Both teams go into Monday’s game brimming with confidence after convincing wins over their nearest rivals.
TEAM FORM GUIDE
St Helens
Not much needs to be said about Saints’ form this season. They sit top of the league four points clear with just one loss from 11 games.
Hull FC
Despite a tough start to the season, Hull are quietly going about their business and have crept up the table. Monday’s game is a chance to leapfrog Castleford into third place.
SQUAD NEWS
St Helens
Mark Percival misses out due to hamstring while Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook misses out due to an MCL injury.
Theo Fages has again failed to prove his fitness so Danny Richardson continues to fill in.
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Adam Swift could make his first appearance of the season and new signing Joe Batchelor is also included for the first time in the 19-man squad.
St Helens 19-man squad: Lomax, Makinson, Naqaima, Grace, Richardson, Walmsley, Roby, Thompson, Paulo, Knowles, Amor, Peyroux, Swift, Lees, Ashworth, Smith, Coote, Batchelor, Welsby.
Hull FC
Hull FC make six changes to their squad. Chris Green, Brad Fash and Cameron Scott could make their first appearances of 2019. Ratu Naulago returns following a shoulder problem and Jordan Thompson, Brad Fash and Jez Litten are all also brought in.
Rested are Danny Houghton, Josh Griffin, Gareth Ellis, Mickey Paea and Jordan Lane. Jack Brown is sidelined with an ankle injury.
Hull FC 19-man squad: Faraimo, Tuimavave , Kelly, Sneyd, Taylor, Hadley, Minichello, Westerman, Connor, Green, Thompson, Matongo, Fash, Manu, Logan, Litten, Scott, Naulago, Wynne.
HEAD TO HEAD
Saints haven’t been beaten by Hull FC since the Super 8s in August 2017. Last season, they beat Hull four times with three coming in Super League and once in the Challenge Cup. Saints have had the better of Hull on 32 occasions in Super League while Hull have 17 victories.
KEY BATTLE
Regan Grace (St Helens) v Bureta Faraimo (Hull FC)
What an interesting battle this could be on Monday, two wingers, who are the exact opposite of each other, will face off on Monday. Regan Grace has pace and agility while Bureta Faraimo has brute strength and size.
Grace scored a hat-trick of tries on Good Friday and is probably the in-form winger in Super League at the moment and is joint top try-scorer with 11 so far this season. He has scored a couple of long range beauties in the last two weeks against Wigan and Warrington recently. Can he make it a third?
Faraimo has four tries this season but his main strength is making strong carries and starting Hull’s sets on the front foot. He is absolutely massive so it will interesting to see how Grace copes with him.
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Date: Monday 22nd April
Venue: Totally Wicked Stadium
Kick-off: 3.00pm
Referee: Robert Hicks
WHO WILL WIN?
I’m going to go with a tight Hull FC victory. Both teams are a bit of an unknown with all of their changes but I think Friday would have taken less out of the Hull side.
