St Helens RLFC
Saints hope to welcome back quartet ahead of Rhinos clash
Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival, Atelea Vea and Joe Greenwood could all return at Langtree Park
John Lawless
The quartet who could return for Saints againts Leeds Rhinos this weekend - from clockwise: Atelea Vea, Jonny Lomax, Joe Greenwood and Mark Percival
Jonny Lomax is one of a quartet of important faces that could return to action for St Helens in their clash with Leeds Rhinos tonight (Langtree Park KO 8pm).
Head coach Keiron Cunningham has also named threequarter Mark Percival in his initial 19-man squad alongside back-row duo Atelea Vea and Joe Greenwood.
Whether the Saints boss is ready to plunge all four players back into the white heat of Super League remains to be seen but he gave a strong hint that he would engineer a way to get Lomax on the pitch.
Cunningham said: "We've got to be smart with Jonny's body now in the short term; we've got to really look after him.
"If he's fit, then he plays - simple as that. He's a great player who adds a lot to the side.
"We'll find some way of playing him if he's available. He's too good a player not to have in your side.
"We'll find a way of making it work."
Lomax played about 25 minutes in the Reserves last weekend and Cunningham may be reluctant to put him straight back in to the demanding role of fullback.
Australian Shannon McDonnell may well keep his place as custodian with Lomax's versatility allowing Cunningham to slip him into an alternative role.
A berth in the threequarters isn't out of the question given Saints continuing injury problems in that area. A place on the bench is also a possibility from where Lomax could possibly cover numerous positions, perhaps even dummy-half.
Wherever Lomax plays, his comeback along with the other returnees will come as a relief to Cunningham.
He added: "It's hard as coach; you're sat on your hands a little bit.
"As desperate as you are, you've almost got a pot of gold in your fingertips but you can't grab it until it's ready to grab.
"There's nobody more than me that wants Jonny, Percy and them boys running round in the team; it gives us some kind of X-Factor which at times we do lack a little bit.
"It's a big game and you want big players for big games so we'll do our best to get them on the field."
St Helens' Head Coach Kieron Cunningham (Pic by John Rushworth)
There were signs that underperforming Leeds may have turned a corner last week with a confidence-boosting 20-18 win over Hull.
Cunningham certainly saw signs of a Rhinos revival in that game and wants his side to get out of the blocks quicker than they did in the reverse fixture a month ago which Leeds won 30-18.
The Saints supremo stated: "I thought they were brilliant against Hull; it was a real dogged win.
"I've watched Leeds last four games and in every one of them they were dogged.
"They should have beaten Salford the week before. I'm sure if there was a video referee there it might have been a different game.
"That's exactly where Leeds have been at. They've been fighting and battling to the end of every game and I think there's been one try in it in six or seven of their games.
"Leeds spirit just never dies, regardless of which players leave and who comes in. They've still got that attitude.
"They're just finding a different way of playing without those players they've lost.
"I think the penny dropped for them on Friday night. I was hoping it would last another few weeks!
"We were our own worst enemy at the start of the last game against them at Headingley.
"Hopefully we can start a little bit better than we did last time."
Strike centre Joel Moon returns for the Rhinos who are fighting hard to get out of the bottom four in Super League.
St Helens (from): Lomax, Percival, Walsh, Walmsley, Roby, Amor, Vea, Wilkin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Tasi, Richards, Savelio, Fages, Greenwood, Dawson, Owens, McDonnell, Knowles, Wellington.
Leeds (from): Hardaker, Watkins, Moon, Burrow, Galloway, Falloon, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Sutcliffe, Delaney, Singleton, Garbutt, Keinhorst, Achurch, Mullally, Handley, Golding, Baldwinson, Lilley.
Super League Summary: St Helens won 31, Leeds won 29. St Helens highest score: 62-18 (H, 1999) (Widest margin: 56-10, H, 2004) Leeds highest score: 74-16 (H, 2001) (Widest margin: 70-0, H, 2004)
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