James Roby: St Helens veteran plays down emotion before final home appearance

James Roby (left) will be joined on the farewell lap of honour at the end by another retiring stalwart in Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook

Veteran hooker James Roby is taking all the emotion out of his final St Helens home game, as they host Warrington in a Super League play-off eliminator.

Saints' record appearance maker is finally ending his 20-season career at the end of this campaign, with Saturday his 550th club game in the Red Vee.

The 37-year-old only has eyes for a semi-final, and the chance to win a fifth straight title.

"I'm treating it like just another game," Roby told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I'm not getting caught up in the whole emotion, the story and the fairytale, that sort of thing.

"It helps that I made this decision a long time ago, at the beginning I knew this season would be my last and I'm happy and content with what I've done in my career.

"That makes it a bit easier, I can approach the game and enjoy it for what it is. It might hit me at the end of the game, and sink in and feel a bit different but at the moment it's just another game we need to win."

Whiston-born Roby watched Saints from the stands at the old Knowsley Road, before joining his boyhood team and making his debut during the 2004 campaign against Widnes.

He remembers the send-off afforded to his predecessor Keiron Cunningham when he bowed out in 2010, coincidentally also the final game at the old stadium, and can expect a similar reception along with Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook - another stalwart hanging up the boots.

During his Saints career Roby has won six Grand Finals, appeared in a joint-equal best 11 finals and also won four Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges - including the 2023 edition against Penrith earlier this season, the first triumph on Australian soil since 1994.

'Dangerous' Warrington pose play-off question

Saints find themselves in the eliminator spots after a remarkable final round of fixtures in which the top three all finished on the same points, with points difference deciding the final placings.

Hence Paul Wellens' reigning champions have to go the long way round if they are to return to Old Trafford again in 2023, albeit with home advantage against a Warrington side they beat in a tense tussle just a couple of weeks ago.

"We know it's a very tough game, it's do or die and Warrington are a very dangerous team," Roby continued.

"We played them recently and it was a tough contest even then. We need to be at our best.

"This time of the year in the play-offs, you need to keep your cool when there's pressure, expectation, eyeballs on the sport and how teams will perform.

"We just want to go out there and perform and one thing we've done really well over the last two months or so is just concentrate on ourselves, get what we want right on the field and hopefully results will follow.

"I'm confident we have been in these big games in the last few years and we've proved that we can handle ourselves in the right manner and get the result so hopefully it will be the same again this Saturday."