Everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s Betfred Super League Play-Off Semi-Final derby clash between Saints and Wigan Warriors at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
The Stats:
The top two will clash on Friday evening in a huge derby in the Betfred Super League Play-Off Semi-Final (7:45pm KO).
Saints finished a record 16 points clear of the Warriors and have beaten them three times already this season, but that means nothing come Friday as the winner progresses straight to the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
After last week’s Qualifier win over Salford Red Devils, Adrian Lam’s side will make the short trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium on an eight game winning run since their 32-10 defeat by the Saints. The Red Vee have won our last six games in the league.
One of the two sides will guarantee their 11th appearance in a Grand Final on Friday evening, with the other getting a second chance next weekend against the winner of Salford and Castleford who play on Thursday evening, live on Sky Sports.
🗣️ “It’s another one I don’t want to miss out on. We are here now, we are on the biggest stage. Let’s just make sure we do it.”
1️⃣ win from the @SuperLeague Grand Final.
It’s time to #OwnTheMoment
Tickets ⤵️https://t.co/XWuLNvZHAP pic.twitter.com/tbUzpigy2t
— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) September 25, 2019
Team News and Match Preview:
Both sides’ have named their 19-man squad for the match as Justin Holbrook makes just one change.
Head Coach Holbrook hopes Friday night’s game is his last at the Totally Wicked Stadium for the simple reason that it will mean the Saints will have made it to Old Trafford at the first attempt which his primary focus.
Morgan Knowles admits Saints are ready for a “different beast” on Friday when in-form Wigan Warriors come to town.
The Man in the middle:
The referee for our clash tonight is Chris Kendall with the video referee being James Child.
What’s on? Send off to our departing Saints….
- Turnstiles – Open at 5:45pm.
- Send off to our departing Saints – Before kick off at approximately 7:25pm we will say thanks to our departing Saints as Adam Swift, Luke Douglas and Liam Cooper make their way onto the Totally Wicked Stadium pitch for one final time. If we are victorious on Friday, it will mean Head Coach Justin Holbrook will have had his final appearance at the Totally Wicked Stadium too so he will address the fans after the full time whistle.
- Red Vee Cafe Bar – Opens at 5pm for you to enjoy a pre-match drink (or two)
- Club Face Painters – These will be operating in the Hattons Solicitors Family Stand and the Totally Wicked North Stand from around 6:30pm … come along and get your face painted in Saints colours for free!
- Member Offers – We have two great offers for you – Any pie or hotdog & hot drink just £4. Any Pie & any alcoholic beverage just £6 and we also now have Nachos & Cheese available on selected kiosks! Just show your membership card at the kiosk to access the offers.
- Carling Bar in the Totally Wicked North Stand – Fans in the North Stand can now join West Stand supporters in enjoying a 500ml Carling PETs from our new bottle bar in the concourse. Price is £4.
- Contactless Payment – Will be available in the Karalius, Popular Side, Marching Inn, and Murphy’s bars to speed up your service.
- Half Time Entertainment – Our A-Star Angels will be performing several new performances before the game and at half time. Our Cash Dash Saints Lottery will also be drawn.
Sponsors:
The Match is sponsored by Seven Ways Environmental Services, the Match Ball sponsor is P&H Pipelines, whilst the Man of the Match will be selected by Apex Logistics.
Tickets:
Tickers are still available online up until approximately 3:30pm on Friday and we advise to purchase in advance rather than on the gate.
Saints Superstore:
The Saints Superstore will be open until kick-off and will re-open after the game for around 45 minutes.
Programme:
The programme, sponsored by Warrington Audi, is based on a retro design from 1968 and is a tribute to our departing Head Coach. Priced at £3, it features an interview with Justin Holbrook who talks about his time at the Saints. You can see a gallery of images following our Club Awards Night, whilst you can also hear from James Roby and Eamonn McManus on our departing Saints and Justin.
How to follow the action:
Supporters can also follow live score updates and behind-the-scenes coverage on our social media channels and minute by minute updates from 7.45pm here on Saintsrlfc.com. Just head to the homepage and click on the match centre image.
Please note: Anyone caught throwing beer, or any other liquid, alongside smoke grenades or flares, risks being banned for a period of games, and/or having Memberships tickets rescinded.
