SAINTS coach Paul Wellens spoke about dealing with the losing streak, Friday's challenge of Leigh Leopards and explained why they could not go into the loan-market to bolster an injury-depleted squad.

He also gave the news on the need for centre Konrad Hurrell to have neck suregery.

St Helens Star subscribers can watch the video here.

Saints defeated Leigh in early spring, but Adrian Lam’s side have since recovered from an injury-ravaged early part of the campaign.

And coach Wellens knows that that entering the Leopards’ Den to face a side battling to keep their season alive will make for another intense challenge.

Wellens said: “Ever since Leigh came back into Super League, our games against them have always been really competitive and really intense games.

“We expect no different at the weekend.

“They were similar to ourselves at the start of the year and had a poor run of results when they were decimated with injuries and were missing all their front line forwards.

“Since that has changed they have shown what a team they are and are picking up wins and looking very threatening.”

Saints are still depleted on troop numbers in the middle and that has led to a big burden being shouldered by the likes of 80-minute front rower Maty Lees, an only recently fully fit Agnatius Paasi and teenage prop Noah Stephens.

“It is a great challenge for us and our pack, who I am asking a lot of.

“But we are working hard as a middle unit to stay competitive and give ourselves a chance of winning games,” Wellens said.