SAINTS will give a 29-man squad a run out in their first trial game of the season against Widnes Vikings on Sunday (3pm).

Coach Keiron Cunningham plans on starting with a strong 17 and then dropping the younger squad players in towards the end.

Home fans will get a first glimpse of new recruits Luke Douglas, Adam Walker, Ryan Morgan and Tommy Lee in a Saints shirt.

Returning number seven Matty Smith will also play his first game since his signing from Wigan.

Cunningham said: “We have done quite a few opposed sessions between our groups but we have to take it into a game now.

“I quite enjoy friendlies and I think we are all ready for a game, the players, coaches and the fans.

“We will go with a big 28 or 29 man squad for this one, starting pretty strong and then finish with some juniors and give all of those kids a go towards the back end.

“The kids deserve a shot because to a man they have trained exceptionally well and I could not ask for any more so it is a reward for those boys.”

Saints have lost the last two Karalius Cup games against the Vikings, but Cunningham has made it clear that the result is secondary to performance and getting a proper look at his full squad.

“The game will give me a good idea of where we are at,” he said.

“Pre-seasons can be deceiving sometimes, but things are going well with the squad we have got and the players we have been running with in training.

“Widnes are further ahead with us than us with trials, but I just want a good showing - signs that we are heading in the right direction and see that players like Morgan Knowles are progressing again.

“It will also let me look at players in different positions. We are looking forward to the hit out – once get those trial games out of the way the season is just around the corner.”

All the squad is fit to play, with the exception of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook who is still regaining fitness after an operation on his hip.

This is the first of two pre-season friendlies with a trimmed down squad taking on Castleford the following week to put the finishing gloss to pre-season ahead of the Super League kick off on February 9.

“We get a good hit out on Sunday and then next week we will play Cas with 21 -23 max, look at that game, then have a weekend off and then away she goes,” Cunningham said.