Bulls aim to win back points

The Bulls were docked two points for the second successive year after once more being found guilty of breaching the salary cap and while they are now four points behind Saints they are confident of being able to restore their tally by condemning the champions to a second successive defeat.

Bulls chairman Peter Hood said: "To their credit, our players and coaching staff have not been distracted by any of the of-the-field events this season. The focus throughout the club is now very much on the remainder of this season, both in the Challenge Cup and the Super League."

The Roses clash is a rehearsal for the Challenge Cup semi-final at Huddersfield later this month but coach Steve McNamara insists that will have little bearing on Friday night's game.

"This game has to be taken in its own right because the two points are very important to us," he said.

Both sides will be aiming to bounce back from surprising defeats, Bradford slipping up at Wigan, with Saints losing at home to Leeds, and McNamara is expecting a high-scoring encounter from the two best attacking teams in the competition.

"We all know that you have to be good defensively to shut Saints out but you have to be equally as good at scoring points against them," he said. "You have to throw plenty at them and we intend to do so."

St Helens avoided a points deduction at Thursday night's hearing because they were just 0.8% over the 50% maximum clubs are permitted to spend on players' wages.

Bonuses paid to Ade Gardner and James Graham for making their Great Britain debuts in the hastily-arranged mid-season Test match against New Zealand took the champions over the cap and they were fined £22,000, which included £4,000 suspended from their 2006 breach.

A club spokesman said: "St Helens agree with and accept the penalty. The club considers the quantum of the breach to have been very minor and to have been with mitigating factors."