Talking points ahead of Saints' semi-final against Salford Red Devils

Saints will tackle form-team Salford on Saturday (1pm) with a place at Old Trafford at stake. 

Here are this week's talking points.

1. Salford.

The Red Devils tore Huddersfield apart on Saturday with the Giants unable to combat their opponents' fast start.

They have real potency on the edge and we saw that with the way they tore Saints apart at the end July.

The way they will play this week - even without head injury victim Brodie Croft - won’t come as surprise.

It seems that every (outside of St Helens) wants wants to see them do well.

To neutrals they have been a breath of fresh air, with the style of football they play - and especially given they have not got the biggest budget in Super League.

Out of all of the top six teams they are possibly the most dangerous Saints could be playing.

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2. Top Five or Top Six?

Significantly both fifth-placed Leeds and sixth-placed Salford won their eliminators away from home against higher ranked opposition to reach the semis.

Both are now 80 minutes for Old Trafford.

They both come into the semis battle-hardened and with momentum to play two sides who have both had the benefit of a week's rest.

These are the rules we play under - and we all know them at the start of the campaign.

But as exciting as this sudden death system makes play-offs it is at a cost of rendering the hard graft of 27 rounds a mere starting grid.

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There seems to be limited advantage of going full tilt from the outset to secure a top two spot when - on the face of it - form and fitness at the back end is key.

But what would it say about the value of the regular rounds if either of the two teams who have won just 14 out of their 27 rounds go on to win the Grand Final?

That is why top five was a better, fairer system as it gave genuine rewards based on the table. And if you won it from fifth on that system them you really had done it the hard way.

3. Wait on Walmsley.

It has been an anxious wait for news on Alex Walmsley who has not played since injuring his foot in the Wigan game and has been wearing a protective boot.

We will find out this week what the prognosis is. Given what he brought to Saints over the glory years it would be huge if he misses, but then again Saints have overcome adversity all year to finish top.

Bernard Platt (Image: Bernard Platt)

If the worst is confirmed, then coach Kristian Woolf has already indicated that it would mean Agnatius Paasi continuing to start alongside Matty Lees.

Saints can squeeze more minutes out of that pair.

The question is who would join Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook coming off the bench? There are options – but first we would have to check on Dan Norman’s cheek to see if he is ruled out.

Jake Wingfield has shown this year can give a stint in the middle to spell the starters. And there is also scope to slip James Bell on at 13 to spell Morgan Knowles – and then the latter could come back on to do another stint as a middle. Equally one of Saints' nines can slip on at 13 and allow Knowles to play as a prop/middle.

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4. Injuries have been a feature all year.

Woolf hopeful that Tommy Makinson continues to overcome the knee injury picked up at the back end and that Will Hopoate, Sione Mata’utia and Mark Percival all return.

Saints’ backline will look a lot better even if just three out of those return. But will it be a gamble? At Wembley 2019 Saints fielded a number of players who had been missing for weeks and paid a heavy price.

But Woolf seems confident that the game simulation – adopted when returning from the first lockdown – will give those who do return as good a run out as a match itself.

Bernard Platt (Image: Bernard Platt)

5. Returning players.

Where do they all fit in if they all come back?

Given what Saints currently have at their disposal in the back row, it would seem that Sione Mata’utia would go back into the centre role where he was playing before injury.

That way Mark Percival could slot in and go on to the wing – a position he played on his last match for the Saints in May.

If Will Hopoate returns, he slots in at full back, if not then Jon Bennison could start at number one.

6. Big match crowd.

The game is on Channel 4, if last Saturday is anything to go by then Salford will bring plenty of fans to fill the East Stand. Even though it is an all-pay game it would be great to see the ground packed given what is at stake. A game of this significance deserves a fitting backdrop – especially given that it is going out live on terrestrial TV.