TOMMY Makinson has come back sharper than ever after injury derailed his 2016 season- and that showed with the 216 metres he made in Saints’ last outing.

The Saints wing’s ACL knee ligament injury at Widnes last Easter Monday ruled him out for the rest of the campaign, but now he is back with a vengeance.

And there has been a tweak to his game that has immediately become noticeable - the speed at which he has been returning the ball.

Cunningham said: “We are always working on every player’s game and it was probably an area with Tommy where we felt he could be better.

“I know as a forward I used to hate it when outside backs used to trundle and run across. Tommy and Swifty are quick and they are both chewing up metres which means that your middles don’t have to go back as far.

“It is a little tweak to Tommy’s game – which he really has taken on board and it working well for him.

“Tommy has been brilliant in the trials and then against Leeds, on the wing and then when we put him to full back he did not miss anything and got his numbers right.

“It was the same with Swifty, he ran for 160 metres which is phenomenal. If you look at his positional game and defensive was excellent.”