A Saints side, still on a high after last weeks drubbing of the Castleford Tigers, travelled to the south of France to take on a Catalans Dragons side who suffered an opening round loss at the hands of the Widnes Vikings.

The home side welcomed the return of the vastly experienced Greg Bird to the starting line-up teamed with Lucas Albert in the halves, and the whole camp will have been lifted by the news that Tony Gigot had won his appeal against a two year ban, clearing his way for a return to the side in the near future.

The visitors made a couple of changes with Adam Swift in for Ryan Morgan in the backs and Kyle Amor being replaced by Luke Douglas in the forwards.

Few gave the Dragons much hope of a positive result, with most commentators and pundits expecting a Saints walkover.

Last years Minor Premiers and losing Grand Finalists, Castleford Tigers, started their 2018 campaign with expectations of another barnstorming season as they travelled to a tough Totally Wicked Stadium to take on St Helens.

The last time that the sides met there was just a golden point victory between them as the Tigers miraculously won the game in added time, after being down and out, to make it into the Grand Final.

These sides were tipped as the two favourites to finish the season in top spot and to lift the silverware at Old Trafford in October.

Nothing would be decided tonight but it would give us an indication of how the two sides may fare in the season ahead.

The maths were pretty simple as St.

Helens visited the AJ Bell Stadium to take on a Salford Red Devils side already in wind down, and with nothing to play for.

A win would put them in the box seat for a top four finish, and the play-offs, but a loss would see them overtaken by the winner of the Warriors game with Trinity on Saturday afternoon.



Justin Holbrooks side had no room for slip-ups but nothing was more certain than Marwan Koukash having spent the week putting pressure on coach Ian Watson to spoil the Saints party.



One sides season would definitely end tonight, but the travelling fans from Saints wondered whether it would be both sides, or would their side live to fight another day.

Tonight’s game at the Beaumont Legal Stadium was critical for both sides.

A win for Trinity would lift them up to third place in a congested top of the table and with third placed Hull FC and Wigan playing each other on Friday night it would ensure that they retain a top four place going into the last two games of the season.



A win for Saints would leave them outside the top four but throw them a lifeline for their own scramble for the play-offs.

A loss would practically end any hopes of a top four finish.



Saints had a big 41-16 win in Wakefield back in July but Wakefield won the early season game over in St Helens by 16-12.

Rarely before has a St.

Helens derby with Wigan Warriors borne such importance as tonight's fixture at the Totally Wicked Stadium with both sides knowing that a loss would as good as end their 2017 season.

Wigan Warriors were still smarting from last weeks Wembley loss and needed to pick themselves up to get a victory against the old enemy.



Both sides started the game sitting on twenty-seven Super League points and knew that while a loss wouldn't mathematically end their chances of a play-off berth, but would will make it extremely unlikely.



Ben Barba made his St Helens debut, completing his twelve game rugby league suspension after an illicit drugs ban, and since being released by the Cronulla Sharks.

Theo Fages was the one to miss out as Jonny Lomax was moved into the halves.

Wigan too made a couple of changes due to illness with Tom Davies and Ryan Sutton being replaced by Liam Marshall and Jack Wells.

It was to be a night of emotion as the Leeds Rhinos said goodbye to the iconic South Stand, the home of the hardcore of the Rhinos supporters since its construction in 1932.

While the Leeds players were undoubtedly aware of the emotion of the occasion, coach McDermott had spent the week focussing his side to get the victory to keep them on track for a top two finish.



But Saints were also keen for a win which woudl lift them into the top four as they jostle for a play-off position and a shot at the Grand Final.



There is one change for the Rhinos who lost heavily to Wakefield Trinity last weekend with Walker stepping into the full back berth in place of Golding.

For Saints there were no changes to the seventeen who lost 8-6 to Hull FC last weekend.

The Super Eights arrived with a bang as the champions elect, Castleford Tigers, welcomed a St Helens side striving for a top four finish and a berth in the play-offs.



Remarkably, Matty Smith was back in the Saints line-up after suffering an horrific eye injury in the way game at Leeds Rhinos at the end of June.

The Tigers were mostly unchanged with Grant Millington back in the starting line-up and a couple of changes on the bench.



A win for the Tigers would put them just two points from the Minor Premiership, a win for Saints would lift them into third spot ahead of the rest of the round being completed.

A win for St Helens in tonight’s fixture with Hull FC would almost guarantee them a top eight position at the mid-season split and ensure that they would be playing in the Super Eights competition.

It was also crucial to keep alive their distant hopes of a top four finish and a play-off place.



Hull FC are already comfortably in the elites competition, from round twenty-four onwards, but a win tonight would lift them into second spot, an ideal position to go into the seasons second phase.



FC were 24-14 victors in Hull back in March, but it was Saints who recorded a stunning 45-0 at the Magic weekend in Newcastle in May.

The home side had a one point start on the coupon but the bookies were struggling to pick a winner.

It was fourth against sixth as the Leeds Rhinos looked to overcome last weeks disappointment against the Tigers as they welcomed a St.

Helens, on the back of a one-point win over Salford, to Headingley Carnegie.

A loss for the Rhinos could see them finish the weekend outside the top four, but a loss for Saints would make their top four quest increasingly difficult.



Saints defeated the Rhinos in round one by 6-4 but there has been a lot of water under the bridge, and a lot of personel changes, since the season’s opening fixture.



The match saw the Rhinos without Rob Burrow, Danny McGuire, Brett Ferres, Ash Golding and Jamie Jones-Buchanan through injury and suspension while Saints missed the services of Mark Percival who was serving a one game suspension.

Justin Holbrook took full charge of his St Helens side for the first time, and named an unchanged side to take on Wigan Warriors in the original local derby.

