AFTER producing their best domestic performance of the season, Saints can feel a little bit more sure of themselves as they creep into the top six with a game in hand.

After five wins on the spin - four in the Super League - Saints are now back on the shoulders of the leading pack.

Saints will have to do it differently this year, but without getting carried away, coach Paul Wellens has spoken of the "burning desire" to take out what would be a remarkable fifth title in a row. 

Some patchy early season form, not helped by injuries and ill-discipline, caused plenty of raised eye-brows with the post-World Club Challenge period feeling more like a hangover than a honeymoon.

Defeats on their travels to Leigh, Hull KR, Wigan and Catalans plus a home Golden Point defeat by Leeds after having that game won, saw plenty of doubts creep in.  

But in the words of former skipper Chris Joynt - now indelibly etched into Saints folklore - "Never write off the Saints!"

However, given what happened after beating the league league leaders Warrington in April, noboby at Saints is geting carried away with the magnificent Magic performance. 

Coach Paul Wellens admits, half way through his first season in charge, the experience so far has been a "a learn" from him as a coach.

But after laying down the law with regards to ill-discipline in the aftermath of Morgan Knowles' third ban of the season, Wellens was pleased with the way that message has got through.

Wellens said: "I am only a young coach but I probably needed to have those stronger conversations earlier but given the fact that what this team has achieved in recent years I probably gave them the benefit of the doubt.

"I think off the back of those strong conversations, there's very clear lines now in terms of myself and the playing group about what is accepted there.

"The evidence in the Magic game is a team that can play aggressive, can play physical - all the things that have brought us that success – but also retain discipline whilst doing that.

"I really have to commend the group on that because they have come under the microscope more than any other team I feel in 2023 and that may continue.

"So it's important that we maintain our discipline moving forward."

St Helens Star:

Having had 13 rounds contemplating another team taking the title - Warrington and Catalans leading a group of non-usual suspects - ominously for those pretenders to the crown Saints now move onto their shoulders like Steve Ovett in his prime.

And Wellens underlines that this crop of champions are not ready to have their feats spoken about in the past tense.

The history books on this chapter has room for even more pages - with the players willing and able to pen many more lines to the story of Super League's best ever team.   

"There is a burning desire to win five in a row," said Wellens.

"What this team want to do is continue to be successful and what other team will ever be in a position to go and five in a row again?

"What you have to do to be in that position is win four first. The team knows already what they have achieved already is great and it is already special but why can’t it be even more special?

"We won't get carried away and talk about titles and talk about the results of big games.

"What we have got to do is think about the here and now and keep working hard for each other and take confidence in the fact that we do all the things that you saw on show at Newcastle we give ourselves a really good chance of putting ourselves in the big games again."