Saints v Wolves: Teams
Paul Johnson is hoping that Warrington can buck a dismal trend against local rivals St Helens on Friday.
Last Updated: 15/02/08 3:41pm
Paul Johnson is hoping that Warrington can buck a dismal trend against local rivals St Helens and take a long-awaited Super League victory when the two sides meet on Friday evening.
The ambitious Wolves go into the match against their arch rivals without a victory over Saints since 2001 and having not tasted victory at Knowsley Road for 14 years.
Since Warrington scored a 56-22 home win seven years ago, St Helens have remained unbeaten in 18 meetings, including two draws, and have won the last 12 matches.
Having joined the club from Bradford just over a year ago, Johnson is largely untarnished by the horrendous run of defeats.
Team-building
Although aware of the record, Johnson claims that the team-building work undertaken by the Wolves will stand them in good stead this time around.
"It's just one of those things. It's probably a bit of a mental block," said Johnson, one of only seven players to appear in all 13 seasons of Super League.
"But this year the team has had a general overhaul. There are all the new signings and we've a new captain in Adrian Morley. It's a new start and the best team will win on Friday."
With Saints left reeling following both a shock first-round loss at Hull KR and an early run of injuries, Warrington know they have an excellent chance of securing a long-awaited win.
However, Johnson believes the Challenge Cup holders' defeat at Craven Park might have stung Saints into action.
"They will know what they did wrong and for it to happen twice on the bounce is unlikely," he said.
"I don't think it's going to make it easier that they lost last week. If anything, it will make it harder."
Following the close-season signing of overseas quartet Matt King, Michael Monaghan, Chris Hicks and Louis Anderson, Warrington are being viewed as an outside bet for Super League success this year.
New recruit
After suffering a career-threatening neck injury, Johnson, too, feels like a new recruit after making little impression in his first season at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
"I thought I was going to have to pack in," said the former Wigan centre or second rower, who tasted Grand Final success with Bradford in 2005.
"It turned out it wasn't as serious as they first thought and I'm chuffed to bits that I can carry on playing."
Still without full-back Stuart Reardon and prop Paul Wood, Warrington are forced to make one change to the side that beat Hull, with second rower Andy Bracek and loose forward Simon Grix vying to take the place of the suspended Steve Pickersgill.
Already without Willie Talau, Jason Cayless and Paul Sculthorpe, St Helens coach Daniel Anderson has been dealt two further injury blows with the losses of Great Britain forwards Jon Wilkin and Maurie Fa'asavalu.
Wilkin is out for six to eight weeks with medial knee ligament damage, while Fa'asavalu is out for six weeks with a broken thumb.
Saints include youngsters Gareth Frodsham, an 18-year-old prop yet to play in Super League, and Chris Dean, 19, a centre or winger, in their 18-man squad.
St Helens 18-man squad: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Meli, Pryce, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, Gilmour, Roby, Bennett, Flannery, Graham, Hargreaves, Clough, Tyrer, Frodsham, Dean.
Warrington 18-man squad: Hicks, Gleeson, King, Penny, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Clarke, Rauhihi, Louis Anderson, Westwood, Vinnie Anderson, Gleeson, Parker, Johnson, Grix, Bracek, Bridge.