Super League preview: St Helens v Warrington Wolves
Warrington will not have given up hope of securing the League Leaders' Shield ahead of Friday's St Helens clash.
Last Updated: 30/08/13 7:28pm
Tony Smith's men are three points behind the league leaders heading into the penultimate round of Super League action, although their trip to Langtree Park is far from a guaranteed two points.
Saints are one of the form teams in Super League and they need the points themselves in order for Nathan Brown's men to clinch fifth spot and hold off a challenge from the Catalan Dragons.
The teams have split the meetings so far this season with Saints claiming a 22-10 success at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in March before the Wolves exacted a measure of revenge with a 48-22 triumph at the Magic Weekend in Manchester.
Smith has named Gareth O'Brien and Rhys Evans in his 19-man squad as well as fit-again veterans Lee Briers, Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell.
O'Brien is in the mix after returning from his loan stint with Saints, while Rhys Evans recently made his comeback from a broken foot in Wolves' partner club Swinton Lions.
One change
St Helens have made just one change to their 19-man squad that beat the Wakefield Wildcats before the break for the Tetley's Challenge Cup final with Joe Greenwood coming in for Greg Richards.
James Roby is still missing for Brown while Sia Soliola continues to make his comeback.
"To try and keep improving is the key for us and what unfolds on the table will happen. We have won seven of our last eight games and that is the key," Brown told the St Helens Star.
"The next two weeks we face Warrington and Hull - two teams that have genuine chances.
"So over the next two weeks we will get a real good chance to learn where we are at and what we need to do to get better going into the play-offs and have success.
"To beat Warrington we are going to have to play better - but that is a better way to prepare for finals football."
St Helens: Wellens, Turner, Soliola, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Puletua, Wilkin, Manu, Laffranchi, Clough, Jones, Makinson, Greenwood, Walmsley, Swift, Walker, Howarth.
Warrington: C. Bridge, Briers, Carvell, Cooper, Evans, Grix, Harrison, Higham, Hill, McCarthy, J. Monaghan, M. Monaghan, Morley, O'Brien, Ratchford, C. Riley, Waterhouse, Westwood, Wood.