SAINTS coach Kristian Woolf answered the questions put to him by the Star’s Mike Critchley as the build up continues for Friday’s big kick off.

MC: The players must be champing at the bit to get out there and play on Friday?

KW: There is a real excitement and if anything we are trying to pull the players back from things because they are jumping out of their skin and wanting to get in there and make some contact and get playing, which is what we want at this time of the year.

St Helens Star:

Tui Lolohea - Salford and Tonga. Pic: SWPix.com

MC: Looking at Salford, you will be very familiar with half back Tui Lolohea from your Tonga role - what does he bring?

KW: I know Tui well and he is a terrific player so I am looking forward to the challenge of coming up against him.

I am sure he will be thinking the same way.

He is a terrific, talented player and he is growing in confidence in his time at Salford at the end of last year and with what he did against Great Britain and Australia at the end of last year as well.

He is going to hit the ground running in the same way and we will have to make sure we are ready for that with what we do against him.

MC: He partners an old head in Kevin Brown. Do think they will bed in straight away?

KW: I don’t think they will take too long to gel – good players don’t, and Kevin Brown has been around for a long time. He is a nice steady player who will complement Tui really well.

St Helens Star:

Alex Walmsley

MC: This will be a good early test for your pack as Salford have brought in two or three big units.

KW: It is a good test across the park. It has been well noted that Salford have lost a couple of players, but like they have done in the past they have been smart how they have replaced those players.

If you go back a couple of seasons Sebastine Ikahihifo was one of the best players in the competition and was selected in the Super League Dream Team in 2017.

You can put him the same boat as Tui in that he has not played as confidently the last 12 months. But watching his trial form he looks confident in his running again.

He is a real handful, then Pauli Pauli is another big body there and can be really damaging on an edge.

How we defend those guys and interact with what they are good at is going to be a big part of the game. I am certainly confident with what our pack can do so it will be a great battle.

St Helens Star:

MC: There is a bit of a rivalry growing here - and they have been some thrillers this past three years.

KW: It is a Grand Final rematch – and although they are not traditionally our rivals you build that by playing each other in a Grand Final and that will excite the fans.

Looking at how they have improved this past 18 months and how they have prepared for this game, playing three trial games at full strength or close to it, they have obviously put a lot of work into preparing for the start of the season.

That shows their intent – we have to make sure we find more motivation from what we want to achieve this year.

St Helens Star:

MC: You had a look at Jack Welsby on the wing the other week - is his versatility a good asset?

KW: Jack is a natural footy player and I think we can throw him full back, where he is most comfortable at the moment and where he has trained a lot for us, and he could do a job in the centre, on the wing and five-eighth.

If we threw in at the back row he would have no dramas as he is a good, tough kid.

That is the beauty of a natural footy player, who has come through our academy. One they can play anywhere where he is needed to, but two, sometimes they have to play some football in whatever position is available and that is how he will develop into a really good Super League player.

MC: The Reserves play on Saturday ­— how does that team fit alongside first grade?

KW: All the guys who are in our top 30 squad who don’t get picked on Friday will certainly get a run on Saturday. That is the idea behind reserves.

The coach (Ian Talbot) is part of our coaching staff and he is going to run the reserves in the same way as the first team; they will run the same plays, the same expectations and will play the same style of what our first grade plays.

When our top 30 squad members go back we expect them to go back and be the best players and help that team win.

From where I sit that makes it a really smooth transition and also helps those guys who don’t make round one find a way to be first graders.

MC: Will you be looking at dual registration at all – or is that not needed with reserves.

KW: At this stage we want to support reserve grade, but that is something that can be a bit fluid and change through the year.

We will see how things go, but if there is no need to change we won’t be doing it for the sake of it

MC: How important is it that youngsters have thickened your top 30 squad – and those dipped in last year continue to press claims this year?

KW: It is something the club has done well in the past and we need to keep doing.

The academy is well-known for producing players, but we need to make sure we can keep producing players ready to play Super League for the club.