IT has been another busy rugby league week and Saints boss Justin Holbrook gave his thoughts to the St Helens Star’s Mike Critchley.

MC: Four out of four, are you tempted at this stage to rotate anyone, or do you want to keep this team playing?

JH: Keep them playing. We have only played four games so if you need a rest now then you are in trouble.

The boys play the game for a reason; they want to play. It is similar to last year, if they have niggling injuries then I won’t play them but if they are fine they will play.

MC: Salford was a very patient performance – the team really turned the screw on Salford and that eventually told on the scoreboard.

JH: That was the most pleasing thing. We had trained all week in really hot weather but when we got to game day it was cold and wet.

For our players to be able to adjust to that and play with the patience with the ball was the most pleasing.

That was important because we were running into a dangerous Salford side that had started the year well and were playing with a lot of confidence.

I thought we did a great job at nullifying that and we were fantastic defensively.

MC: Probably Lachlan Coote’s best Saints game yet?

JH: I thought Cootey was great. He is definitely one of those players who will really get better as the season goes on.

He played more of a support role at the Cowboys, because obviously having Johnathan Thurston in the side meant he did not do a lot of goalkicking or general play kicking.

He was confined to a simpler role in the team but here I am asking a lot of him and have given him a lot of freedom and responsibility, which he is enjoying.

But he will get better as the year goes on, with combinations with the other players. I agree with you, he was great at the weekend.

MC: We have seen it often at Saints – when Matt Gidley replaced Jamie Lyon, or when Darren Britt came in for David Fairleigh, comparisons are inevitable. Coote offers something different to Ben Barba?

JH: Nobody is better at beating players as an individual than Ben Barba, but for Cootey it is about fitting in more with his role in the team and he has a lot more responsibility. He is a completely different player but equally as important to our team.

MC: Theo Fages continues to make it tough for Danny to get back in – his kicking game and general attack picked up again at Salford?

JH: Theo is a great little player and he is loving the opportunity that he has been given. He has grabbed it. His whole game is good – and he has started the season fantastic and may it continue that way.

There is nothing else I want him to try and do. The best thing about Theo is he gives 100 per cent every single week.

He is not the flashiest of half backs but we don’t need him to be. He has slotted into our team nicely. I am really happy with the way he is going about it – and he is getting better as the weeks go on as well.

MC Joe Batchelor has expended his stay on loan at York but can be recalled. How is that working?

JH: He scored the only try in the game for York against Leigh so he got bragging rights over our boys.

He is still training with us here and then goes off to York at the end of the week.

MC: Is the return of Great Britain been good for the game?

JH: I think it is great. Some people may say that they may not get anyone from Wales, Scotland and Ireland – but at least it gives Great Britain the option.

Just from our club we have Morgan Knowles and Regan Grace, and people have been talking about Cootey being Scottish. I just think that is good for the game that it is Great Britain.

Hopefully there will be a few from outside of England.

MC: You mention Morgan Knowles, how good has his start to the year been?

JH: He has been one of our best in the first month.

Obviously, Robes sits above him, but Morgan Knowles is not far behind him.

Looking back at round two against Wakefield, some of the efforts he put in during that game were huge and definitely did not go unnoticed by the staff and players.

He’s had a brilliant start.