Salford Red Devils vs St Helens Prediction: Saints to make most of ‘opportunity’

A fortnight after going down to Betfred Challenge Cup heroes and Super League leaders Hull KR, St Helens face basement boys Salford Red Devils on Sunday (15:00, live on Sky Sports +).

Saints legend Paul Sculthorpe shares his Salford Red Devils vs St Helens predictions in this week's column, after reflecting on recent blows on and off the pitch - and Saturday's final at Wembley.

The loss of Jack Welsby is a major blow to St Helens as the club fights to stay in contention at the business end of the Betfred Super League season.

The England full-back could be out for up to 16 weeks following knee surgery, after being forced to leave the field at Hull KR two weeks ago. Jack is the biggest threat in the team and will be impossible to replace from the current squad.

Another blow to Paul Wellens is the loss of Lewis Murphy, who picked up a quad injury after scoring Saints' only try in the 34-4 loss to the league leaders.

Murphy could be sidelined for up to two months - and to make matters even worse Mark Percival, one of our most consistent players, has an ankle injury which is expected to keep him out of action for up to eight weeks.

The only saving grace at the moment, as Wello reshuffles his team, is that we play Salford next.

It's well-documented what a shambolic year it's been for the Red Devils, courtesy of on/off investors and players being sold or not getting paid, ultimately leading to some good hidings on the pitch.

Saints' very first game this term saw 80+ points posted against what was essentially the Salford Academy due to salary-cap restrictions. It's fair to say things haven't really improved in the meantime.

That being said, I’m sure all talk in the Saints camp this week is about what they can control. Focus on your own performance, despite the opposition's woes.

I know Wello and his preparation will be as meticulous and focused as if his team were going toe-to-toe with the table toppers.

This is an opportunity to work on life without Welsby for the coming months. It also gives others an opportunity to grasp.

I’ve no doubt Saints will win this Sunday - and at a canter. I’m going to say by 34 points or more.

The team that continues to lead the way in the Betfred Super League is Hull KR.

With just one defeat during the opening 13 weeks, they sit alone at the summit, a couple of points above current champions Wigan Warriors.

Rovers' near-perfect season got even better at the weekend, as they lifted the Betfred Challenge Cup for the first time since the 1979-80 season.

The Robins were outplayed by Warrington for the majority of what was a typical final. Both teams looked nervous in the opening 40 minutes, playing it very safe in wet conditions.

I did say in an interview the night before that the weather forecast could play in to the hands of the Wolves, mainly because of Mark Sneyd’s superior kicking game. This was almost the blueprint.

Sneyd’s boot caused no end of problems for the Hull side all day. His array of kicks, one landing in the hands of Josh Thewlis for the opening try of the game, won him the prestigious Lance Todd Man of the Match award.

Thewlis’s try, the only one until the 77th minute, looked to have won Wire the trophy. However, KR’s resilience, self-belief and character that they've shown all campaign saw them cross the line with only two minutes left on the clock.

Step up Mikey Lewis. The half-back who has led from the front for months slotted over the conversion to send the Rovers fans ecstatic!

The try was a controversial one, but with the on-field decision by referee Liam Moore being given as a try, it was difficult to overrule.

My first thought was that Warrington’s Aaron Lindop had grounded the ball despite an initial swipe, but apparently this wasn’t the case, and Tom Davies touched down to take the title back to Humberside.

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