Saints v Quins: Teams
St Helens coach Royce Simmons is hoping Australian Josh Perry can make a belated debut against Quins.
Last Updated: 11/03/11 7:59am
St Helens coach Royce Simmons is hoping Australian Josh Perry can make a belated debut against Quins.
The international star, who joined Saints from Manly Sea Eagles over the winter, has seen his first start delayed by foot and ankle injuries.
However, Simmons is looking forward to naming him in Friday's starting XIII.
"Josh has been training with the squad over the last few weeks and if he pulls up alright we will throw him into the mix on Friday," he told the Saints website.
"He is over his ankle injuries and the medical staff are sure he is free from injury.
"Last week I didn't think his timing was quite right so we held him back. Come game time he reckoned he was fine to play so we will give him a shout this week."
Howell suspended
Harlequins will give a first start to centre Karl Pryce after losing David Howell to suspension.
Former Leeds, Wigan and Hull winger Mark Calderwood is also poised to make his debut for the London club.
There will be a place on the bench for 20-year-old stand-off Joe Mellor, who like Pryce is on loan from Wigan.
The half-back appeared in the Under-20's last weekend and certainly impressed new team-mate Tony Clubb.
"I watched Joe Mellor in the Under-20's and he looks pretty good," Clubb said. "I'm looking forward to seeing him play. He's a fantastic little player."
Quins saw their unbeaten start to the season come to an end last time out when they were beaten on home soil by Huddersfield.
St Helens squad: Wellens, Gardner, Shenton, Meli, Eastmond, Perry, Roby, Graham, Puletua, Flannery, Moore, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Clough, Ashurst, Dixon, Lomax, Magennis, Foster, Gaskell.
Harlequins RL squad: Ambler, Bailey, Bryan, Burnett, Calderwood, Clubb, Dorn, Ellis, Gale, Koupartisas, Krasniqi, Melling, Mellor, Pryce, Purdham, Randall, Temata, Ward, Wilkes.
