McVey in a position of strength
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Your support makes all the difference.It is a sign of St Helens' strength this season that they go into their Stones Super League title decider against Warrington tomorrow able to restrict one of the finds of the campaign to a role on the bench.
Derek McVey occupies a special position at Saints as the only player added by Shaun McRae to the squad that he inherited. "People in England might not have known much about him, because the club he was playing with - Balmain - was struggling, but anyone familiar with the Australian game knew his pedigree," McRae said. "He has been a great signing for us, because of the extra options he gives us with the ball."
McVey's ability to slip the ball out of the tackle has been a major weapon in Saints' armoury this season, so it is significant that they feel able to start the game without him tomorrow.
McRae's reasoning is that young Chris Morley has been playing too well to leave out and that Chris Joynt, now he is fit again, must play. McVey can then be used as a shock tactic off the bench, the strength of which has been one of Saints' great assets. In past seasons a glance at Wigan's substitutes' bench has raised the question: "How could they leave them out?" This season has seen Saints as the side with potential match-winners like Vila Matautia, Ian Pickavance and Tommy Martyn held in reserve.
A number of close-run matches have been decided by the introduction of one of those players and tomorrow's is another that could be swayed by a late-comer. Martyn, on the other hand, has now re-established himself in the starting line-up, pushing Karle Hammond to loose forward, a position from which he still hopes to make a late run into the Great Britain tour squad.
Hammond has been ever-present and outstandingly consistent for Saints and can consider himself one of the unluckiest of the players to be omitted from Phil Larder's 32-man party for Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand. Pre-tour injuries being the scourge thay are, however, Hammond has not given up hope of a late call-up, and a starring role in Saints' championship decider and the premiership play-offs starting at the weekend would promote his cause.
One Saints player who knows he has an incentive to maintain his form is Alan Hunte, a likely replacement in the absence of Gary Connolly and Jason Robinson, but he will be up against another candidate tomorrow in Warrington's Jon Roper, who has recovered from an eye injury and will play, under Larder's scrutiny. Also back for Warrington is Paul Hulme, although their young prop, Warren Stevens, is out with a shoulder injury.
Warrington are talking down their chances of knocking Saints out of their stride, although a London Broncos' victory over Castleford tonight would leave the Wire needing a victory for fourth place and a role in the premiership play-offs.
"They have an incentive," McRae said. "But I'd like to think that we have a bigger one."
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