The final round of the Super League Super 8s begins on Thursday night as the first of four sides looking to secure one of the final two spots in next week’s semi-finals attempts to do so when St Helens head to the Salford Red Devils.
Salford’s season ends after this match and if St Helens don’t win then theirs will too. A win does not guarantee Saints a semi-final spot but it would take some miraculous results to deny them a place in the knockouts.
Salford Red Devils
This looked like being a real breakthrough season for the Salford Red Devils halfway through it. It must be said that it has petered out in the second half of it but Super League safety and a run to the Challenge Cup semi-final represents progress and gives them something to build on as they move forward.
Whether the semi-final defeat burst their balloon or whether they simply haven’t had the personnel to do the 30 match course and distance I’m not sure but we have seen, even recently, that when the Red Devils are good they are very good. Unfortunately for them when they are poor they are awful and that has cost them.
St Helens
It has been a season of two halves for St Helens too but if there is a right way to have a campaign like that they have done it the right way around. In sport these days, especially ones which see their competitions decided by playoffs, it is about how you finish a season rather than how you start it and Saints are finishing well.
A concern for them would be that their away form has not been great throughout the season. That might not be such an issue here, but they will be on their travels in the semi-finals next week, and they will certainly be under the pump in that against a side, who are likely to rest their key players in this round of matches to be fresh for that clash.
Team News
Kris Welham is back for the Salford Red Devils but George Griffin is out injured. Michael Dobson is not in the squad so he has played his final match for Salford. Robert Lui and Manu Vatuvei are included.
St Helens will go into battle with the same 19 man squad which dispatched Huddersfield Giants last week. Unless there is a late injury or illness it would be a surprise if they don’t name the same 17 too.
Betting
This is not a match I find too easy to get stuck into. St Helens are very short and are being asked to cover 16pts but in a match they will just be focused about winning that is not an equation I like especially against opponents who are under no pressure. That said Salford have gone far too Jekyll and Hyde to trust so my only betting interest is going to come in a tryscorer bet.
That man is James Roby who is a big price at 3/1 to notch a try at some point in the contest. The hooker may not have been as prolific in going over the try line this season as he has been in previous ones but Salford concede an insane amount of tries to the man in the number nine slot. I would imagine St Helens’ plan is to tire Salford out up the middle and Roby can take advantage of that to cross with one of his famous scurries.
Tips
Back J.Roby – Anytime Tryscorer for a 2/10 stake at 4.00 with William Hill
Back him here:
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