Pryce - can score the first try.
SAINTS' PRYCE IS RIGHT
By Ben Linfoot
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You only have to look back 12 months to see what happened the last time a Super League big gun took on one of the lesser lights in the Challenge Cup final.
Luckily for us punters it was exactly the same team, St Helens, with much the same squad as they have now, who destroyed Huddersfield Giants that day in Twickenham 42-12.
The treble-winning Saints are a class above Saturday's French rivals Catalans Dragons, and quotes of 1/10 hardly do the ability chasm any justice.
Catalans may have beaten St Helens 21-0 in their most recent encounter in Super League, and while that defeat will have hurt Daniel Anderson's team they were nowhere near their 'A-game' in Perpignan.
They had more than one eye on this final in that game - they virtually had their heads turned sideways - and getting 'nilled' will only have sharpened their focus on the task in hand at Wembley even more.
Saints are a big-game team with bags of big-game experience. They have won five Challenge Cups from six final appearances in the Super League era and have won five Grand Finals in that time too.
Add two World Club Championships to that and you have the roll-call of the best rugby league team this country has produced in the modern-era - and it's a phenomenal record.
As for the Catalans - well they have done well to get here. This is their first experience of a final of any kind, and it will be a lot to take in. For Saints, they know what to expect.
Sure the Catalans have players with big-game experience - Stacey Jones has been there for New Zealand in grand finals for club and huge Tests for country, while Adam Mogg has experienced the heat of State Of Origin football.
But as a collective they have no idea what might lay ahead of them on Saturday, and they could get blown away by a rampant Saints.
Injuries to two of their more vital components - Thomas Bosc (broken arm) and Casey McGuire (torn muscle) - only makes their task even harder.
Saints' recent league defeat at the hands of the Catalans only reduces the risk of betting on the handicap, and at -16 St Helens are a must bet to cover the start.
On the wide expanses of the Wembley turf, with good weather forecast, they could run away with this in the closing stages and St Helens on the handicap will be the core of our staking plan.
Catalans will be most competitive in the early stages of this game when fitness and concentration levels shouldn't come into play - and they have the ability to hurt St Helens early.
John Wilson and Justin Murphy are their left centre/winger combination, with the latter in fine form having scored six tries in his last 12 games, including two in the last two.
Wilson has crossed eight times in the last 20, and with both priced up at 20/1 they are worth some consideration for the first try given they are up against Saints' supposedly weaker defensive combination that is Ade Gardner and Matt Gidley (!).
However, given our heavy preference for St Helens in this game we have to trust them to get the first try as well, and the man that makes most appeal is Leon Pryce.
The Great Britain international has been banned for the last three games after he squeezed Sam Burgess' testicles in the semi-final win over Bradford.
However, he was in fine form before his ban, scoring nine tries in 10 appearances. He also crossed for a try against the Catalans earlier in the season and with Saints such a dangerous team up the middle, especially early in a game, he can dive over the whitewash from stand-off.
A more speculative bet is to predict the winner of the Lance Todd Trophy, awarded to the man of the match.
It is speculative not only because you have to determine who is going to have a stellar game, but also who the rugby league's media representatives will pick for the award.
Sean Long is the obvious favourite given he has won the award three times before, but he has been missing for much of the season and has yet to sparkle on his return.
Paul Wellens is also a likely candidate. He is widely thought to be in the running for a second successive Man Of Steel award after another season of supreme consistency at full-back. However, he might not be involved too much defensively if Saints are well on top.
We like the look of Matt Gidley for the Lance Todd Trophy, as he has had a superb first season in England after taking on the unenviable task of replacing Jamie Lyon.
In a team full of match-winners he stands out, and the creative centre can score or make tries with a brilliant pass or a timely dummy. He can shine on the big stage and at 16/1 he looks worth a small interest.
Preview posted at 1100BST on 22/07/2007.
