City Reds v Saints: Teams
Salford will be looking to beat St Helens at the Willows for a third straight year when the two sides clash on Friday night.
Last Updated: 17/02/11 3:37pm
Salford will be looking to beat St Helens at the Willows for a third straight year when the two sides clash on Friday night.
Saints have not won at the home of the City Reds since 2007, though they did triumph 58-34 the last time the teams met in Super League action.
The hosts are without Wayne Godwin after he was handed a two-match ban for striking during the 42-12 defeat to Crusaders.
The hooker was shown a red card on debut after landing a blow on Crusaders captain Clinton Schifcofske during the closing stages of the game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff last Sunday.
Godwin appealed against the severity of the sentence, claiming that Schifcofske was the instigator and that he only threw one open-handed punch which hit the shoulder of his opponent, but the appeals tribunal ruled that the former Wigan and Bradford player should take responsibility for his actions.
His place in the 19-man squad goes to Ray Cashmere, who is available again after missing opening weekend due to suspension.
Salford coach Shaun McRae is likely to switch Matty Smith to hooker in Godwin's absence, meaning a start for Stefan Ratchford in the half-backs.
"Clearly I'm not happy with the number of suspensions we've had," said McRae. "We've got to be more disciplined than that and it's something we're working on."
Injury problems
St Helens, meanwhile, already have injury problems after just one week of the 2011 campaign.
James Graham, who captained the side in the dramatic 16-16 draw against Wigan in the Welsh capital, is ruled out with a shoulder injury.
The England prop joins Leon Pryce, new recruit Josh Perry and Gary Wheeler, another casualty from the Wigan game, on the sidelines.
Paul Wellens is also a major doubt having been forced off against the Warriors with a rib problem. However, the experienced full-back has been named in the 19-man squad in the hope he will recover in time.
Coach Royce Simmons is able to call upon the services of Chris Flannery, while Shaun Magennis, Lee Gaskell and Tom Makinson have been drafted in.
Salford squad: Patten, Broughton, Henry, Nero, Gibson, Ratchford, Holdsworth, Neal, Godwin, Jewitt, Spencer, Adamson, Wild, Smith, Sneyd, Parker, Paleaaesina, Sidlow, Cashmere.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Shenton, Soliola, Meli, Eastmond, Roby, Puletua, Wilkin, Flannery, Moore, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Clough, Dixon, Lomax, Magennis, Foster, Gaskell, Makinson.