Saints were fresh from a comprehensive thrashing of Hull FC last weekend in Newcastle and keen to level the score with Wigan in 2017 after defeat at the DW in April.



Wigan salvaged a 24-24 draw with the Wolves at Magic, return of Thomas Leuluai from a broken jaw in the thirteen and Sam Powell was back on the bench.



It's a while since these two great sides have found themselves languishing in mid-table and both were looking for a confidence boosting win to give them a boost in the push for a top four spot.

Game Two of the Dacia Magic Weekend saw an intriguing match up between high-flying Hull FC who were eying up a chance to leapfrog Castleford into top spot while Saints were out to impress new coach Justin Holbrook who was in the stadium but not running the side.



Hull made a number of changes, but Saints just one, from the sides who had very mixed fortunes in last weekends Challenge Cup.

Hull were devastating in their 62-0 win over the Catalans Dragons and were clear favourites for a win today over a Saints side who were thrashed 53-10 by Castleford Tigers.



The atmosphere was building as more supporters left the bars and took to the stands.

A win for the Warrington Wolves in tonight's home game against St Helens would see them into the top eight for the first time in 2017, but Saints wanted the points to keep alive their hopes of a top four spot in advance of the arrival of their new coach Justin Holbrook.



Saints comfortably won the encounter earlier in the season by 31-6 but this is a very different and more confident Wolves side than the winless seventeen who took the field back in March.



Both sides were missing stars away on England duty for tomorrow's game against Samoa.

The Wolves were without the services of Ratchford, Hill and Brown while Percival and Walmsley were also missing but not named in the seventeen for tomorrow, and Wilkin withdrew minutes before kick-off.

Eighth placed St Helens travelled to bottom club Widnes Vikings with their eyes on sixth spot as they look to continue their improved run of form since sacking coach Cunningham.

A win for the Vikings would still see them finish the weekend in bottom spot, but would give them a much needed confidence boost.



Widnes have still got all sorts of injury problems and were now without the services of Armstrong, White and Craven but they did welcome back a handful of others including Hanbury, and half-back pairing Mellor and Gilmore.

Saints were not without their own problems and would take the field without Lomax, Roby and Morgan but could call on the services of Kyle Amor who escaped a suspension after his sending off against Wigan on Good Friday.

The biggest derby in the game, Wigan Warriors against St Helens, had the added spice of a mid-week managerial sacking as Saints parted company with Kieron Cunningham after twenty-three years of service.

Eighth placed Saints would go level on points with the Warriors if they could get a win at the DW Stadium but the home side themselves had their eyes on fourth spot.



The Warriors welcomed back captain Sean O'Loughlin and Michael McIlorum returned just over twelve months after breaking his ankle.

The new coaching staff at Saints gave a debut to exciting winger Regan Grace, and Matty Smith made his first return to his old stomping ground.

Two sides on the up met at the A.

J.

Bell Stadium in Salford as the Red Devils, fresh from back to back wins over high-flying Castleford Tigers and Widnes Vikings, took on a Saint Helens also looking for their third consecutive win after great victories over Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves.



A win for the Red Devil's would lift them equal top of the league, a win of more than thirty points for Saints would see them up to fifth, leapfrogging the Red Devil's.



Junior Sau was missing for Salford after picking up a slight injury last week, but Kieron Cunningham had the luxury of choosing from a near fully fit squad.

Pre-season you would have got very long odds that Saints would be taking on Warrington Wolves in round six with both sides in the bottom three.

The Wolves are still looking for their opening win of the season while a decent win for the Saints would see them propelled up the table.



Coach Cunningham was delighted to be able to name half-back Matty Smith in starting line up for the first time in 2017, but Tony Smith welcomed back inspirational full-back Stefan Ratchford, also making his first start this campaign.



It was an early season must win game for both sides.

After defeat to the Leeds Rhinos in round four the Catalans Dragons were looking to get back to winning ways as they returned home to the Stade Gilbert Brutus to take on a St Helens side who have struggled so far in 2017 and who were languishing in tenth place at kick-off.



Saints were unchanged from the side which lost to Hull FC in round four.

For the home side there were a number of changes including backs Yaha and Inu being replacing Broughton and Duport, and Jason Baitieri was in for the injured Greg Bird.



Both sides were desperate for a win and despite the lower than expected league standings of both sides it was a mouthwatering prospect.

Hull FC came into tonight's round four fixture against St Helens on the back of a big win over the Huddersfield Giants and full of confidence.

Saints were looking for some 2017 form and seeking to put last weekends loss at home to Wakefield Trinity behind them, and lift themselves into the top eight.



Lee Redford was marking his 100th game in charge of the Airlie Birds as the two beaten semi-finalists in 2016 came up against one another in an important early season match up.



Although playing for the Steve Prescott Trophy, there was little love in evidence between the two sets of players.

Two sides looking for improvements to their 2017 seasons came together at Langtree Park as Saints entertained Wakefield Trinity.

Saints were still smarting after last weeks loss at Leigh Centurions, and the visitors were looking to end an eleven game losing run.



The home side lost Jonny Lomax with knee injury but had both Zeb Taia and Adam Walker making their debuts.

Wakefield were without Ben Jones-Bishop who was out with facial injury, with Mason Caton-Brown debuting in his place.



Wet underfoot and overhead, the conditions were likely to be a leveller.

Super League 2017 touched down at the 'Totally Wicked Stadium' as St.

Helens welcomed the Leeds Rhinos for the seasons opening fixture.

Both sides were looking to get their campaign off to the best of starts with an opening weekend win, one would be disappointed in eighty minutes time.



Saints were without new signing Matty Smith, out with a nasty pre-season injury, and the Rhinos had lost Brett Ferres, Danny McGuire and Brett Delaney to friendly game knocks.

But both sides gave debuts to new signings.