JUSTIN Holbrook reflected on last week’s win and what that means going forward, in conversation with the Star’s Mike Critchley.

MC: How do you approach a game like Saturday’s where you will play them in two week’s time in a knockout? Do you show your hand or try and put a marker down?

JH: I am not sure. It is a tough one for me.

For me it will be similar to last two weeks. We went to Catalans without two of our best and there was pressure on and we had to win.

Last week we had eight who didn’t play – admittedly Hull had lots out too, but we were still good enough to win the game.

If guys are right then I will play them.

MC: What was the process last week assembling that matchday 17?

JH: It was interesting. We lost Theo Fages to illness on game day. We tried to give Matty Smith a game but he too was ill.

We called in Jake Spedding, who has not played for 10 weeks. You can’t call back your League 1 dual reg guys this time of year, so we only 17 players available in our whole squad.

To go into that game knowing that – I thought it was a tremendous win. To give James Bentley and Jack Welsby debuts was tremendous.

But you need your senior players to play well, too – the likes of Jonny Lomax, Luke Thompson and Jon Wilkin really stood up.

The forwards all stood together, they played more minutes than normal because we only had two forwards on the bench, but we all pulled together and got on with it. The good thing is that Hull were wounded too, so that helped. But it was a great performance.

MC: Has it been difficult keeping out a new signing like James Bentley, who comes with the billing of Young Championship Player of the year.

JH: It is great to give him a game. When you are at a good club you have to earn your opportunity, it is not a matter of throwing them in.

For James it will have been hard for him all year with him thinking, ‘I’d love a game with this side.’ But that is the excitement I want to create with this side.

You work really and then you will get an opportunity and be ready to take it. It was a fantastic 80 minutes in the back row.

Jack Welsby has been brilliant in a first year in the 19s too and to be able to adjust, let him warm up, sit on the bench and let the game unfold and then give him a taste at the end was a perfect introduction for a young player to get an opportunity the first team.

He was so grateful of the opportunity but he is great young player with a massive future at this club.

It was good that our Academy finishing second and getting a home semi so he can slot back in there with confidence that he can play first team.

MC: Morgan Knowles can really adapt his body to play nine when asked?

JH: He is fantastic and such a great guy to coach. The conversations we can have to move positions can last 10 seconds. I say 'Morgs, you are going to play 9 for us this week.' and he says ok. He is a brilliant guy to work with.

I only told him at the game that he was playing nine, because the whole thing was for Theo to play there, but he fell sick.

We left it until two hours before the kick off to see if he was going to recover but the poor kid (Theo) could not get off the lounge. He felt bad thinking he had let the players down.

Morgs played 70 minutes straight there and would have played the full 80 if I had asked him.

MC: It must be re-assuring that you slot so many players in last minute and it did not look that clunky and disjointed?

JH: We were only clumsy in patches. The first 20 minutes of the games were probably the best we have played in a long time. I thought we controlled the game and played some really good rugby.

Two quick defensive lapses saw us all of a sudden 12-12, but for 25 minutes we played for as good as we have played for a while. I understand the opposition were depleted but we have still got to play well. That was the best sign for me. We still flowed with the way we played.

It is pleasing to see a team go so well despite the late changes. There are no excuses here for anything, we just get on and do something about it.

MC: Warrington on Saturday then. The last time Saints met Warrington, the Wire pack really slowed things down. How do you combat that?

JH: It is up to us to be a bit smarter. We probably played into their hands last time but we were still good enough to win.

We have to be smarter and better prepared knowing that this is the style that is coming at us. It is up to us to work on that this week.

In saying that we can't get frustrated when it does happen. It is part of the game and we have handle.

MC: Warrington don't look like they have been crushed by Wembley experience?

JH: They are a good side, they are not going to get too deflated by it, although they would have done at the time.

They are not going give up on the year because they didn't get the result. They will use that to try and work harder in Super League. That is the way they have gone about it. They will be a tough team to beat.