St Helens hope to have head coach Royce Simmons back in charge in time for the opening match of the English Super League season following a mercy dash home to Australia.

The 50-year-old Penrith Panthers legend and former West Tigers assistant coach, who has taken over from Mick Potter at St Helens, flew back to Sydney at the weekend to visit his seriously ill father but is due back in England on Thursday.

"He flew out on Saturday after training and, hopefully, he'll be back on Thursday," said assistant coach Keiron Purtill, who represented Saints at Monday's Engage Super League launch at Old Trafford.

St Helens kick off the campaign on Saturday against arch rivals Wigan in a re-run of the 2010 Grand Final.

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