SAINTS welcome back Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook for the club’s first trip to Leigh Sports Village on Friday.

The Londoner has not featured so far having undergone hip surgery during the off-season.

He comes in to take Australia-bound Joe Greenwood’s spot in the second row.

Other than that it is the same squad as chosen for the opening day Leeds game bar Jack Owens swapping places with 19th man Jack Ashworth.

Having gone close to beating Leeds last weekend, Saints boss Keiron Cunningham expects Leigh to throw plenty at them in front of a fervent crowd.

He said: “Leigh are a good side. When a new side comes up it is easy to point the finger and say they are going to go back down, but I don’t believe that.

“Leigh are definitely going to stay in this competition and build on what they have done.

“Credit to Derek Beaumont and Neil Jukes – they have fought hard to get Super League status again and good on them.

“That first 20 minutes of the Cas game they did not get much luck and then the game went away from Leigh, but that is the sport.

“Against Leeds we knew that they would start big – and they pulled out an 8-0 lead until Leeds pegged them back.

“It was a really good entertaining game and I thought Leigh did a great job, they were a dropped ball that was pivotal, a moment where Tils did not quite get the ball away and a penalty which was the turning point in the game.

"If they post those points when they should have done, they would have taken their first scalp.

“There is a great feel of camaraderie within the group and credit to Jukesy, he put the sword to them after the Cas game and brought in a few people who fight a little bit harder. They did that against Leeds.

“We know what they are going to bring – they will be fully stacked but we are not a bad side ourselves.”

This is the first Super League derby since the one-sided encounter at the old Hilton Park in 2005.

Everyone expects more than the surroundings to be different.

Cunningham added: “It will be a good test for both teams and a real daunting atmosphere like it always is, but we will be ready for it.

“Saints and Leigh games are mini-derbies and enjoyed playing them.

"It will be a tough encounter and they have some big physical forwards and if you don’t do the right things they will let you know you are in a tough game. So we have to make sure we do the right thing."

Saints: Lomax, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Swift, Fages, Walmsley, Roby, Amor, Wilkin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Walker, Thompson, Lee, Peyroux, Knowles, Owens, Richardson.

The game kicks off at 8pm.