BUOYED by their triumph over the old enemy Wigan, Saints face another daunting trip on Friday night when they aim to secure their first ever Super League win at leaders Bradford.
They make the trek with mounting injury worries, with skipper Chris Joynt ruled out with a back injury and stand off Tommy Martyn still doubtful despite gingerly starting training on a damaged ankle.
Anthony Sullivan is expected to line up on the wing after running well in training on Tuesday.
Coach Ian Millward has a number of other, unspecified players on the treatment table, but remains upbeat about his side's prospects.
He said: "We are looking forward to going to Valley Parade - it is a small ground but it has a great atmosphere. It is not the easiest place to play, but I would rather us play in the big games, with all the atmosphere that goes with it, and it will create a great spectacle.
"We have been playing big games since late January and have no problems getting up for them."
Their failure to win at Bradford in the Super League era was not an issue with Millward.
"Too much is taken into account with home and away - the fields and goal posts are similar -it is the way you go about it. There are advantages of playing at home, but there are also pressures," he said.
Saints will be looking to go just a fraction better than the first game of the season when they ran the Bulls close in a ding-dong battle before conceding 31-24.
Since then they have bettered Bradford at Knowsley Road and at Twickenham - showing they have no fear for the stampeding Bulls with their so-called awesome foursome of heavyweight props - Stuart Fielden, Paul Anderson, Joe Vagana and Brian McDermott.
"Bradford are probably the best team in Super League at the moment because they are top of the League.
"I hope they keep winning, except for on Friday, because that will help us achieve where we want to go. I said that at the half way point," he said.
He identified the danger men in the Bulls' ranks - the Pauls brothers, Paul Deacon and Mike Forshaw- but said Saints had great players too.
"We won't play Bradford for a while and may not play them again this season so we can really can go at it a bit more. Whereas with Wigan we know we are going to play them at least once or twice more."
On the injury front Millward said: "We have picked up a few knocks - but you expect that after a physical game like that and one or two blokes are a bit busted.
"Everyone knows we have a lot of injuries and my biggest concern at the moment is not so much winning every game, but making sure we keep healthy because we need all our troops on board if we are to mount a defence of our Super League trophy."
It is a rare occurrence for Joynt to miss a game, who picked up an accidental knee to the back last Friday when he was held up over the line going for a try.
The break might do the skipper some good - he has looked jaded in recent weeks, a combination of a gruelling 19 months of non-stop rugby, playing with niggling injuries and ongoing contract negotiations with Saints.
Bulls, who had a convincing win over a lethargic Leeds side on Saturday, expect to be at full strength.
The game will be broadcast live on Radio Merseyside on 1485 mw.
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