SAINTS must overcome the physical challenge presented by local rivals Wigan on Friday night if they are to have a chance of leapfrogging Catalans Dragons for fourth spot before Super League splits.

And although Saints travel to the DW Stadium in buoyant mood ahead of the last game of the regular season, the derby takes it up a massive notch.

And skipper Jon Wilkin believes the game will show just where Saints’ recovery has taken them as they approach the Super 8s.

Wilkin said: “This Wigan game is a test to see where we are at.

“The last four games are ones we should be winning, but in the context of this year, and how up and down we have been, to put four performances together that we are happy with is great, especially going into the Wigan game and then the Super 8s.”

The skipper said team’s record against Super League’s top four so far this term - winning only one out of seven meetings - is not something that has played on the minds of the players approaching the business end of the campaign.

“You have to beat the best teams, in October not in February and March and that is what we will aim to do,” he said.

“We are not in bad shape, but a few teams have been up and down this year – Huddersfield and Leeds.

“We have been far from perfect but we have just managed to grip a bit of form back.

“We are going to attack the Wigan game full on and if we get a result there we are going to attack the Super 8s in much better shape than people were expecting six weeks ago.”

Wigan have Josh Charnley and Taulima Tautai suspended for the clash, but Sean O’Loughlin returns after his ban.

And even though Wigan have a Challenge Cup semi-final the following week, it is not Shaun Wane’s style to hold anything back - especially not in this derby clash.

Wilkin says his team know what level of intensity to expect.

“For us we just want to continue the momentum, go there and be physical and aggressive and enjoy playing a bit of rugby.

“Wigan and Saints games have a similar intensity, we are expecting that.

“It will be played in front of a great atmosphere as always, the game will be defined by small details that most people will be oblivious to.

“They are usually low scoring games so we have to be defensively sound and be really clinical with the ball.

“If there’s as side to be clinical against it is Warriors,” Wilkin said.