Double boost for St Helens as 21-man squad revealed for Grand Final against Leeds Rhinos

Injury-jinxed Will Hopoate is back in St Helens’ 21-man squad ahead of Saturday night’s Grand Final against Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford .

The Tongan international has been plagued by injury problems for a large part of his first season at St Helens but will be hoping to get the nod from head coach Kristian Woolf and end the year on a high.

He has only featured in 11 games during the present campaign since arriving from Canterbury Bulldogs - but is hoping his experience and versatility will be used to tip the balance of the final St Helens’ way.

He is joined in the squad by England international Morgan Knowles who last night had a two-match ban overturned following a second appeal.

Squad: Jack Welsby, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Will Hopoate, 4. Mark Percival, 6. Jonny Lomax, 9. James Roby, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Sione Mata’utia, 12. Joe Batchelor, 13. Morgan Knowles, 14. Joey Lussick, 15. LMS, 16. Curtis Sironen, 17. Agnatius Paasi, 19. Jake Wingfield, 20. James Bell, 21. Josh Simm, 22. Ben Davies, 23. Konrad Hurrell, 24. Dan Norman, 27. Jon Bennison.

Leeds: 4. Liam Sutcliffe, 5.Ash Handley, 6. Blake Austin, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Kruise Leeming, 10. Matt Prior, 11. James Bentley, 12 Rhyse Martin, 13 Zane Tetevano, 14 Brad Dwyer, 16 Richie Myler, 17 Cameron Smith, 19 Bodene Thompson, 20. Tom Briscoe, 22. Sam Walters, 24. Jarrod O’Connor, 25 .James Donaldson, 28. Muizz Mustapha, 29. Liam Tindall, 32 .Jack Sinfield, 33. Zak Hardaker.