SAINTS are without broken jaw victim Shannon McDonnell and have doubts over prop Alex Walmsley for Friday night’s must-win game at Huddersfield Giants.

Defeat at home to Warrington, followed by Castleford’s derby win over Wakefield, means that Saints must get something from the trip to the Galpharm or face the galling prospect of having the League Leaders’ Shield snatched off them on the final weekend of the regular season.

Castleford travel to a Catalan side that are safely ensconced in seventh – and so effectively playing for nothing but pride ahead of the play-offs, so Saints must take that game out of the equation.

After a shocking display in front of their home fans last week, the injury-depleted Saints will be looking to post a response to stop the season ending on a sour note.

Coach Nathan Brown said: “It would be nice to put in a good performance, go into play offs with the momentum from a win and lift the League Leaders’ Shield.

“Huddersfield have an incentive to win as big as us because they don’t want to go into sudden death football next week. Both playing groups are playing for something and the attitude and commitment will be there from both, so it should make a spectacle.”

With McDonnell injured it is likely that Paul Wellens will again revert to full back, although Brown does have the option of moving Tommy Makinson there.

If Wellens is moved, Saints’ options to partner Lance Hohaia in the halves are down to fit again Gary Wheeler and Jordan Turner, who has been operating from loose forward.

Brown declared: “The people who will play full back and five eighth have played Super League there this year and done plenty of training there and that gives me plenty of comfort in that decision.

“There is a doubt over Alex Walmsley but generally all of our young forwards who have come in have done a great job there. Generally when we have had our best results this year, with greatest adversity, we have had a couple of those young forwards in there playing. They are up for a shot if they are needed.”

Although Friday’s choreographed removal of the League Leaders’ Shield for television purposes had all the gravitas of an episode of Bullseye, Saints can now only stem the chortles at their expense by picking it up on Friday and in doing so book a World Club Series slot.

Suddenly a piece of silverware that was dismissively classed as the hub cap for years has a newfound importance.

“For the club and development of this group the Shield is important – it would be great for the fans, chairman and all the people who do a lot of work behind the scenes,” Brown said.

“Five years for St Helens and not winning trophies is unusual following an era of always winning trophies. For a majority of St Helens fans going one year without winning a trophy is a long time, let alone five.”

Reports in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph have linked Brown with an early return to the NRL next term, with his name being discussed as a potential candidate by Wests Tigers, who are currently bossed by ex-Saints coach Mick Potter.

But Brown still has a year to run on his contract at Langtree Park and he is only part way through his task of re-shaping the club — and it is certainly a younger squad than the one he inherited.

Brown said: “The team is building and everyone is quite clear now that we made a lot of decisions last year and a lot of older people went out and we brought a lot of younger players into the squad.

“Everyone could see the fruits of that and next year there will be more. The squad is de-ageing quite a lot. For the development of this team, getting the League Leaders’ Shield now would be a good start for what could be a five or six-year window for this team being successful.

“At the end of the day it is a new era for St Helens and this team is a far different one to the one I came to more than 18 months ago.”