FORMER Saints skipper and back-to-back Man of Steel Paul Sculthorpe gives his views in his latest Star column. in association with competition sponsors Betfred.

IT never really took off for Josh Charnley in union – and it’s great for Warrington and the Betfred Super League as a whole that he’s back in RL!

High profile players like him are great for our game.

Let’s hope he can return to the form when he switched codes in 2016.

With two extra players and less space in the RU Premiership, Josh didn’t make the impact he would have hoped. As well as there being less room, wing play is very different in union and that clearly didn’t suit his powerful running game, much suited to rugby league.

He found the going tough with Sale with his stats of just four tries in 32 appearances contrasting markedly with his Super League career, touching down 164 times in 173 appearances for Wigan.

I’m not that surprised he’s back, but I am surprised he’s not back at Wigan where he helped the club to two Super League titles and two Challenge Cup triumphs.

He’s a powerful lad, and a great finisher who will benefit from the ruling that you can now take out the corner flag!

Warrington are always going to be interested when a quality player comes available – especially after the start they have had in 2018 – saying that, probably their best offensive performance came last week in their 26-0 demolition of Catalan.

So to the Saints, and the form of the table-toppers dipped significantly against Leeds in a match that sadly didn’t live up to its pre-game billing.

Three players, skipper James Roby, Ben Barba and Luke Thompson were again outstanding in a poor team performance.

It was a scratchy game to put politely, but we know St Helens and Leeds are littered with quality players and will be up there at the end of the season challenging for honours.

Wigan are also finding their form of recent, and will have set their goals for silverware come October.

I’m very much looking forward to the ‘old derby’ on Good Friday at TW Stadium!

Saints will be disappointed and will be looking for a vast improvement with the ball this week, completion rate and being more ruthless how they finish their sets - and it will certainly be a tough trip across the M62 to Hull KR on Friday. They play a buoyant Rovers who had a morale-boosting win at Huddersfield last weekend.

Betfred have Charnley 6/1 to score first for Wire against Wakefield on Friday – and even money for him to get amongst the points anytime. I’m predicting Saints will be out to prove last week was a minor blip – and will beat HKR by 16 points which is 7/4.

Betfred latest Grand Final outright winners odds: Saints 2/1, Wigan 4/1, Castleford 5/1, Leeds 5/1, Hull 8/1, Warrington 9/1, Wakefield 33/1, Huddersfield 100/1, Salford 200/1, HKR 250/1, Catalans 250/1 and Widnes 250/1.