number Watson, London Broncos Danny Ward and Warringtons Steve Price.
He duly carried off that accolade in the Man of Steel awards ceremony on Sunday night and Holbrook would much rather get his hands on the Super League trophy, while this was a source of gratification.
I was pleased to win the award, however as we all know it is the prize most of us want to triumph on Saturday, Holbrook said.
Im proud of these players, to be honest. To finish 16 points clear at the conclusion of their regular season and the largest winning margin in the history of Super League is an great effort from these, and credit to their consistency this season.
Neither is Holbrook on becoming his side as best getting too wrapped up in the emotion of it being his final game in charge of St Helens, along with his focus firmly.
I have been asked a lot about the emotion of this being my last match in charge, but Im not concerned about any of that, Holbrook said.
My attention would be on this weeks instruction and the game on Saturday, and everything happens then I will deal with it then. Until then, we just crack on as ordinary and look ahead of Saturday.
Following a first half of the season, an eight-game winning streak triggered by a victory off to Warrington on July 12 lifted Salford into a third-place finish at the conclusion of the regular season.
A defeat Wigan Warriors in the opening across the play-offs didnt derail the Red Devils, that rebounded to see off Castleford Tigers in the elimination match followed by avenging the defeat away to Wigan in fashion Friday.
That saw them reach the Grand Final for the first time in the clubs history and if it was a surprise to a lot of observers after battling to prevent relegation those within the team had long held as a goal.
Red Devils skipper Lee Mossop place their rise in 2019 down though he sensed their inconsistent form up till July down to still shook off the consequences of being involved in a relegation fight.
We had high expectations, so we noticed just how well wed prepared and trained, however at the start of the year something wasnt clicking, Mossop said.
On reflection, I put that down to a bit of jet-lag from the year before. We had been in that relegation battle for a period there also and it can take its toll on you confidence-wise.
For some reason, three or even four weeks ago, something clicked. All of us began believing, buying and working for each other than they were, and also in league its for those who make slip-ups, that staff who works.
It happens every week if you want to scramble and it works well for youpersonally, and that is what weve based our success on so far.
Both of the years Super League regular-season encounters between St Helens and Salford have gone the way of the Prior, with Saints triumphing 26-4 in the AJ Bell Stadium in February.
Whereas Regan Grace, Jonny Lomax and Mark Percival all crossed well roby led the way with two attempts for those visitors and Lachlan Coote kicked three goals. The Red Devils sole score came out of Derrell Olpherts.
It was a different story once the sides met at Totally Wicked Stadium in May, however, where they played a see-saw contest for which the result was in still with under a minute to move .
Also one from Makinson and two tries from Coote helped St Helens to a 16-0 lead with barely 12 minutes. But the goal-kicking of Krisnan Inu, also attempts from Gil Dudson and Niall Evalds saw the Red Devils flip it about to lead by 2 points in half-time.
Evalds score and another attempt from Robert Lui helped push the lead out for the Saints to mount a comeback, just to 14 points.
Then, with only 35 minutes to go, James Bentley crossed for the home side to level the scores and full-back Coote slotted on the conversion to seal the win.
Both head coaches have named unchanged squads from their matches for Saturdays Grand Final showdown.
St Helens 19-man squad: Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, Mark Percival, Regan Grace, Theo Fages, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Luke Thompson, Zeb Taia, Joseph Paolo, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Morgan Knowles, Kyle Amor, Dom Peyroux, Jack Ashworth, Aaron Smith, James Bentley, Lachlan Coote
Salford Red Devils 19-man squad: Niall Evalds, Kris Welham, Jake Bibby, Lee Mossop, Josh Wood, Gil Dudson, Josh Jones, George Griffin, Mark Flanagan, Joey Lussick, Adam Walker, Greg Burke, Tyrone McCarthy, Logan Tomkins, Ken Sio, Krisnan Inu, Tui Lolohea, Jackson Hastings, Josh Johnson
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