St Helens 26 Wigan 18: Exit of Graham gives Saints further incentive for Old Trafford

The England front rower, who was a member of Saints’ title-winning team in 2006 but has been on the losing side in each of the last four finals, will make his last appearance for Saints as he prepares to embark on a new career in Australia with Canterbury Bulldogs.

Three of those four Old Trafford defeats were at the hands of Leeds and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, who has reached his maiden Grand Final in his first season at St Helens, admits there will be no shortage of motivation for his side.

“It’s going to be a stormer,” he said. “A couple of the boys say we owe Leeds one.

“It would be nice for the boys that are leaving, especially for Jammer (Graham) to go away with a grand Final under his belt in his last year in England. Hopefully, all the boys will be pushing for that.”

Former Harlequins prop McCarthy-Scarsbrook and ex-Castleford centre Michael Shenton will both be making their Grand Final debuts after joining Saints in the last close season and playing key roles in their march to a sixth successive trip to Old Trafford.

McCarthy-Scarsbrook added: “I’m thrilled to bits, I don’t know how to put it into words.

“I’m really looking forward to next week. Obviously all them boys have done it before except me and Shenny. Moving from London, I wanted to reach Grand Finals and to do it in my first year is going to be awesome.”

Co-captain Paul Wellens scored the 200th try of his career in Saturday night’s 26-18 victory over defending champions Wigan in the second qualifying semi-final.

The scoreline was identical to their opening play-off win over the Warriors a fortnight earlier as Saints, like Leeds, timed their late-season run to perfection.

The Rhinos, who finished fifth at the end of the regular season, gained a thrilling 26-24 win over Warrington in the first semi-final on Friday.

“It’s nice that all the media weren’t really talking about us,” added McCarthy-Scarsbrook.

“They were talking about Wigan and Warrington but we plodded along and did what we needed to do. We just got on with our job quietly, the same as Leeds.”

Meanwhile Saints coach Royce Simmons, who has guided his side to the Grand Final in his first season in Super League, is facing a selection dilemma over veteran stand-off Leon Pryce, who is hoping to make a record-extending 10th Grand Final appearance.

Pryce, who is joining Catalan Dragons next season, was set for a place on the bench against Wigan after recovering from a leg injury but was forced to pull out after falling ill on the day of the game.

Utility back Gary Wheeler was drafted into Saints’ match-day 17 in Pryce’s absence, although he never got onto the pitch.

Simmons will be tempted to make use of Pryce’s vast experience but he is determined not to break up the fledgling half-back pairing of Jonny Lomax and Lee Gaskell that has served them so well this year.

“I’ll sit down, watch the video and evaluate,” said Simmons. “I wouldn’t have started with Leon and he knows that. He accepted that and was quite happy with it.

“We will just have to re-address it but you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to work out I won’t change the halves.”

St Helens: Wellens, Makinson, Shenton, Meli, Foster, Gaskell, Lomax, Graham, Roby, Puletua, Wilkin, Soliola, Clough. Substitutes: Moore, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Wheeler, Dixon.

Wigan Warriors: S. Tomkins, Charnley, J. Tomkins, Carmont, Richards, Finch, Leuluai, Coley, McIlorum, Lima, Hansen, Hoffman, O’Loughlin. Substitutes: Prescott, O’Carroll, Farrell, Tuson.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).