ON-SONG Saints will have to change their winning team for Friday night’s trip to Wigan.

Keiron Cunningham’s men have bounced along on a seven-game winning run, taking the high profile scalps of Wigan, Warrington and Catalans, but events from last Friday’s win threaten to throw a spanner in the works.

They have lost in-form centre Mark Percival with a leg injury, and have now seen Luke Walsh and Luke Thompson banned by the disciplinary committee

Cunningham is confident that his side can cope with the latest knocks, with Matty Fleming coming in for the injured Percival and fit-again Theo Fages ready to replace Walsh at seven.

Saints are in a good spot with five games to play in the Super 8s, with momentum and a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Catalans Dragons, putting them in the driving seat for a semi-final spot.

But coach Cunningham said the team is not getting too far ahead of itself - with the focus on Friday’s massive derby.

Cunningham said: “We have just got to focus on what we can do, we knew this block of four was going to be tough and if you get caught too far looking at the end goal then things are going to pass you by.

“The Catalans game is in the bag now we look at what we can do at Wigan.”

Centre Percival was forced off with a leg injury early in the game against Catalans and will now be out for an unspecified length of time, although Cunningham expects him to be back for the run-in.

Cunningham said: “It is not great with Percy – and that is a re-occurring thing with him and so that is something we will have to have a good close look at in pre-season.

“We will probably lose Percy for a few weeks now, but I am hopeful that he will be back before the end of the campaign.

“In his place Matty Fleming was doing a good job and it was a tough call to bring Dom Peyroux in for him at Warrington two weeks ago and only did that because of experience and physicality coming up against Ryan Atkins.

“Flem will slot back in for us. He did a great job on the right side but he is a better left-sided player so will just jump across.”

With Walsh banned, pending any appeal, Cunningham said he would pitch Fages back into the fray for the first time since damaging his knee in Catalans in June.

Speaking before the disciplinary decision, Cunningham said: "Young Theo is waiting and ready to fly if Walshy is not available.

“He has just about passed everything and we will do a little bit of work this week with him in the halves.

“I am happy with what Jon Wilkin is doing up the middle and we have got a bit of a trio going and working really well, which equals the workload rather than putting it all responsibility on a few.”

out for an unspecified length of time, although Cunningham expects him to be back for the run-in.

Cunningham said: “It is not great with Percy – and that is a re-occurring thing with him and so that is something we will have to have a good close look at in pre-season.

“We will probably lose Percy for a few weeks now, but I am hopeful that he will be back before the end of the campaign.

“In his place Matty Fleming was doing a good job and it was a tough call to bring Dom Peyroux in for him at Warrington two weeks ago and only did that because of experience and physicality coming up against Ryan Atkins.

“Flem will slot back in for us. He did a great job on the right side but he is a better left-sided player so will just jump across.”

Should Walsh be banned Cunningham said he would pitch Fages back into the fray for the first time since damaging his knee in Catalans in June.

“Young Theo is waiting and ready to fly if Walshy is not available.

“He has just about passed everything and we will do a little bit of work this week with him in the halves.

“I am happy with what Jon Wilkin is doing up the middle and we have got a bit of a trio going and working really well, which equals the workload rather than putting it all responsibility on a few.”

If Walsh is available, and that would now only be as a result of a successful appeal - something Saints have yet to decide to launch - Cunningham will not break up the partnership that has delivered seven consecutive wins.

“It would be a tough call to change the halves – we have balance there and are going really well and consistently playing with the right people. They are doing a good job together,” Cunningham said.

Fages was not included in the initial 19-man squad, but Saints can alter that given the late of the disciplinary verdicts.

“The initial Wigan game was a good yardstick of where we genuinely were but to back up with wins over Warrington and Catalans has confirmed that.

“We were not good against the top four sides at the start of the year, but have now beaten three in a row which are good scalps for us as a club and we have secured vital points along the way.

“This month was always going to be our biggest challenge and it was always going to be a deal breaker as to where would finish as a club.

“We know what the challenge brings this Friday and then next time against Hull.

“We have to take each as they come but can’t get away from what we have been dong well as a group.

You look at Jonny’s effort to save the 40/20 – eight weeks ago we don’t see that and that was a 40/20 that could change the game and we lose by six points.

“That is the difference in the team and collectively that is making us a good side.”