St Helens vs Warrington Wolves, Super League play-off talking points

They are tasked with beating St Helens - and the odds - at the Totally Wicked Stadium tomorrow in order to keep their 2023 season alive.

Will they pull off another big upset? Or will it be a fourth consecutive first-hurdle exit from the play-offs?

Here, our Wire reporter Matt Turner picks out five key pre-match talking points...

Can it happen again?

We’ve been here before. Plenty of times…

Being roundly written off before facing St Helens with everything on the line has become pretty familiar territory for Warrington but historically, this is the situation they have thrived in.

The 2019 Challenge Cup Final, Super League play-off wins in enemy territory in 2018 and 2012 – all days that will live long in the memory and all having been achieved after their chances of doing so had been dismissed.

Indeed, those special efforts are part of a run of five consecutive knockout victories for Wire against their neighbours. For the last St Helens win in a do-or-die fixture against Warrington, you have to go all the way back to 2008.

Of course, they are underdogs for a reason and it will no doubt take a special effort to pull off a shock on Saturday and derail Saints “drive for five.”

However, it’s happened before – can it happen again?

> Wire's impressive recent knockout record against St Helens

Tom Lineham scores the memorable winning try during the 2018 play-off win at St Helens (Image: Mike Boden)

Does the pack have enough to cope without Vaughan?

One of the reasons why Warrington’s chances of success are rated so slimly is the absence of Paul Vaughan, who serves the second match of a four-game ban.

While it is true that Saints did a good job of limiting the Australian’s impact in the two games he has played against them this year, it cannot be denied that taking a player officially recognised as one of the two best in his position in the competition for the season hinders Wire greatly.

And so the blunt question has to be asked – against an already fearsome Saints pack that now has its biggest gun back in the shape of Alex Walmsley, do Wire have enough up front without Vaughan to compete?

Gary Chambers insists they do and if the displays of James Harrison, Tom Mikaele and Jordan Crowther against Huddersfield Giants last time out are anything to go by, the likely starting middle three are certainly embracing the challenge.

With due respect to the Yorkshire side, making an impact against Saints is an altogether different prospect and if Wire are to have any chance, the middle unit has to meet the challenge head-on.

> Paul Vaughan on his suspension, Dream Team selection and missing the play-offs

Paul Vaughan will be absent from Saturday's game and any that may follow (Image: Mike Boden)

A game made for Russell?

It did look set to be a familiar battle for Wire’s right-wing spot on Saturday.

If fit – and it appears as though he is after his illness last week – Matty Ashton is a shoo-in on the left having become one of the first names on the teamsheet, leaving Matty Russell and Josh Thewlis to battle it out on the right.

However, Thewlis’ absence from the 21-man squad through injury leaves the way clear for Russell to keep the spot he filled so impressively at Huddersfield, making a team-high 173 metres with the ball.

And the qualities the Scotland international brings – namely the rumbustious and effective manner in which he brings the ball out of yardage – may be a big weapon for Warrington in this game.

Saints’ defensive intensity is likely to mean Wire will have to spend a fair bit of time fighting to get off their own line, and Russell will play a key role in getting them out of that danger.

With Paul Vaughan missing, there will be plenty of onus on the winger and the rest of the outside backs to get the team onto the front foot.

Matty Russell scored Wire's only try in a 28-6 defeat when they last visited St Helens in April (Image: SWPix.com)

More of the same simplified style?

Against Huddersfield, there was clear evidence of a shift towards “play-off mode” in terms of Wire’s style of play.

They often took a “safety first” approach – offloads were put away, they kicked to corners and when points were on offer in the shape of penalties, they took them.

And when you have the competition’s most proficient goal-kicker in Stefan Ratchford at your disposal, it is an approach that makes sense as the opposition know any infringements within their own half are likely to be punished on the scoreboard.

Of course, that approach only works if you can get yourself into a position of strength, which Wire did on Friday by going 12-0 up early.

But if Warrington are awarded an early penalty within range on Saturday, do not be surprised to see the kicking tee come out.

Stefan Ratchford kicked six goals - four of them penalties - against Huddersfield to take him to 100 in all competitions for the year (Image: Mike Boden)

Hardly pitch perfect at the TWS

How much impact it will have on proceedings is currently unclear, but the Totally Wicked Stadium’s playing surface is in far from ideal condition.

It has taken on a pretty heavy load this year, with the stadium hosting a music concert mid-season to go with its normal usage.

More recently, the pitch had three matches played on it last weekend – a community match between Great Britain Police and a touring Australian side, the Women’s Super League play-off game between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos and finally, the Academy Grand Final between Saints and Warrington.

By the academy game, the pitch was heavily sanded and with the inclement weather in the region this week, it is hard to foresee any improvement.

The Totally Wicked Stadium pitch before Sunday's Academy Grand Final (Image: NQ)