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Saints must set record straight by impressing against Bulls

Dave Hadfield
Friday 21 February 2003 01:00 GMT
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St Helens pride themselves on their ability to bounce back after a setback, and that quality will be put to the sternest of tests on the opening night of Super League.

Their 38-0 thrashing by the Sydney Roosters last week has raised questions over whether Saints are capable of retaining the title they won in such dramatic circumstances with a last-minute drop goal at Old Trafford last October.

Those questions might be desperately premature, but they will be heard loud and clear if they fail to perform tonight against Bradford, their great rivals of the Super League era.

A veteran of numerous confrontations between the two sides, James Lowes, expects an extra edge to the game tonight. "Saints will be very disappointed with their display in the World Club Challenge and will be looking to put the record straight," he said. "But, even though it's a big game and the best possible start to the competition, it will have no bearing on what will happen at the end of the season."

Saints could field the same squad that were embarrassed at Bolton last Friday, with their full-back Paul Wellens still unlikely to be fit after knee surgery and Darren Albert expected to continue in the position.

Their coach, Ian Millward, could make some positional changes, however, such as starting with one of his new Australians, Jason Hooper, at stand-off after Saints suffered from a lack of direction from half-back against the Roosters.

The Bulls, so disappointed by their controversial Grand Final defeat last season that their coach, Brian Noble, said he had to spend "a couple of weeks in Rampton" before he recovered his equilibrium, will still be without the injured Tevita Vaikona and Michael Withers. That means that Leon Pryce will play full-back, with the two new signings, Karl Pratt and Shontayne Hape, in the three-quarter line for an all-ticket match on a pitch which will present no problems now that a thaw has set in.

The Warrington coach, Paul Cullen, will be without the injury victims Lee Penny and Warren Stevens for tomorrow's game at Huddersfield, with Rob Smyth also likely to be ruled out by gastro-enteritis.

Leeds' Daryl Powell has a selection dilemma of the right kind for Sunday's visit of London, with Barrie McDermott and Danny Ward passed fit. Both are likely to start the match.

The Sydney Roosters say they want to start contract negotiations with their Great Britain second-rower, Adrian Morley, after what they describe as a big offer from Leeds to rejoin them when his contract expires at the end of this season.

Wigan have appointed their former player and ex-Great Britain prop, Shaun Wane, as their new Under-18 coach.

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