Preview: St
Helens v Bradford (Round 6)

St Helens youngster James Roby is hoping to prove his fitness for the top-of-the-table engage Super League clash with Bradford.

The 20-year-old half-back was forced to miss last week?s win at Huddersfield due to a virus and briefly spent time in hospital.

Coach Daniel Anderson said: ?He lost five kilos with his illness. We will just see how he pans out. I saw him this morning (Tuesday) and he looked very washed out.

?There are a lot of bugs floating around at the moment. He was in hospital and out again shortly after but he lost five kilos and that certainly does knock you a little.?

Anderson is also hopeful scrum-half Sean Long will return after a minor problem and prop Jason Cayless should overcome a niggle.

Another forward, James Graham, returns from suspension but fellow front-rower Nick Fozzard is still sidelined with a knee injury.

Defending champions Bradford are aiming for a third successive away win over Saints, having triumphed 32-18 at Knowsley Road in the last match of the 2005 regular season and returning three weeks later to claim a 23-18 victory in the play-offs.

They are enjoying an unbeaten 18-match run which stretches back to last July and includes their World Club Challenge triumph but coach Brian Noble admits they are not yet firing on all cylinders.

Having been fortunate to claim all the points from their home games against both Harlequins and Hull, Noble says his side are determined this week to show their champion qualities.

?We have been working hard this week on not giving the ball away too easily,? said Noble.

?That is something we have been doing far too often and it gives our opponents too much possession in our part of the field.

?We will be looking to start making more of an impact with the ball rather than be defending for large parts of the game.?

St Helens v Bradford Bulls, Knowsley Road, Friday March 17 2006

St Helens 18-man squad: Wellens, Gardner, Lyon, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Long, Cunningham, Cayless, Gilmour, Wilkin, Sculthorpe, Roby, Hooper, P. Anderson, V. Anderson, Graham, Fa?asavalu.

Bradford 18-man squad: Watene, Cook, Langley, Bai, B. Harris, Deacon, Johnson, Pryce, Vainikolo, I. Harris, Hape, Vagana, Lynch, Gene, Fielden, McKenna, Withers, Henderson.

Referee: A Klein