Former Sydney Roosters star Nathan Stapleton believes that St Helens’ completion rate will play a major factor in deciding their clash with the Roosters.
Stapleton left the Roosters to join Championship side London Broncos after 18 months with the NRL side.
And the centre believes St Helens must keep their errors to an absolute minimum to stand a chance.
“From learning anything over here, they’ll (St Helens) have to get their completion rate up to scratch,” said Stapleton.
“They will have to complete high and be good in the handling side of things, and then take the opportunities that they get.
“It’s wet-weather footy and it’s going to be cold. I wouldn’t say it’s out of the Roosters’ comfort zone, but it is certainly different compared to Australian conditions. The team that takes the opportunities early on will prevail.”
The Roosters will be without a number of notable stars, including Mitchell Pearce and World XIII member Boyd Cordner. However, Stapleton insists the Roosters will pose a threat, no matter who they put out for the match.
“They’ve got a good side,” he said.
“Blake Ferguson was a key player for them in the centres. They’ve got a young guy called Latrell Mitchell who can play too. They’re pretty sound all round. They’ve got a big pack with outside backs that can finish well.
“They’ve always been an expansive team. They’ll throw a lot of attack at Saints. They’re also a very systematic team, so they’ll have a lot of systems in defence that will be hard to break down on the wrestling side of things. “They’ve brought over a strong side, so they’re not taking it lightly. Any team, whether it’s NRL, Super League or any competition, you want to get off to a good start, so they’ll take it very seriously.”