‘It doesn’t need checking’ Paul Wellens reacts to St Helens pitch complaints as injury update given

Paul Wellens has responded to Adrian Lam’s suggestion that the Totally Wicked Stadium pitch needs checking. The St Helens head coach was asked about the state of the surface following comments made by Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam, who stated his players are still ‘heavy-legged’ following Friday’s clash.

Lam, whose side lost 12-4 in a gritty contest, claims he’s had numerous complaints from his players early this week about calf tightness, with Tom Briscoe and John Asiata ruled out for several weeks with calf strains. The onus, in the Leythers’ eyes, is on the Saints turf, with the club even ‘re-adjusting their schedule to make sure they’re freshened up’ for this week’s game against Leeds Rhinos.

However, Wellens brushed off those concerns, with Lam saying the pitch ‘needs to be looked at.’ Speaking in his weekly press conference, Wellens said: “It doesn’t need checking. It’s been checked, and I’m sure it’ll get checked again.

“Unfortunatley, the field at the moment isn’t in the best condition. We acknowledge that, and we understand it comes with it’s challenges. We’ve got ground staff who are working tirelessly to try and do what they can to get the surface in as best condition as possible. That’s all we can do. I also watched a number of games throughout Super League. We’re certainly not the only club that is facing those challenges.”

Wellens also commented on Konrad Hurrell’s ban, with the centre missing the Saints’ round four clash with Salford Red Devils after a head contact with Leigh centre Rickey Leutele.

“It’s the way the game has gone,” he explained. “I don’t feel like there was a lot Konrad could have done differently. However, we understand where we’re at as a game now. It was the lowest end of the charge in terms of Grade B for head-to-head contact. There was contact. We accept that. We move on. Konrad is disappointed because he wants to play this week, but that’s the challenge that we face.”

There was also some positive news on the injury front for St Helens, who saw Curtis Sironen come off last week with a back issue. Elsewhere, Waqa Blake (sickness), Matty Lees (lung infection), and Joe Batchelor (collar bone) are pushing to return.

“Curtis has improved,” Wellens added. “He’s just taken part in training and is looking like he will be fit to play. We will have to assess him again in the morning to see if he has come through, but we’re hopeful he will.

“Waqa comes back into contention. He’s fit and healthy and ready to go. We’ve got to make a call on Matty, but we’re thinking he might need another week. We’ve got to respect the situation there. He’s had a rough couple of months with infections, and he’s been in hospital a few times. We want to make sure that when Matty does come back, he’s ready.

“Joe is making good progress. He’s doing a bit more contact now. If he continues in the right way, we’re hopeful he’ll be fit for the Leeds fixture. If not, it will almost certainly be the week after.”