LEAGUE leading Saints will welcome back James Roby and Kevin Naiqama for Sunday’s clash with Castleford Tigers at Magic (6pm).

It is the third time Saints will have made the short trip down the East Lancs Road to Liverpool’s Anfield home - after the club’s attempts to promote the game there in 1997 and 98.

They bring the curtain down on the event, which has excited the coach and players.

Coach Justin Holbrook said: “We are all excited by this.

“Although we all loved going to Newcastle and the weekend away – if it had to move from there then I am glad it is just 20 minutes down the road for us so it is like another home game so hopefully we can get as many fans as we can.

“It is a great weekend and to have it at an historic venue like Anfield is terrific.”

He hopes some followers of the round ball game can be won over to rugby league with this weekend showpiece.

“For me I love football, but you are allowed to like more than one sport and for those who are in that football bubble, just open your eyes and see how hard working and honest the game of rugby league is.

“There are inroads we can make and with the football season just finishing it could give them something to do.

“And if that worked and they like what they see then they come down the road and watch us in St Helens.

“If we can get any new fans out of it it would be win-win situation.”

Castleford have had a mixed start to the campaign - understandable given their injury list to key players from the outset of the campaign.

They have slowly been getting bodies back and last week secured a morale-boosting win by raining on Leeds’ Headingley opening parade.

There have been some humdingers of games between Saints and Tigers, so this could be the pick of the fixture list.

Holbrook said: “Castleford always like playing us and they play well against us.

“They have been disrupted heavily by injuries this year and that is not a true reflection on the way they have been paying.

“They are getting a few back now and showed at the weekend with a good win over Leeds.

“They will want to play well against us on Sunday.”

In team news he explained that Naiqama and Roby return, with Tommy Makinson likely to revert back to the wing.

“Kev is ok. He has had a bit of a tight back for a few weeks but it hasn’t affected the way he has been playing.

“But with the shorter turnaround last week it was the smarter option, instead of pushing him to play, knowing that he would be 100 per cent for this week.

“Tommy is a great player, wherever you play him but I still believe he is the best winger in Super League and that is where you should put him,” Holbrook said.

Saints beat Castleford at Anfield in 1997 and Warrington the year after in front of 12,000 and 10,000 crowds.