GRAND FINAL

Summit’s up for upwardly mobile Saints

Tommy Makinson first try scorer ST HELENS have already climbed one mountain in the last month – now Jonny Lomax wants them to conquer another.

Coach Justin Holbrook used the recent week off before their semifinal win over Wigan to take the team up Snowdonia, the highest peak in Wales.

Lomax (below, left) admits it was new to him and several others, but feels the change in scenery has helped the Saints squad ahead of tonight’s Old Trafford showdown against

Salford.

He said: “Billinge

Hill was the best I’d managed before that! I was a bit sceptical at first, I’m not going to lie.

“But I enjoyed it.

Snowdon was a bit of a slog getting up there – it’s harder than you think. It was probably a season of dominance with the main bit of undercover conditioner – prize. Lomax’s side are pre-match some metres in the legs with a favourites but he has stressed that different stimulus, which is good. Justin Holbrook’s players aren’t “It just cleared the mental load of buying into Sky pundit Phil Clarke’s the season. Sometimes that week assessment that several of the Red off is more about the mental side of Devils squad are of Championship things than the physical one, standard. having a bit of down-time to give “Even earlier in the year I think you that buzz again going forwards. some things about them in the “The actual experience of being media just didn’t align with our with the lads was great, and the feelings and thoughts towards following day when we went to them,” added Lomax.

Adventure Snowdonia “They’re a quality side that are and did littered with NRL quality some surfing.” throughout – not just the guys from Saints had overseas but you can throw Mark another blank Flanagan, Tyrone Mccarthy and weekend while Lee Mossop into that as well. Salford were “That is always going to make comprehensively them a threat and they’ve got a eliminating litany of Grand Final winners in and amongst that.

Wigan. “When you add in the class of But their Jackson Hastings this year you’ve training over got a real quality side with threats the last all over the field. fortnight has “Some of the stuff that has been been more conventional said in the media is wrong. as “We’re well aware of the challenge they look to in this game, because especially end a Super over the latter end of the year League they’ve been fantastic.”