Salford take on St Helens today in their final game of 2017 season. Paul Parkin looks at where the game will be won or lost tonight.
So here we are, we’ve reached the end of the line for 2017 and what a strange year it has been. For me I don’t know if I should be celebrating some fantastic achievements or reflecting on what could have been.
I suppose if you asked me back in February where I thought we’d finish or what we should be looking to achieve then I’d have thought anywhere in the top 8 and avoiding the middle 8’s and of course the MPG, so in that way I should be happy throw in a Challenge Cup semi-final and I should be popping open a bottle of Bollinger and sitting back with a huge smug smile on my face. However, then there’s the “what could’ve been” we’ve fallen off shockingly over the final couple of months had we been able to continue with the form that got us so many good results and reports then maybe we’d have made the cup final and finished off with semi-finals shot in the Super League.
But as I say if you’d have told me how this season has panned out I would have asked you to consult your GP, we’ve achieved more than I thought we could and to that end we should be happy overall.
Anyway, back to Thursday, whilst this game means little more than farewell for this season to us for Saints it’s a must win, with our game being first up this weekend they can’t wait and rely on other results to see where they’ll finish could be 3rd, 4th or 5th and they’ll be very keen to avoid the latter of them. However, let’s hope that our boys play their hearts out for one last time this season and g9ive us one last memories of this season to take with us into and through the winter. Tough ask against a team playing as well as Saints have been of late but I’ve a feeling this may be closer than something.
Cheers for reading the previews throughout the season and many of many rambles its much appreciated and I look forward to doing it all again in 2018. UP THE REDS!
Battle 1: Rob Lui v Ben Barba
OK these two probably won’t be going head to head position wise but they could provide the entertainment. Both are gifted players with plenty of skill, fantastic step and an eye for any defensive lapses.
Lui has been a stand out player for us this season and maybe the one blot on his copy book may just be that blast second kick at Saints earlier this season and I’m sure he’ll be keen to make amends.
As for Barba he’s a real star of the game, despite his “misdemeanour” but 101 tries in 170 games. 99 of them at the very top level in the NRL, still only 28 he’s got plenty in front of him, he’s a proper threat.
Battle 2: Gareth O’Brien v Theo Fages
With there being an opening in the half backs up for grabs Gaz has a massive opportunity to impress coach Watson into giving him the role permanently for next season, he’ll have his work cut out though against a well organised Saints defence, it’s not a position he’s not familiar with as he career before joining Salford was in that role, he like the man he’s up against will be facing former colleagues which is always a mouth-watering challenge.
The man up against him is former Saford favourite Theo Fages, a canny young player who we watched develop in the Red shirt has continued to grow his reputation at Saints, a smart player with a point to prove.
Battle 3: Josh Jones v Morgan Knowles
Another player up against his former paymasters is our own wrecking ball Josh Jones, strong as an ox with a fantastic offload is always a danger to opponents and often gets us rolling forward he’s up against the Cumbrian second rower Morgan Knowles both players are of similar build and both have matching skillsets, Knowles is a versatile forward with a bright future and will be keen to prove to the Saints faithful that he is more than a capable replacement for Jones.
Ex players
Paul Groves, a superb hooker who had an outstanding career for Salford and St Helens. He made his Salford debut at Keighley in April 1983 and went os to represent the cluv on 102 occasions scoring 15 tries. St Helens came in to buy im for £40k in October 1987. He played over 160 times for the Saints. Paul also represented Great Britain in 1987.
Paul Southern a great prop forward for salford who also played for saints. A local lad who always gave 100% on the field and a good goal kicker too.
A Irish international too who played for his country 8 times
Chris Morley is another Salford lad who played for both clubs, he played 78 times for saints scoring 8 tries.
A powerful forward he represented Wales 13 times scoring 2 tries
He played 1 season at Salford Red Devil's in 1999.
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