Saints v Crusaders: Teams
St Helens are expected to welcome back five key players for Friday's game against Crusaders at the Stobart Stadium.
Last Updated: 26/05/11 11:07am
St Helens are expected to welcome back five key players for Friday's game against Crusaders at the Stobart Stadium.
Saints were without 10 players for their last Super League outing - a defeat at Huddersfield - but Kyle Eastmond, Josh Perry, Andrew Dixon, Jonny Lomax and Lee Gaskell are all set to return.
Royce Simmons' side thrashed Featherstone 70-0 in the Carnegie Challenge Cup last weekend but were beaten in their last league fixture, going down 40-18 away at Huddersfield.
Meanwhile, Crusaders centre Gareth Thomas has been ruled out for a fortnight with a neck injury, but coach Iestyn Harris welcomes back hooker Lincoln Withers and second rower Jason Chan.
Withers is back from a five-match lay-off with a hamstring injury, while Chan has recovered from a leg injury.
Their return means Adam Peek and Gil Dudson drop out of the 19-man squad for what will be a tough away game.
"St Helens are a dangerous side," said Crusaders' Stuart Reardon. "They're a team that you never write off they look strong again this year.
"They've really recruited well and they will definitely be there or thereabouts come the play-offs. We've got a few players back from injury and after the win over Wakefield we're heading into this game with a lot of confidence."
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Shenton, Soliola, Meli, Eastmond, Perry, Roby, Graham, Wilkin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Ashurst, Dixon, Lomax, Magennis, Foster, Gaskell, Makinson, Hale.
Crusaders squad: Schifcofske, Mellars, Reardon, Witt, Sammut, O'Hara, Withers, Bryant, Cahill, Chan, Winternstein, James, Flower, Hanbury, Kear, White, Moore, Lupton, Tansey.
