SAINTS are likely to stick with the same 17 heading into Sunday’s crucial sixth round Challenge Cup tie at home to high-flying Hull FC.

Back-to-back wins against Leeds and Castleford, assisted by the return of Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival and Atelea Vea, have restored some confidence to the Saints ranks after a patchy start to the season.

But they will need to take it up a notch against a Hull side that at long last looks like it is producing the performances to match the investment that club has made having won seven from their last eight matches.

Having not been to Wembley since 2008, a Challenge Cup run is important to a Saints club that was used to regular visits to the Empire Stadium from 1987 onwards.

Coach Keiron Cunningham said: “It is a tough draw but you have got to take these on the chin.

“It could be a lot worse, we could be going over there to play them or going somewhere else that is not favourable.

“I am looking forward to the game and the challenge.

“All we can take care of is what is ahead of us, all those variables like the ref and the bounce of the ball, we have got to make our own luck.

“We were not too far short last time we played Hull and we have since got a few bodies back.

“Then we had come off the back of a four-day turnaround with the same team, whereas they had come with six fresh players and it came down to a drop goal at the end.

We know where we can exploit and they are probably saying the same. It is going to be a good game fought out by two good sides.”

The visitors, who have lost only once at Langtree Park, snatched a 17-16 win last month in a game that could have gone either way.

They will be backed by a big, noisy following, with more than 1,000 supporters travelling over for Sunday’s clash. (4.30pm).

After a good win over fellow high-fliers Catalans at the weekend, Hull's Black and White hordes will come over confident despite the enforced absence of Frank Pritchard and Sika Manu, who have been released for the weekend to skipper Samoa and Tonga respectively.

“Hull have got that bit of belief about them. They have got the right personnel to fit in with the right coach and everything is clicking for them at the moment. They are a good well-coached side who look like they are enjoying what they are doing, but we are not a bad side ourselves.

“We have a lot of improving to do, but I am happy where we are at,” Cunningham said.

As for the missing test duo Pritchard and Manu Cunningham added: “Their loss is our gain. They are both game-breakers – both are great players, but they can drop a Mark Minichiello or a Gareth Ellis in there in their places. They have got plenty of strike all over the field.

“But Frank and Sika are two game-breakers and if you asked me if I would let them go if they we re in my team then I am not sure I would,” he said.

It is likely that Dominique Peyroux will continue for Saints at centre after he came straight in at Castleford for Matty Dawson.

Cunningham added: “Matty had concussion but Dom has come in and done a solid job for us, so you would find it hard to change the team because we have stability at the minute.

“Young Morgan Knowles has deserved his spot in the 17 and was outstanding at the weekend and showed what a valuable asset he is."