AUSTRALIA head coach and legend Mal Meninga has claimed that Super League side St Helens could worry ‘most teams’ in the NRL.
Meninga, who spent 1984 and 1985 with the Merseyside club before the advent of the summer game over a decade later, coached the Kangaroos to World Cup glory in the recent tournament and believes the way in which Saints play will cause damage to NRL sides.
“I made a comment the other day around the English game and how expansive you play, it’s quite entertaining,” Meninga said on the Redvee podcast.
“I think the way Saints play, being a bit more expansive in the way they use the football, it could worry the Penrith side, or most teams in Australia.
“There’s a bit of focus on defence but it’s ball skills and the way you play that I think is conducive to beating an Australian side on Australian soil.”
Saints are set to travel Down Under for the World Club Challenge against NRL champions Penrith Panthers, who themselves have won back-to-back titles.
The two sides will meet at the BlueBet Stadium in Sydney on Saturday 18th February, though Penrith are still yet to sign off on the potential fixture.
