Super League play-offs preview: St Helens v Hull KR
Week one of the Super League play-offs come to a head on Saturday evening when Hull KR travel to face St Helens.
Last Updated: 14/09/13 5:09pm
The showdown will be the fourth meeting between the sides in 2013 and Saints will be seeking vengeance after losing all three of the previous encounters.
With his side in fine form, Saints head coach Nathan Brown has placed faith in an unchanged squad for the must-win match.
Saints have gathered momentum as the season's climax nears and with eight wins in their last 10 outings, club veteran Paul Wellens believes his side are in pole position as the knockout stages begin.
"Given our inconsistency this season a lot of focus and attention has gone elsewhere," the back told the club's official site.
"But over the last seven or eight weeks we have lost one game and that was down to a poor 20 minute period at the start of the match. We are the form team in the competition and I think we should take a lot of confidence from that."
Brown's men, who were knocked out in the semi-finals last term, have plenty of play-off experience which will be needed if they are to go one better this season and reach the Grand Final.
Rotation
Rovers head coach Craig Sandercock opted to rotate his squad for the final regular season clash and there are subsequently eight changes to the side which lost 34-22 to the London Broncos last weekend.
In the backs, winger David Hodgson and centres Liam Salter and Graeme Horne join the travelling party as Sandercock omits Omari Caro, Chris Heil and Josh Guzdek.
The majority of changes come in the pack as hooker Josh Hodgson and prop Adam Walker are joined by second rowers Con Mika, Cory Paterson and Mickey Paea in the 19-man squad.
With just one win in their last five outings, the Robins will be looking to regain form and Josh Hodgson has issued a warning about the standard expected from his teammates.
"It's a different game to the derby with a different feeling," the forward told the Hull Daily Mail.
"The intensity will be higher than it is for a derby. It's not just another game. It's a play-off game and you have to treat it as that."
Saints enter the play-offs as the higher ranked team with 15 wins propelling them to a fifth-place finish while Hull KR ended the regular season in eighth, five points adrift of their hosts having won just 13.
Saints: Wellens, Turner, Soliola, Meli, Hohaia, Lomax, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Puletua, Wilkin, Manu, Laffranchi, Clough, Jones, Makinson, Walmsley, Swift, Walker, Howarth.
Hull K R: Brown, Cox, Dobson, Griffin, Green, Hall, D. Hodgson, J. Hodgson, Horne, Lovegrove, Mika, Netherton, Paterson, Paea, Salter, Tuimavave, Walker, Welham, Withers.