‘We owe them one’ - St Helens’ Joe Batchelor ready for revenge against Wigan Warriors

Saints have an enviable track record when it comes to producing young talent and turning them into fully-fledged Super League players.

Jack Welsby, Lewis Dodd, Morgan Knowles and Matty Lees immediately spring to mind - but there are others who have started their career in the backwaters of the sport and had to work extra hard to achieve their ultimate goal.

Second rower Joe Batchelor (28) falls into that category and when he turned pro with Coventry Bears in 2016, he never dreamed one day it would lead to Grand Final and Challenge Cup triumphs and a call up to the England squad.

Now he is preparing for his seventh derby against deadly rivals Wigan Warriors at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday and hoping to play an influential part  in overturning the old enemy, who won the previous meeting 14-6 in April.

The Wakefield-born player, who joined Saints from Coventry and also had spells at York City Knights and Leigh, said: "We were on the wrong end of the result last time the two clubs met and we owe them one on home turf.

"Everyone is bouncing after our performance against Huddersfield Giants at the Magic Weekend but Wigan are a dangerous team, especially after a poor run of results, and will want to get back on the horse as soon as possible."

Batchelor missed the early part of the Super League season after an injury against St George Illawarra Dragons ruled him out of the World Club Challenge victory over NRL champions Penrith Panthers. He was forced to undergo surgery but is now fighting fit and against Huddersfield on Sunday he insisted that it was the best he had felt so far this season.

An upturn in the champions’ form has coincided with having a full quota of powerhouse forwards available for selection as they head towards the business end of the campaign.

"It’s either been a feast or a famine this year," said Batchelor, who believes Saints have one of the strongest set of forwards in the league but insists  that the current incumbents will need to be on their toes to keep their rivals at bay.