‘Raw ingredients’ - St Helens boss Paul Wellens on Salford Red Devils threat

There is little to suggest at this stage of the season that the Betfred Super League is on the verge of sorting the wheat from the chaff. Only four points separate the top four clubs - and that doesn’t include red-hot trophy favourites and holders St Helens, who have a game in hand on 10 of their rivals.

Admittedly, Paul Wellens’ champions haven’t yet set the world alight in the defence of their title and Paul Rowley’s Salford Red Devils, who are lying fifth in the table, will be quietly confident they can add to their seven victories so far in 2023 when they visit the Totally Wicked Stadium on Saturday (kick-of 1pm).

It has all the makings of a rip-roaring encounter with Saints fully aware that an upturn in form is needed sooner rather than later, but picking up maximum points won’t be easy against the ever-improving Mancunians.

Saints boss Wellens said: “Salford have been playing great and are growing in stature all the time, possess an in-depth squad which has the raw ingredients to be a top side due to their competitive nature.

“We have massive respect for them by the way they have developed over recent years and we face a tough 80 minutes.”

Saints squad: Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Wingfield, Bell, Norman, Davies, Royle, Ritson, Delaney, Bruines.