St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham insists that defeat to South Sydney Rabbitohs in the World Club Challenge has not knocked his team’s confidence – and has challenged his squad to use the 39-0 thumping as motivation.
The Saints were blown apart by the NRL champions in a one-sided match last Sunday, but the Saints return to league action tonight against Castleford keen to extend their winning start to Super League XX.
And the Saints boss believes that the Souths game will not have an impact on tonight’s match against the Tigers, and he refuted claims that the beating they took last weekend could have knocked their confidence.
“Our record and our form before that was good so Sunday shouldn’t have any bearing on what happens from now on. If anything, it should spur us on,” Cunningham told the St Helens Reporter.
“Our confidence is fine, it is our pride that has taken a battering, but we have a good bunch of players who are professional and committed to the cause.
“Some players owe their team-mates after Sunday and they will want to repay them.”
