Pundits unanimous with Warrington Wolves and St Helens outcome clear

Warrington Wolves and St Helens have collided.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Matthew Shaw
So here's where I'm at with this game. My head, unwaveringly, believes Warrington win this game. They have been brilliant for large, large parts of the run-in, have ended the season with the best defensive record in the league and are playing a Saints team really struggling to score points. They've also beaten Saints every time they've played this season.

Yet my gut feeling is that Saints win. There's no real rationale behind it other than the fact it is Saints and they turn up when it matters, as well as Warrington's long-standing play-off woe. That, however, is also a risk if that mentality has crept into the side. It's not as easy as just flicking a switch, despite the fact they now have the majority of their best players back.

I'm following my head here, and backing Warrington.
Prediction: Warrington by 8

Dan Tomlinson
Warrington have had a great year under Sam Burgess, making the Challenge Cup final and now finishing third in Super League. On the contrary, St Helens have finished in their lowest spot (6th) since the summer era began. Everything points to a Warrington win, but this is the play-offs and anything can happen. It would be classic Warrington to ‘choke’ again in a big game but I just can’t see that happening.

This Wire side are built of sterner stuff under Burgess. They are resilient, dogged, tough, and they can play, too. Surely, they get the job done here against a Saints side that have struggled through the summer months and set up a classic semi-final against Hull KR next week. The old cliche is never write off the Saints, who do have their stars back. However, Wire’s cliche is it’s always their year. And it could well be.
Prediction: Warrington by 10

Arindam Rej
St Helens' punishment for not delivering at Leigh at the end of a challenging period is going away to Warrington for this game - and it is difficult, although not impossible, to see them stepping up and delivering an upset here. Of course Paul Wellens' Saints squad still possesses ability with men coming back from injury, but Warrington's current form and performance isn't suggesting a team that is heading for a defeat, although their relatively easy run-in means they have not been playing play-off level rugby recently which creates a risk of being under-cooked if they are not careful.

From a Hull KR perspective, a Warrington defeat in this one would be potentially great news, eliminating what looks like their biggest threat in the semi-finals but it makes sense to back Wire - who have Paul Vaughan back in the mix - to make it four wins out of four against the Saints in this campaign.
Prediction: Warrington by 10

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