Saints' day may be dawning

Dave Hadfield expects an upset as rugby league's old enemies lock horns

THE ADVENT of the Super League and the shortened Stones Centenary Championship season has made a number of differences to tradition, one of which is that St Helens will greet Wigan at Knowsley Road tomorrow in an earlier than usual bank holiday battle. Another is that, for the first time in years, St Helens could finally overcome their old nemesis.

Saints are full of hope - not only that they can beat Wigan but also that they can go on to win the Championship. Unlike some years, there is a basis of reality behind that hope. Saints signed only one player over the summer - Dean Busby, who has not played yet because of a hand injury - but relative newcomers such as Scott Gibbs, Andy Northey and Apollo Perelini are now fully bedded in and Vila Matautia, enlisted late last season from Doncaster, is running with awesome power. The quality of Saints' youngsters was shown by their victory over Wigan in the Academy Challenge Cup final in May.

At the other end of the scale of experience is Phil Veivers, who arrived from Australia with Mal Meninga 11 years ago and has been part of all St Helens' desperate efforts to keep pace with Wigan ever since. "There's tremendous optimism this time," Veivers says.

An essential element in that team spirit is Saints' new captain, Bobby Goulding, who had an outstanding campaign last season and is thriving on the extra responsibility. They will know more after their ambitions have been put to the test tomorrow, but there is a definite feeling in St Helens that this season their time has come.