St Helens will parade their World Club Challenge trophy on the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday evening however head coach Paul Wellens is aware of his aspect’s victorious homecoming may go up in smoke in the event that they fail to prolong their successful begin to the brand new Betfred Super League season.
A house sell-out approaching 14,000 is anticipated for a repeat of final September’s Grand Final towards Leeds Rhinos, after Saints’ heroics in wresting a dramatic golden-point win over NRL champions Penrith Panthers in Australia two weeks in the past.
Captain James Roby, who misses out once more via harm, will take the trophy on a tour of the stadium at half-time, however Wellens is aware the carnival ambiance should not be allowed to detract from the duty in hand.
“We are in a bit of an unusual situation where the club has won a major honour in the first game of the season,” mentioned Wellens, who can even recall Tommy Makinson for the primary time for the reason that winger was pressured off through the win Down Under with a head harm.
“The supporters can sing, dance, clap and cheer as much as they want – but from us as a playing group it is about keeping consistency and performing well, week in week out because that is what our success has been built off in recent years.”
Saints shrugged off the jetlag with a removed from good 24-6 win at Castleford final Sunday, and Wellens acknowledged it’s too quickly to say whether or not the consequences of their hectic pre-season schedule may linger.
In the Rhinos they face a aspect struggling to get again into the groove after following their dismal opening defeat at Warrington with a close-run 22-18 loss to Hull FC at Headingley final Friday evening.
But whereas comparisons are inevitably drawn to his aspect’s determined begin final season that left them teetering on the brink of the relegation zone, Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith is adamant there is no such thing as a trigger for alarm.
Smith’s arrival at Headingley in April sparked a dramatic revival in fortunes that noticed them surge up the desk and in the end all the way in which to the season finale at Old Trafford, the place they proved no match for Friday’s opponents.
“Really you want to be firing on all cylinders at the end of the year,” insisted Smith. “There’s a lot of teams that start like a house on fire and fall in a heap. We haven’t started great, it hasn’t all been bad despite the two defeats.”
Smith, who may herald James Bentley for his first look of the season towards his former membership however should do with out ahead Morgan Gannon, believes Friday evening’s huge event may assist his personal aspect click on again into gear.
“You’d expect them to be chomping at the bit to get home and celebrate with their fans,” added Smith. “But there’s no better time for us to have a crack at the world champions. It’s a great opportunity for us.”
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