St Helens boosted by return of key players for Huddersfield Giants match

Saints will reveal their 21-man squad at lunch-time on Tuesday for the midweek for trip to Huddersfield and will be boosted by the return of several key players.

Konrad Hurrell and Sione Mata’utia will be raring to go after serving two-match bans and injury ravaged Will Hopoate is back in full training and expected to feature in his first Betfred Super League game of the season on Thursday.

But unless the club decide to appeal against a one-match penalty point issued by the RL Disciplinary Committee to Morgan Knowles on Monday for dangerous contact in Friday’s home match with Hull FC and win their case, the Cumbrian forward will be left kicking his heels in frustration on the sidelines.

Ben Davies  will also be marked absent and faces a spell of five or  six weeks inactivity due to ankle ligament damage  picked up against the Airlie Birds and there are question marks over  Mark Percival who suffered a calf injury in the pre-match warm up.

The centre, however, has not been ruled out of Thursday’s game and according to  head coach Paul Wellens it is a question of waiting and seeing how he progresses in the next couple of days.

The Giants, who lie fifth in the table and invariably give Saints a run for their money at the John Smith’s Stadium, are nobody’s mugs and this is not lost on Wello.

He said: "Huddersfield are  a workmanlike and  attritional side. They show a  great deal of patience and are happy to stay in a set-to-set grind as long as possible."

The Tykes will also toss ex-Saints centre Kevin Naiqama into the fray following his surprise return to Super League at the beginning of  the new campaign from the Sydney Roosters.

" We thought we had seen the last of him when he returned home, "said Wellens. ‘’He is a brilliant guy and player and was well liked when he played for us where he was an integral part of our success, but I hope he doesn’t have too  much success on Thursday night."