Can Saints do five in a row?

Reigning champions St Helens have dominated Betfred Super League over the last four years.

They enter the 2023 Play-Offs on the cusp of further immortality as they search for a fifth consecutive Super League title.

Their season started in breath-taking fashion with an iconic golden point World Club Challenge victory against NRL Premiers, Penrith Panthers, in their own back yard.

However, on their return to Super League, Saints lost two of their opening three games and five of their first ten.

For context, St Helens lost no more than six games during a single regular season in their previous four title winning years.

Since their shaky start to the 2023 Super League season, Saints have steadied the ship and lost just twice in their last 17 league games, including a nine-game unbeaten run during the final third of the regular season.

Yet despite their impeccable end of year form, the Champions finished the regular season in the unfamiliar position of third place.

That means for the first time in their four-year title reign, they must play two Play-Off fixtures to earn a spot at Old Trafford - including an away tie in the Semi-Finals if they are victorious in this weekend's Eliminator.

St Helens' sole representative in the 2023 Dream Team, Jack Welsby, admitted that their third placed finish will alter the way the side prepare for this year's Play-Offs.

"It will do in a certain way," explained the Dream Team full-back.

"I think a week off is always nice - especially for the older lads. For me personally, I don't mind. I'll keep going. I bet James Roby's wishing he had a week off! 

"We'll just roll in; we've been on a good run of form and I think it probably suits us to just keep going instead of having that little pause. We'll just keep rolling through the season and keep churning out results.

"We're always confident. We know the task at hand and we know how many challenging teams we'll face - there's no easy games. We're doing it the hard way but I'm more than confident that we can do it."

To book their Semi-Final spot, Saints must defeat sixth placed Warrington Wolves, a team that have failed to beat the Champions in their last six meetings.

The Wolves scraped into the 2023 Play-Offs despite never falling outside the top six. After winning their opening eight games, they have struggled to find any sort of consistency, although they have enjoyed a mini resurgence which saw them win three of their last five league fixtures.

And Welsby is anticipating another brutal affair against a Warrington side that always lift their game when they take on the Saints.

.@Saints1890 grind it out against @WarringtonRLFC ?#SuperLeague #SLWarStH pic.twitter.com/lFwS56Yzs2
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 15, 2023

"We've played them three times this year and we've not found one of them easy. We know their strengths and they know our strengths. We're local rivals so the atmosphere's going to be electric come Saturday Afternoon - it's something I'm really looking forward to.

"We're definitely not underestimating them, especially when they've got people like George Williams on the field, he's going to be a real threat for them, so we're going to have to do our job if we want to be victorious."

Irrespective of Warrington's recent uptick in form and their threats across the pitch, Saints will go into the clash as favourites. And should they defeat the Wire in their Play-Off Eliminator, a trip to the South of France looms.

St Helens are yet to beat Catalans since Paul Wellens took over as head coach. They have faced the French side home and away this year and fell short on both occasions. 

Their third meeting of the season would take place at the Stade Gilbert Brutus - a tough place to play at the best of times, the stadium will be a caldron of passionate, partisan Catalans fans cheering on their heroes.

BRUTUS EXULTE ? pic.twitter.com/zTtxjftVAX
— Dragons Catalans (@DragonsOfficiel) September 30, 2021

The last time the Dragons hosted a Play-Off Semi-Final, the stadium resembled a European football fixture, full of vibrant colour, deafening noise and unrivalled support for the home side. 

It will be a new challenge for a St Helens side familiar with a roaring home crowd behind them at that stage of the Play-Offs.

There is no denying St Helens have been the knock-out kings over the past four years. But 2023 presents a new challenge for this side. 

If they are to go on and achieve further Grand Final immortality, it will arguably be their most impressive feat to date. 

And regardless of the hurdles in front of them, you would be foolish to write off the Saints.