Saints v Wolves: Teams
St Helens welcome back James Graham and Paul Wellens for the opening match at their temporary home in Widnes.
Last Updated: 24/02/11 2:28pm
St Helens welcome back James Graham and Paul Wellens when they begin life at their temporary home in Widnes with a clash against local rivals Warrington.
Saints will play their home games this season at Stobart Stadium as they wait for work to be completed at a new ground.
And they have been boosted by the return of joint captains Graham and Wellens, who both missed the 56-20 demolition of Salford last weekend through injury.
Stand-off Leon Pryce has still not recovered from a groin problem, however, while back-rower Shaun Magennis is absent due to a wrist injury.
The Wolves own a dismal record against their bitter rivals in the modern era and had not won at Knowsley Road since 1994, but Saints coach Royce Simmons has played down the relevance of the winning run.
"History is just that for me. More important is that we do give a good effort in our home game, especially our first one at Widnes," he told the club's official website.
Fans
"We are trying to say to our fans, 'This is our home ground for 12 months and we want you to come here and support us'.
"The fans have to buy into that but it is us that have to lead it, show a lot of energy and commitment early in the game and get them behind us, so they can jump on the back of it."
Simmons added: "Warrington have been beaten in the past due to their attitude rather than their class - sometimes they must have been thinking, 'Oh no we are going to Knowsley Road where we lose.'
"But I went watching the Warrington v Hull KR at the weekend and it was a good game of football with two big packs going at each other. Warrington have got good finishing on the edges. They have got a good attacking kicking game. They hung in there and won the game."
Warrington are still dealing with the injury fallout of their Millennium Magic defeat to Huddersfield as Matt King, Chris Bridge and Mike Cooper are long-term absentees.
Loose forward Simon Grix and hooker Jon Clarke are also missing from the squad, leading coach Tony Smith to call-up back-rower Tyrone McCarthy and 18-year-old centre Rhys Evans.
The Wolves scraped past Hull KR last time out after their opening-day defeat to the Giants, while St Helens fought back to draw with Wigan in Cardiff before thrashing Salford.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Shenton, Soliola, Meli, Eastmond, Roby, Graham, Puletua, Wilkin, Flannery, Moore, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Clough, Dixon, Lomax, Foster, Gaskell, Makinson.
Warrington squad: Anderson, Atkins, Blythe, Briers, Carvell, Evans, Harrison, Higham, Hodgson, McCarthy, Mitchell, J. Monaghan, M. Monaghan, Morley, Myler, Riley, Solomona, Westwood, Wood.