SAINTS boss Keiron Cunningham is not conceding defeat yet, despite the six point gap opening up between them and fourth-placed Warrington.

Four consecutive defeats and injuries to Theo Fages and Luke Walsh have put a massive dent in Saints’ hopes to maintain their incredible run of making every play-off since the divisions split in 1975.

But with five regular games and seven Super 8s games to go, the towel is not being thrown in and Cunningham wants his side to keep up the pressure on those above them.

Cunningham said: “The boys are deeply disappointed especially after the first half they put in at Catalans, but we know we have to be better for the full 80 minutes and not 70 minutes.

“There is still a long way to go.

“If we can keep close tabs on fourth spot we can have a good crack at them all in Super 8s.

“There are lots of games before the split and plenty afterwards. We will fight to the bitter end.”

After 18 rounds, Saints have won as many as they have lost and are in the rare position of being on a negative points difference of -44.

That figure in itself will make a tilt for the top four even more difficult.

“We aren’t where we envisaged we would be at this point of the season, but considering the pressure the team has been under they have performed exceptionally well in certain periods of the last few games,” Cunningham said.

“When you look back at those games, against Hull we deserved a lot more and at Catalans we dominated for large periods but hit a ten minute block when they played exceptionally well and took it away from us.

“The boys are fighting hard for each other.

“Every game is a must win game. We will keep fighting and working hard.

“There are lots of games to go.

“People go in and out of form in the blink of an eye.

“We are still waiting for our purple patch which we are entitled to.

“If we carry on working hard we will get there eventually.”