JUSTIN Holbrook is urging his Saints side to be clinical on Friday.

He feels that is crucial if top spot is to be regained from Warrington Wolves, who come to town cock-a-hoop with their start to the season.

And there is also the little matter of grabbing back the bragging rights for fans after The Wire’s Super League semi-final success at the Totally Wicked Stadium when the teams last met.

Much is being made in the build-up to the mouthwatering one-on-one duels in store, so it could be a piece of magic from the likes of Saints’ returning stand-off Jonny Lomax or his opposite number Blake Austin that could separate the sides at the finish after the international pack stars on show have done their thing.

“There’s going to be some big moments in this game because the match-ups across the field are just so even,” said Holbrook.

“We need to try and take whatever opportunities we get and limit theirs. There’s not going to be much in it.

“Obviously we feel we’re strong all over the park and Warrington definitely are.

“Their outside backs are getting their sets going, they’ve got a big pack of forwards and their halves and hooker are as dangerous as anyone.

“I don’t see any weakness for either side going into Friday’s game.”

That is to be expected in a battle for the Super League leadership, with Wire now edging top spot on points difference following Saints’ first loss of the season at Catalans Dragons at the weekend.

“They’ve started this year where they’ve left off last season,” said Holbrook of the beaten Grand Finalists.

“I think they are a better side this year with Blake Austin coming in.

“He’s an absolute handful and great for the competition. We’ll have to make sure we’re ready.

“There’s plenty to his game that we’ve got to worry about, not just his dummies.

“It’s a massive game for us at home and it would be great for our supporters to be as loud as they can be.

“We’ve just come back from a trip in France where their supporters play a big part in things going their way during a game.

“Any extra bonus we can get on Friday we’ll take.”

The change in preparation this week as a result of the additional travel will not be an issue, he said.

“It is a different week coming back from there as opposed to a bus journey back from Yorkshire but we’ll be fine by the time Friday rolls around.

“It’s important that for the couple of days after you recover and get ready to go again but come Friday it won’t matter where we’ve been the previous week.”

It’s a tough sequence for Saints going into Easter and the Good Friday derby with Wigan.

“The whole focus this week is on the Warrington game and then at full-time we’ll start to worry about Wigan,” said Holbrook.

Saints legend Paul Sculthorpe also believes this contest will be a tight affair and says the Saints-Wire fixture is now up their with the Wigan derby.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years the game between Warrington and Saints has grown so much,” he said.

“It’s a genuine top-of-the-table clash.

“We always talk about the Saints-Wigan derby, but Saints-Warrington is right up there now.

“I think it’s because it’s two clubs that are demanding success and it’s two clubs that are genuine rivals for silverware.

“And when you look at the investment in both clubs, there’s some big names that have come into both teams over the past few years.

“I’m very envious that I’ll be stood in the crowd on Friday and not playing in this one.”

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