'Fresh' Saints vie for bullish revenge in final

If there is one running battle that has characterised rugby league in this country since the upheavals of the mid-90s, it has been Bradford versus St Helens – and the latest episode will be played out in the Tetleys Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford next Saturday.

That is as it should be. The two teams, such a contrast in so many ways, have been the strongest in the competition this year. Leeds and Hull have flattered to deceive and Wigan, who beat Saints to win the Challenge Cup in April, were always on borrowed time in the play-offs. The cream has risen to the top.

The Bulls and Saints have had some unforgettable contests in Cup finals, Grand Finals and play-offs in the recent past. This could easily be another, because there is little to choose between them. The Bradford captain, Robbie Paul, declared the other week that, when his side hits its best form, they are impossible to beat. Saints could make a similar claim, but both have been fallible at certain times this season.

Bradford's power game has deserted them on occasions when they have tried to over-complicate matters. It is in the nature of Saints' constant ball-movement that it can occasionally all fall in a heap. It all depends next Saturday on which of them makes their method work.

Bradford will again look for inspiration from their hooker, James Lowes, in what could be his last game before retirement. Lowes is genuinely undecided about whether to carry on; if he has his usual influence at dummy-half, it will be plain enough why they want him to.

Paul Deacon's kicking game was a major factor in the Bulls' 28-26 victory over Saints in the play-offs – the match that took them straight through to the Grand Final and meant that Saints had to use their second life against Wigan – but he also showed a willingness to run the ball that has not always been evident.

Brian Noble is also overdue a big game from his skipper. Paul has been relatively subdued in his last few games and has sometimes been used as a substitute this season, but it would be a huge call to start at Old Trafford without a player who has so often reserved his best for the big occasion.

Bradford will go into the game well rested, but Saints' Ian Millward does not believe that puts his side at any disadvantage. "I can't believe how fresh we are, physically and mentally, at this stage of the season," he says, citing his policy of taking key players out of the firing line from time to time.

Millward does have one unwanted legacy from Friday night's 24-8 win over Wigan. The experienced centre, Paul Newlove, suffered what seemed to be a serious groin injury and, although he is another not quite at his most explosive of late, he remains a player any coach would like on board for a big match.

The Saints coach must also decide whether to risk Tommy Martyn after his arm injury, but the biggest relief must be the way that Sean Long came through safely on Friday night. His pace and flair can disrupt the most suffocating of defences, and his combination with Paul Sculthorpe is good enough to compensate for an absent Martyn.

One of the most concerned spectators at Old Trafford will be the Great Britain coach, David Waite. He lost two important players from his squad yesterday when Wigan made the expected announcement that Kris Radlinski and Terry Newton need operations. With the New Zealand tourists arriving tomorrow, he can ill-afford to loose any more.