MARK Percival was rubbing shoulders with six members of semi opponents Castleford when he was unveiled as Saints’ solitary member of the Super League Dream Team on Monday.

But in Thursday night's semi-final he will be trying to get one over on them as Saints bid to make a return to Old Trafford after being pipped at the last hurdle for two years running.

Although Saints will start as underdogs, having finished 17 points behind the runaway League Leaders Shield winners, the England centre draws confidence from the previous clashes between the teams.

He said: “It is a massive game on Thursday night. The Grand Final is 80 minutes away but we are up against a Castleford side that have been the best team all year.

“There will be pressure on them, due to the fact that they should be there after the year they have had.

“On top of that we have been written off during the course of the year.”

“That Challenge Cup game was our worst performance of the year.

Obviously we have played them three other times as well, won two and should have won the other one as we were leading with a few minutes left.

“But winning there has given us that confidence that we can go back there and do it again.

“If we go there with the right attitude and the mentality we had last time we should be ok.

“When you play Castleford, defence is a massive thing. If you are not on defensively you are going to struggle.

“That has been our main focus, to limit their opportunities.

“Statistically we have got the best defence in the league so hopefully we can continue that against Castleford.”

Percival will be directly up against the veteran former Melbourne and Hull KR centre Jake Webster, arguably one of the strongest and most improved players in the competition.

He has plenty of respect for the strong running 33-year-old, who under Daryl Powell had added extra strings to his bow than just physicality.

Percival said: “He is a brilliant player and he has been like that for years.

“He is a massive handful and a tough opponent, but that is what you want in a semi-final, a good clash against players and we will have that on Thursday.”

Percival, who played his 100th Saints game at Salford last week, is keen to get back to Old Trafford where he collected a Grand Final winner’s ring as a 20-year-old in 2014.

“We have been involved in the last two semi-finals but lost them both by very small margins.

“I am sure a few of us lads who have experienced that will have that in our minds and won’t want to fall at that final hurdle again.

“Although it is nice to get to the last four, we need to show up with our best performance.

“Every individual needs to be on their game to win.”

Even reaching the four, maintaining Saints’ unique record of reaching ever play-off series since 1962, seems an achievement from the low base Saints started from in April.

Back then even a Super 8s place was not guaranteed, but in a season-long rollercoaster ride Saints have dug in under Justin Holbrook and found the wherewithal to qualify.

Percival said: “Our main focus has been working hard for each other.

“As a team we try to stick together, but you have to get you own performance right too. By doing that you help the team play better.

“I think we have all been doing that this past 12 weeks.

“Justin came in and brought a change we were looking for because we were not playing that well.”

“He had some new ideas and we have all focused on what he wanted to do.”

Saints have Percival’s boot to thank for keeping them in it with his kick through providing the match winner for Jonny Lomax at Wakefield that kept the season alive.

“I could not really run any further so had to do something so I tried to sidefoot it. We got lucky with Scott Grix spilling it, but we made our own luck with Regan Grace’s chase.

“We fought till the end and that is what got us what we deserved,” Percival said.

Having made the Dream Team, Percival is hoping once the Saints season is over that he makes another team - and he is hopeful on England selection for the World Cup in Australia this autumn.

Percival played Four Nations last year and made the trip in mid season, but did not feature.

He said: "It would be nice to get the recognition of England again.

"I feel like I have improved this year but I have plenty more improvement in me.

I have been enjoying the England camps, the training sessions have been good and getting on and mingling with all the lads has been a good feeling.

“Prince Harry dropped in on the last camp – and he was quite funny and a cool guy.”