SAINTS play in-form Huddersfield Giants  at home on Thursday night as they seek to keep up their challenge at the top of a tight Super League table.

One of the players they will have to keep an eye on is ex-Saint Adam Swift, currently Super League’s leading try scorer with nine touchdowns.

The former Blackbrook wing was hugely popular at Saints - and was in the 2014 Grand Final winning side captained by Paul Wellens.

The Saints boss is well aware of the Huddersfield wing's talents, who scored 86 tries in 130 appearances in the Red Vee before joining Hull FC at the end of 2019.

Wellens said: “Swifty has done brilliantly.

“He is someone who is good friends with myself and a number of lads at the club and keeps in contact.

“I’ve been delighted to see the way his career has progressed. One thing with with Swifty is that his quality has never been in question.

“What he had through his time with us was his body failed him a few times with injury.

“But whatever he’s done it has kind of worked and he seems to have got like durability around him and he seems we playing a lot more than he ever has done.

“He challenges you every time you play him and he’s one of the few that we have to keep a close eye on and work hard to nullify his and Giants’ threat.

"He has had injuries that have plagued him throughout the course of his career, but he’s like the fine wine that is getter better the older he gets.

"And showing no sign of slowing up."

Huddersfield under Ian Watson pride themselves on being an industrious team that puts a focus on completion.

But when given the opportunity, the likes of Swift, Esan Marsters, Kevin Naiqama and Jake Connor can finish and exploit those chances. 

Wellens said: "Huddersfield are a very potent team who probably play the percentages a little bit more than others.

"They are prepared to be patient, but certainly when they get the ball in the right areas they can challenge you and get the ball to those strike players who can be really dangerous on an edge.

"I don't think they're a team that are afraid to challenge you with the ball, so that's something that we spoke about as a group and something that we have to deal with."