ST HELENS captain Jodie Cunningham says her side have to make home advantage count as the league campaign draws to a close.

Since the international break, in which Cunningham led England to a 62-0 win over Wales, Saints have beaten both Huddersfield and Barrow at the Totally Wicked Stadium, and face York at the venue on Saturday.

Six days later, rivals Wigan are the visitors for a game which could decide which of the two clubs take the League Leaders’ Shield.

Saints finish their league season with a trip to Leigh on Sunday, September 14, before a play-off semi-final the following weekend, and potentially another Grand Final on Sunday, October 5.

Given their dominance this season, most people will expect Denis Betts’ Wigan to take the next piece of silverware on offer, which suits Cunningham and her teammates.

“We’re in a really good place as a squad right now,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and what works and doesn’t in terms of team dynamic, so we’re well set to kick on and push forward.

“We’ve been one of the teams to beat for many years now and I believe that is still the case, but with everyone expecting Wigan to win the league and the Grand Final, it does take a bit of the usual pressure off us.

“We still want trophies this year, we know Wigan have an incredible squad, but we also know that if we get things right, we are really tough to beat.

“Hopefully we can build on that, peak at the right time and bring some trophies back to Totally Wicked.

“The consistency of being at home means we feel a bit more in control and a bit more comfortable going into those games.

“That’s a good place to be at this stage of the season and if we get a run of good results and a bit of momentum behind us, that will hopefully help us going into the play-offs when we need some do-or-die performances.”

Prop Chantelle Crowl has made her 100th appearance for the club – becoming the first Saints player to reach the milestone.