JUST TRY TO STAY CALM
JUSTIN HOLBROOK says St Helens should stop panicking over fears they will follow Castleford by finishing empty-handed this season.
The Tigers famously ran away with the league last year but failed to win either of the big two trophies.
Saints have been just as lethal for most of this season but they crashed out of the Challenge Cup in a surprise semi-final defeat to Catalans.
They followed that up with another shock defeat at home to Huddersfield, to get the nerves jangling among supporters.
Fatigue
Coach Holbrook said: “People are now saying what’s going wrong? I can understand why they are talking about Castleford.
“They were well clear at the top and we’re doing it this year but we are two completely different teams.
“It was our worst performance of the year against Huddersfield but it was with good reason.
“We want to win every game and we’ve not played well for two weeks now but it had a lot to do with the semi-final defeat.
“There were definite signs of fatigue. We wanted to win to make us feel better after the cup game but you do not get to win just because you lost the week before.”
Saints will clinch the League Leaders’ Shield if they win their next three games and will probably tie it up with only two more wins as their points difference is so good.
Cas also won the Shield after their third game in the Super 8s last year but went on to lose the Grand Final to Leeds.
Holbrook is determined his men will not falter and wants a big response at Wakefield tonight.
Trinity have little to play for, being too far adrift in sixth to challenge for a semi-final spot but they have already taken Saints’ scalp this year.
Leeds were the only other club to beat Saints in the regular season and Holbrook said: “They have always been there or thereabouts and I cannot remember them being beaten easily too often.
“They are a good side and a very big side and it’s a tough place to play.”
Injured winger Adam Swift will be replaced by Regan Grace, while Luke Thompson is suspended.