SAINTS' players know it is time to make amends for letting their fans down in the Challenge Cup final earlier this year.

They can do so by winning the Tetley's Super League crown for the fourth time in the seven years of its existence in the 2002 showdown at Old Trafford on Saturday, kick-off 6.30pm.

If Saints do not pull another massive performance out of the fire to defeat Bradford Bulls at the home of Manchester United, Saints will have finished potless for the first time under Ian Millward's reign - and that would really hurt!

For full back Paul Wellens, defeat is not an option being considered this Saturday.

"It does not bear thinking about - specially after finishing top. Our goal at the start of the season was to get to Old Trafford and once you get there you certainly want to win.

"It was very disappointing to lose the Challenge Cup final but what hurt more than anything was the performance. Any team can handle giving their best and losing but we felt we did not give a good account of ourselves on the day. That was what we found most disappointing."

Dutch-born forward Tim Jonkers holds a similar perspective.

He said: "We really want to make up for our Challenge Cup final defeat - not just for letting ourselves down but all those fans who travelled up to Edinburgh. We have got to do it for them."

Two weeks ago Bradford defeated Saints at Knowsley Road to become the first side to book their place in Saturday's final and looking ahead to the task facing them this time, both Wellens and Jonkers are braced for a tough encounter in their respective positions.

Wellens said: "We learned a lot of lessons from the game. It won't be any different in terms of toughness and the speed of the game. I am sure both teams will have different ideas and different ways of approaching the game.

"Last time Paul Deacon put in some fantastically placed kicks and caught us out on a few occasions and that is something we have had to work on. Being back at full back it is my responsibility to deal with those situations."

After missing 11 weeks of the season with a broken ankle, Jonkers has stepped straight into the heat of the battle. It does not get any more fierce than facing up to the heavyweight Bulls.

Jonkers said: "We know we are going to have our work cut out on Saturday. The last few games it has been a hard struggle in the forwards and we are going to have that again on Saturday.

"They are a physical team, with size throughout, and they are quite strong in the tackle which is something we are going to have to combat.

"The last Bulls game was quite frustrating because our defence was quite good that night, but the kicking did for us. In a way it was a bit of a compliment to us that the only way they could score was through kicks and that is something we have looked at."

Millward is expected to pick the same 17 that accounted for Wigan on Friday although he says if Tommy Martyn can prove his fitness after an arm injury, he will play.

Paul Newlove, who was stretchered off with a groin injury on Friday night, is likely to recover in time to face his former club.

But if Millward does stick with the pack that ground out the win over Wigan, it could mean Sonny Nickle will be denied the chance of a last Grand Final farewell.