Super League: Friday's talking points and team news for all three matches
Reigning champions St Helens host Warrington Wolves in Friday's live Betfred Super League match; watch on Sky Sports Arena from 7.30pm (8pm kick-off); Two other matches on Friday - Wakefield Trinity vs Toulouse Olympique (7.30pm) and Salford Red Devils vs Hull Kingston Rovers (7.45pm)
Friday 11 March 2022 18:57, UK
We look at what is being said and team news ahead of Friday's three Betfred Super League matches, including St Helens versus Warrington Wolves live on Sky Sports...
St Helens vs Warrington Wolves (8pm - live on Sky Sports)
After losing their unbeaten record against last year's Grand Final runners-up in front of the Sky Sports cameras last Friday, Warrington now face the winners of the last three Grand Finals in front of the Sky Sports cameras this Friday.
That 24-18 defeat was disappointing from a Wolves perspective not just for the result but for the performance as well.
Live Betfred Super League
Head coach Daryl Powell is determined not to dwell on the first defeat of his time in charge of the club though, being more interested in how his team respond against St Helens.
"You lose games here and there and we're trying to shift our mentality to be more consistent, which is what I was talking about in the main last week," Powell said.
"There's a real motivation in the group and that's what you need if you're going to respond. Everybody's going to lose games but how you respond is pretty important. If we've got that right, it will show."
Saints, meanwhile, remained unbeaten with a 42-8 win away to Hull Kingston Rovers and lead the way in the early Super League standings with the highest number of points scored and fewest conceded so far.
Somewhat ominously for the rest of the competition though, head coach Kristian Woolf believes his team can get even better.
"Compared with this time last year, I thought then we had a lot of effort about us, we were winning games tough and in general defending quite well, but probably didn't have the footy side of things as good at that stage of the year," Woolf said.
"This year, I think that's where we've been a little bit better. We've been playing a bit better footy with that toughness, that work ethic and defending really well once again.
"We know we've got a lot more improvement in us and we can be a lot better than we were last week and the weeks before that, and that's exactly what we'll be aiming to do."
Both teams have made two changes to their 21-man squads, with youngster Jack Darbyshire and Rob Butler coming into the Wolves' squad in place of suspended duo Josh Charnley and Matt Davis.
Saints, meanwhile, are without Konrad Hurrell due to suspension. Curtis Sironen returns after serving a one-match ban, while Jon Bennison replaces Jake Wingfield.
Named squads
St Helens: Jack Welsby, Tommy Makinson, Will Hopoate, Mark Percival, Jonny Lomax, Lewis Dodd, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Sione Mata'utia, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles, Joey Lussick, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Curtis Sironen, Agnatius Paasi, Kyle Amor, James Bell, Josh Simm, Ben Davies, Jon Bennison.
Warrington Wolves: Matty Ashton, Joe Bullock, Rob Butler, Daryl Clark, Jason Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Jack Darbyshire, Riley Dean, Oliver Holmes, Jack Hughes, Toby King, Ellis Longstaff, Peter Mata'utia, Robbie Mulhern, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford, Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker, Gareth Widdop, George Williams.
Wakefield Trinity vs Toulouse Olympique (7.30pm)
Sylvain Houles is trying not to put too much pressure on his Toulouse players, even though he acknowledges Friday's match against Wakefield is already a huge match for both clubs.
Super League's two remaining winless teams go head to head at Be Well Support Stadium, with the French newcomers buoyed by the performance in last Saturday's match at home to Wigan Warriors.
Toulouse pushed the unbeaten Warriors all the way in the South of France before succumbing 29-28 to a late drop goal from Harry Smith and head coach Houles was encouraged by their display.
"We know the game against Wakefield will be crucial, we both desperately need the points even so early in the season, but I won't add any pressure on the boys, we just have to stick to our process and keep building," Houles said.
"They pushed Wigan all the way, so it is encouraging, but when you play sports you want to win.
"It's a tough one, I thought it was there for us to take it and it's no good complaining, we have to focus on the things that we can improve."
Houles makes one change to his 21-man squad for the trip to Wakefield, with Harrison Hansen coming in for Lloyd White.
Meanwhile, Morgan Escare is set to line up at full-back for Trinity after joining on an initial two-week loan deal with Max Jowitt suspended for two matches.
Liam Hood, Reece Lyne and Corey Hall are all back in contention though after being unavailable for last week's 34-18 defeat at home to Leeds Rhinos.
Named squads
Wakefield Trinity: Tom Johnstone, Reece Lyne, Mason Lino, Eddie Battye, Liam Hood, Tinirau Arona, Matty Ashurst, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jay Pitts, Jordy Crowther, Jai Whitbread, James Batchelor, Liam Kay, Jack Croft, Brad Walker, Yusuf Aydin, Sadiq Adebiyi, Harry Bowes, Corey Hall, Morgan Escare, David Fifita.
Toulouse Olympique: Paul Marcon, Lucas Albert, Romain Navarrete, Harrison Hansen, Andrew Dixon, Dominique Peyroux, Anthony Marion, Eloi Pelissier, Maxime Puech, Joe Bretherton, Joseph Paulo, Mitch Garbutt, Chris Hankinson, Justin Sangare, Guy Armitage, Matty Russell, Hugo Pezet, Olly Ashall-Bott, Tony Gigot, Ellis Robson, Maxime Stefani.
Salford Red Devils vs Hull Kingston Rovers (7.45pm)
Friday's other match sees two teams seeking to bounce back from heavy defeats face off at the AJ Bell Stadium, where Salford host Hull KR.
The Red Devils suffered a 34-2 defeat away to Huddersfield Giants in Round 4, with their only points coming from the boot of Ryan Brierley.
However, head coach Paul Rowley took some encouragement from what he saw from Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium.
"The scoreline suggests we were well beaten but it does not reflect the effort the boys put in," Rowley said.
"The execution of our attack was off but in defence we never gave in. We were tough, resilient and scrambled remarkably well."
Rowley has made just one change to his 21-man squad for the match with the Giants, bringing Sam Luckley in for Greg Burke, while visitors Hull KR have Ethan Ryan, Rowan Milnes and Kane Linnett back.
Lachlan Coote is unavailable due to a hamstring injury, while Brad Takairangi has been stood down by Rovers while he awaits sentencing for serious driving offences.
"We felt we needed to do something there and recognise the situation that Brad is in and make sure we do the best by him as well," head coach Tony Smith said.
"Sometimes that's by removing people from situations where they may not be able to fulfil to their best as well."
Named squads
Salford Red Devils: Ryan Brierley, Ken Sio, Tim Lafai, Joe Burgess, Brodie Croft, Marc Sneyd, Sitaleki Akauola, Andy Ackers, Shane Wright, James Greenwood, Elijah Taylor, Danny Addy, King Vuniyayawa, Ryan Lannon, Chris Atkin, Jack Ormondroyd, Rhys Williams, Matt Costello, Sam Luckley, Deon Cross, Alex Gerrard.
Hull Kingston Rovers: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton.
