SAINTS have named their 19-man squad for Friday's First Utility Super League home opener with Huddersfield Giants.

All four of the club's new signings could be involved alongside Adam Swift and Alex Walmsley who didn't feature in pre-season.

Keiron Cunningham will select his 17 from:

2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift, 7. Luke Walsh, 8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Kyle Amor, 11. Atelea Vea, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 14. Lama Tasi, 15. Greg Richards, 16. Andre Savelio, 17. Luke Thompson, 18. Dominique Peyroux, 19. Theo Fages, 20. Joe Greenwood, 22. Jack Owens.

No Burns

Whats the story with Burns then? Dropped or injured? Super interesting if he's been dropped, he doesn't seem the sort to hang around and not cause a problem if he's playing in the reserves when he's fit. We'll definitely miss his aggression, we're back to thoroughly lacking a nasty individual without him. I assume we're going to be going with Theo at 6 and not messing about with the goose stepping Turner at 6?

Huddersfield by 20 based on the squad sheets

Cunningham said yesterday that we were "good to go" and only Lomax and McDonnell were not in contention. From that you can only assume he's been dropped.

Given the squad
22. Jack Owens.
2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Jordan Turner,
4. Mark Percival, 5. Adam Swift,

19. Fages 7. Luke Walsh,


8. Alex Walmsley, 9. James Roby, 10. Kyle Amor,
11. Atelea Vea, 13. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
12. Jon Wilkin

14. Lama Tasi, 15. Greg Richards, 16. Andre Savelio, 18. Dominique Peyroux

Thoughts of Peyroux at centre and Turner at 6 are preventing me from sleeping. Please can someone alleviate my concerns?

Owens
Makinson
Percival
Peyroux
Swift
Turner
Walsh
Walmsley
Roby
Amor
Vea
Greenwood
Wilkin

Fages
Tasi
LMS
Savelio

This is not what I'd go with but I think this is how he will set the team out with Fages interchanging with Roby every 20 mins

I would go along with that, might be difficult to give Greenwood a bench spot for this game.

www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/sai ... ld_Giants/ Some interesting comments from KC. Definitely reading between the lines. Hope he doesn't play Turner at 6 instead of Fages.

www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/sai ... ld_Giants/ Some interesting comments from KC. Definitely reading between the lines. Hope he doesn't play Turner at 6 instead of Fages.

That's exactly how I read it, Turner at 6. If it's about completing your sets then it makes sense to have a fresh hooker turning the screw so Fages and Roby will interchange to keep the pressure on and our forwards rolling.

Sounds like another boring night of RL is going to be served up from reading that.

Turner did ok at 6 in the few games he did there but he's never a 6 in a million years. I hope he puts fages there but imo Burns should get picked at 6 to start.

Is that article for real?? Sounds like a bore fest to open the season. Not the attitude surely to be talking about percentages/the arm wrestle?! Doesn't bode well.

I don't see the logic in signing Fages and not playing him at 6 with burns out. Instead we are putting a centre there who hasn't got a passing or kicking game? We would be going with effectively one hb who will be under even more pressure.

Don't like Turner at 6, he's no attacking threat at 6 would sooner have him at 3 the lesser of the 2 evils. We've got Walsh, Burns and Fages battling for the half back spots, Percy, Turner and Peyroux battling for centre position, Lomax, McDonnell and Owens battling for the full back. Can't see the point of a player being out of position unless we have a pile of injuries.

I thought Turner was a better 6 than burns towards the back end of the season as burns seemed to have lost his mojo after the first 8 or so games( probably after his face was smashed).

However that's fine when he is your only choice to replace burns but Fages is proven at this level and will benefit from a freer role at 6.

Putting Turner at 6 suggests to me a huge lack of trust in his defence, so much so they are willing to sacrifice his proven strike record for a safe pair of hands.

So Peyroux will need to up his game before the fans start calling for Turner to be moved back as he's not exactly setting hearts or minds alight so far.

Huddersfield always start well and despite bedroom antics in the off season will be well drilled.

i want exciting, expansive rugby more than anyone. I moaned about it enough last season but he's right, you have to play the conditions (and they're awful at the min) by giving your forwards momentum and direction. 2 fresh interchange hookers will provide you with that.

Win the arm-wrestle, try and get some points on the board and then the confidence will come to chance their arm a bit by using a bit of width when they're 8+ and not 8 behind and desperately trying to get back into it.

I'd like to see us go

Owens
Makinson
Percival
Turner
Swift
Fages
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Tasi
Vea
Greenwood
Wilkin

Walmsley
Savelio
LMS
Thompson

I think KC will go

Owens
Makinson
Peyroux
Percival
Swift
Turner
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Tasi
Vea
Wilkin
LMS

Savelio
Walmsley
Greenwood
Richards/Fages

I hope i'm wrong and Theo is 6. Turner offers very little at 6 apart from barging over the line when close enough. If he's not at centre he shouldn't be in there for me.

I've been told Fages and Greenwood miss out. Turner at 6. If true KC had better hope we win, if not then its pitch fork time.

Surely that cannot be true?

Interesting to see Warrington's drastic improvement over last season tonight. Surprisingly they look a competent and dangerous side now, amazing what investing in improving your squad can do. We on the other hand seem hell bent on alienating the fans and annoying as many people as humanly possible. The quotes from KC this week don't bode well and nor do the rumours about team selection. If Peyroux is a starting centre for us this year, we're in for a tough time.

I'd be disappointed if true, Greenwood is a strike forward which every team needs and Fages should be starting at 6.

We lost 0-19 to Hull FC first up last year.

Having said that we do look better prepared this year.

Looking forward to some live rugby.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that we should throw it about in torrential storms. I just think to come out, 4/5 days before a match (the season opener), and talk sbout percentages and the arm wrestle isn't positive at all - especially after last season. Even if this is the plan why provide those comments? He is aware that fans would pick up on it. Strange really

lost our first 3 games last season!

had a couple of nice win at the new stadium though so hoping for another but not very confident

If you won't be playing Greenwood can we have him? He's exactly what we are looking for!

I know what you mean mate. I'm just hoping that he's referring to getting the basics right first. Defence, completing the sets and winning the arm wrestle is the foundation for playing entertaining rugby and was definitely the foundation for Daniel Anderson's success.

I agree, he could sound more positive. Hopefully that will come with experience.

One thing I want to see in the next couple of games is control of our discipline, we where one of the worse teams in super league last year for giving away penalties. If we are concentrating on defence this season we don't want to see all those fouls given on the 4th and 5th tackles. Defence, kicking game then attack in that order please.