Saints coach Nathan Brown talks to the Star’s Mike Critchley about injuries, the Leeds game and opportunities for his young guns in the pack.

MC: Given the injuries and suspensions has your outlook changed from last week with regards to what you expect from this run of games?

NB: As long as we compete with the best that we have got and the personnel that play do their business to the best of their ability then that is the key.

Last week was just about winning with all the disruption we had and losing Lance on game day. It was a case of going to Wakefield and getting a win because that is a tricky place to go.

Wilko had a good second half for us and off the back of that we played with some composure and then the rest of the boys got into gear. It was just pleasing to get a win and was not about how well we did or didn’t play.

MC: It is a long casualty list, would any of those players be playing if it was the cup this weekend?

NB: If someone is not fit, he will not be going out. If player X is carrying a knock we would not risk them, but if they are fit the best way they can prepare for Huddersfield is for them to play.

We have also got the nine-day turnaround so that is a good one from our point of view.

MC: Injuries have taken some of the edge off the Leeds game, but in some ways it has taken the pressure off your team?

NB: In some ways yes, because if both teams were at full strength it would be different.

At the moment the opinion of most experts is that Leeds will be well fancied to win.

We will go in with less pressure on us, but there is pressure from within because our players going out there need to perform to their best.

Joe Greenwood, Anthony Walker and Greg Richards need to perform to the best of their ability – and then there is pressure on the senior blokes like Sia Soliola to lift their performance to help the younger guys.

MC: It is not a scratch side you are fielding, despite all the injuries and suspensions?

NB: They have all got Super League experience and come into a team that has won six on the trot, which is different to last year when they were coming into a team that had lost three in a row. They have played in much tougher circumstances, but obviously the opposition are a tough team.

MC: The first 15 minutes will be quite tough without Alex Walmsley and now Kyle Amor, does that mean you have to pitch Mose Masoe in at the start?

NB: We are definitely going to start Mose this week. He is starting to play more minutes for us and at some stage we wanted to start him to work out our best starting side so this is a good week with those two out. So it will be Mose starting with one of the younger ones will be the best way to go.

We will try and run some experience with some youth if we can with Boof and Greg Richards and Anthony Walker in there too.

MC: James Roby has made an outstanding start to season – maybe without the plaudits. How do rate his start?

NB: He plays good or very good every week. When you are one of best players in the world that is the reality of what you should do. That is why the club went to great lengths to keep him.

Every time we go into a game I feel he will be one of our best players and plays well every week. Our young guys have also been very consistent – Swifty and Tommy, and Jonny Lomax.

MC: Josh Jones has been consistent – he was like a bull charging over on Sunday. With Mark Percival returning will Jones be going back into the pack?

NB: If Percy plays Josh will go back to the forwards. He prefers it in there.

MC: Are you worried about the three tries on your line in consecutive weeks?

NB: The two hooker ones don’t make me feel great. Hopefully we will learn our lesson. The reality is that the opposition dummy half is a really good player so if you go to sleep on your try line nobody else can save your bacon.