Four new faces have been named in a 20 man Saints squad ahead of Friday's final regular season game of the year against Salford Red Devils at the AJ Bell Stadium (7.45pm).
Saints are guaranteed to finish in second place in the table regardless of Friday’s result against Salford and with the Betfred Super League playoff semi-finals on the horizon in two weeks’ time, Kristian Woolf has shuffled his squad.
Jonny Lomax and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook are both fit enough to return to the squad. Josh Simm is another to return as does Sam Royle, who signed a new deal this week.
Four Academy prospects are also named in the squad. Full back Jonathan Bennison, from West Bank Bears and Thatto Heath Crusaders has scored seven tries in eight Academy matches this season is named alongside Thatto Heath winger Shay Martyn who has scored six times and kicked 42 goals for Derek Traynor’s U19s this season.
Leigh East hooker Taylor Pemberton is also included. He has played eight times this year for the U19s, whilst second rower Reece Sumner from Blackbrook is another to be named. He has bagged four tries in nine matches for the Academy.
Lachlan Coote is suspended so he drops out as does Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, James Roby, Morgan Knowles and Joe Batchelor.
Mark Percival will sit this one out too after a heavy knock to the head against Leeds, whilst Sione Mata’utia is also out with an ankle injury he picked up in the same match. Both should return for the semi-finals.
Agnatius Paasi, like Coote, serves the final game of his suspension whilst James Bentley is recovering from an injury picked up against Catalans.
SAINTS 20 MAN SQUAD
5. Regan Grace, 6. Jonny Lomax, 8. Alex Walmsley, 10. Matty Lees, 11. Joel Thompson, 15. LMS, 16. Kyle Amor, 18. Jack Welsby, 19, Aaron Smith, 21. Lewis Dodd, 22. Josh Simm, 23, Jake Wingfield, 24, Josh Eaves, 25, Dan Norman, 29. Ben Davies, 30. Sam Royle, 31. Jonathan Bennison, 32. Shay Martyn, 33. Taylor Pemberton, 34. Reece Sumner.
SALFOD RED DEVILS SQUAD
