CHAMPIONS Saints will have to be on their mettle when they begin the defence of their title with a tough home clash against a Catalans Dragons side that have recruited well in the off-season.

The jewel in the Dragons crown is NRL bad boy Todd Carney, whose flair and capabilities on the park have often been overshadowed by tawdry antics off it.

But while the broader media focus on Dally M winner Carney – Saints will be pretty content to see their own star stand-off recruit Travis Burns under the radar.

In the two warm-up games Burns has already shown the reasons why they brought him over from Hull KR – a boot that can plunder 40/20s, the vision and passing game to shift the ball and that element of Hooperesque dog that can fire his teammates and get under the skin of the opposition in equal measure.

The Burns v Carney duel will be just one of the intriguing battles on the first weekend of Super League XX – but the most decisive one will come in the middle with Saints’ six taking on a pretty abrasive Dragons pack bolstered by the return of Remi Casty from his stint in the NRL.

Saints coach Keiron Cunningham knows that the Dragons, who finished the back end of last season as the form team of the league, will pose a massive challenge in his first senior game in charge.
He said: “Catalans are a brilliant side who have probably recruited better than anybody else in the competition.
“Todd Carney can win a competition on his own, has won Grand Finals and been in play-offs. 

“Carney is great for the Super League competition, regardless of what people say about him and what he gets up to off the field.
“I know he is a super athlete and has that desire and will to win that will only help Catalans.
“Anyone criticising him would have him in their side in a heartbeat.”

But Cunningham, who took over the top job from Nathan Brown in the off season, is more focused on getting his side up to the mark for Friday night’s tussle after running the rule over his whole squad for the two trial matches.

With the squad fit apart from the still doubtful Luke Walsh and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook Cunningham will have some big decisions to make in pencilling in 17 names – and it is highly likely that some members of that Grand Final winning squad will not keep their shirt for the opener.

“Louie and Luke are not far off – when they are fit and ready to go then I will play them. 

“If they are available then I will play them, but if not then we are looking at round two at Salford – and if not then I will have to make a decision whether to play them in the World Club the week after that.

“I know when it comes to selection I am going to lose a few friends this next week or two. 

“I have been hired to make some big decisions. Not everyone can play – it is 17 jerseys and that is it. 

“It is all going to be on form, reputations will not be involved in any of it and if you are playing well you are going to be in front of someone who is not playing well.”