SAINTS coach Keiron Cunningham admits that next week’s Challenge Cup semi-final will have played a part in his selection for the Super League clash with Hull KR but is adamant his side will be fully focused on tonight's game.

Saints face cup holders Leeds Rhinos in the crunch tie a week on Friday but Cunningham says his players will have no problem keeping their minds on tonight's match against opponents who inflicted Saints’ first defeat of the season back in March.

“We are going to go for the game and have a crack at it,” said Cunningham, who has elected to rest hooker James Roby but Atelea Vea is set to return after suffering a shoulder injury in the reverse fixture back in March.

“We’ve got some players who are in some good form now and they’ll want to continue with that."

Both sides feature in Challenge Cup semi-finals the following week but with the game being the last of the regular season before the split into the Super 8s – and Rovers still having a mathematical chance of finishing eighth – Cunningham says his team will be ready for a tough challenge.

“We’ll be ready for a good side. They gave us a a tough time at their place and I’m sure there’s a few of our boys thinking about that,” added Cunningham.

“We’ve been good in recent times in trying to be focused on the week in hand and it is important where you finish.

“We are focused on this week’s game and whatever Hull KR bring and I’m sure they are going to have a good crack at it. Whoever comes to Langtree Park has a good go so we’ll look forward to the game and then we can focus for the week after.”

Saints, who need a win to guarantee at least second spot following Wigan's victory at Hull FC last night, can take plenty of heart from last week’s impressive win at Warrington.

Cunningham said: “I thought our defensive effort on Thursday was sensational.

"We’ve been really good with the ball in hand but without the ball in the last couple of weeks we’d not been great. It really was Saints of old and the best start to a game we’ve made since the Wigan game at Langtree Park – we really hung in there.

“Warrington should have scored two or three more tries but the players decided they weren’t going to allow that to happen and that’s a good sign for a coach.

“The team is in a good spot at the minute. We’ve had a tough couple of weeks and even though we won the Huddersfield game when you set your standards so high as a club as soon as you drop below them standards it’s glaring.

"That stands us in good stead especially with the Super 8s. You’ve got to carry as many points as you can. It’s not about making the eight, it’s about making that four and if you’ve got any ambitions of doing anything you’ve got to make the four.

“It’s going to be a great finish and some big teams will miss out on the four, it’s going to be interesting.”

Saints' 19: Jordan Turner, Josh Jones, Adam Swift, Travis Burns, Luke Walsh, Mose Masoe, Kyle Amor, Atelea Vea, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Alex Walmsley, Mark Flanagan, Mark Percival, Luke Thompson, Greg Richards, Joe Greenwood, Matty Dawson, Andre Savelio, Lewis Charnock, Adam Quinlan.