SAINTS hooker James Roby says the team are not getting carried away following last week’s win over Castleford but believes they have what it takes to go all the way this season.

The linchpin number nine produced another characteristic display and was among the try-scorers in the Saints’ 26-12 victory.

“The mindset that I’m coming from and as a team is don’t get carried away,” said Roby.

“We’ve had a great performance and people are obviously going to take note. It means nothing unless we carry on.

“We’ve been slowly improving the past few weeks and if we take it week by week I’m confident.

“It’s a team sport and a lot of people have said to me in passing about our defence and that comes down to work ethic and attitude and willingness to help teammates.

“I’d like to think the camaraderie helps us out in those situations. It was a great team performance.

“We stuck with it for the whole 80 minutes and everybody worked hard.”

The 31-year-old gave credit to the input of coach Justin Holbrook since his mid-season arrival.

“It’s always a bit different under each coach you have,” added Roby.

“In losing Keiron (Cunningham), the situation we were in, confidence was pretty low which in turn means you don’t go on to the field with as much confidence in your ability and you’re going to make a few more errors.

“Justin came in and I suppose it broke the cycle. He’s a great bloke, he’s straightforward and tells you how he wants it and the lads know what’s expected of them.

“He has probably come in and simplified things and he’s working with all the little groups like the edges and the middles, and giving little pointers.

“We’re playing really well as a team at the minute.”

Roby says the squad have not set themselves any particular targets by the end of the season after the team’s resurgence has seen them enter the top four.

“Year on year we tend to come through this spell towards the back end where we’re picking up and I don’t really know what it’s down to, we don’t do anything different.

“At this stage of the season that’s what you’ve got to do and improve along the way if you can do. That’s what seems to be happening.

“We’ve not really grouped together and collectively said our aim. Obviously at the back of our minds we want to win the Grand Final but we don’t want to put it up on a pedestal, we want to just knock them out week by week and if we find ourselves there, let’s go for it.

“I’m confident in our ability, I think we can go on and win the Grand Final but every team in the league will probably say the same.

“We’ve got to take it week on week, in the Super 8s now we’re feeling it and the speccies will be, it’s intensifying and hopefully we’ll be using that to our advantage.”

Tomorrow’s clash with third-placed Hull sees Saints have the chance to go level on points with the Airlie Birds.

“They’re a quality team and we’re all fighting for these top four play-off places, the pressure is intensifying every week,” he said.

“As long as we get that win, that will do us the world of good.

“They’re known to have a big pack and big outside backs who can do some damage. They have some key players we need to keep an eye on. Marc Sneyd is very creative and Danny Houghton from dummy half can spot opportunities.

“We just have to work hard for one another and if we can get our own game right and bring that work ethic that we had last week hopefully it’ll get us on the right side.

“We’ve not been at home for a few weeks. We definitely want to get above them on the table and keep picking up these two points, it is a motivator.

“It shouldn’t add motivation but I suppose subconsciously it probably does. It’s that competitive nature, as sportsmen we all have that.”

Roby admitted the prospect of playing in another World Cup at the end of the year is in the back of his mind.

He said: “I don’t like to think of things like that, it’s obviously in the back of my mind and knowing I might get the opportunity, especially with it being a World Cup year it’s a big occasion and I’ve been lucky enough to play in the last two World Cups so if I did get the chance it would be fantastic and almost definitely my last chance.

“I’m just going to play as well as I can for St Helens and if I get in the squad I get in, if not I don’t. I’m not banking on it, I’ll just be playing as well as I possibly can and if that’s one of the rewards at the end of the year then so be it.”