IF Saints have any ambition to get to Old Trafford this year they must emerge from the opening four rounds of the Super 8s with some points in the bag.

That was the view of coach Keiron Cunningham as he surveyed the tough opening schedule which has pitched Saints against all the other teams challenging for the top four semi-final spot.

Having battled back from the brink of seeing their season written off, Saints are now in the box seat to secure a semi-final spot, but with seven games to go, and only two points separating fourth and fifth, Cunningham is not counting any chickens.

Cunningham said: “We play everyone around us in the first four rounds - Warrington, Catalans, Wigan and then Hull.

“They are the biggest four games of the year and if we have any ambition of doing anything then we have to come out of those games with some points and then we play the sides below us to seal it.

“We can’t look past next Thursday and Warrington.”

Saints looked out for the count in early June, but five wins on the trot have put them on course to keep up the remarkable run of being the only club to make the end of season knockout play-offs since the divisions split in in 1973-74.

The win at Wigan on Friday was the cherry on top – and, according to Cunningham, a reward for their hard work over a period of time.

He said: “You are now seeing a true showing of the squad we have got.

“The boys are working hard, it has not happened overnight but a few victories and you get a bit of momentum.

“We have not won anything yet. We have won a game of rugby – as a group of coaches we were looking at the Wigan game as a yardstick.

“We have not been successful against top four sides this year so this was a big challenge – to see where physically and mentally we actually are. We stood up tall against a really good Wigan side.

“Winning games can be a relief when things are not going well, but now that relief has gone to a big self-belief and that happens over a period of time.

“We are in a good spot – we are confident in what we are doing but we have seven games to go.

“Wigan were always going to start big and it was about fighting fire with fire. You don’t weather storms in big games, you start the storm.

“There was lots of fighting spirit out there and you enjoy cutting video when it is like that.”

Cunningham revealed that Theo Fages is progressing well and is expected to be fit for round two or three – though admitting that it would be hard to change a winning side.

He also explained that prop Lama Tasi was training hard, but again was finding it difficult to change the team when it was winning.

“It is a tough spot for Lama to be in, because he has been training hard but hard to change a side that has been going so well.

“I have been bringing Atelea Vea through the middle and he has found his feet again – it is going to be down to Lama and Tils for that spot,” Cunningham said.