SAINTS will be out to stop the Magic rot when they break new ground at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Sunday.

They tackle top-four rivals Warrington, who have walloped them on the previous two Magic weekends at Manchester’s Etihad, in the stand out game of Sunday’s fixture card at 3.15pm.

This fixture has proven particularly miserable for Saints in recent years because prior to those Wolves thrashings they copped another 40-plus points hiding, this time at the hands of Wigan.

Saints are without a win in this fixture since thumping Hull KR 54-0 at Murrayfield in 2010.

But boss Keiron Cunningham is not a big fan of history having any impact in what happens in the here and now, and he is confidently looking ahead to a clash which has compelling duels across the park.

Saints have already buried one hoodoo against the Wolves this term, beating them at Langtree Park for the first time with a 32-24 success in March, and will go into Sunday’s clash on Tyneside buoyed by the gutsy win in Hull last week.

There are also troops back, although there are doubts over half back or hooker Dougie Charnock who damaged a hand in the clash at Hull.

“Next week we will have Jon Wilkin back and maybe Mark Percival and we’re all looking forward to Warrington now,” he said.

Percival will slot back into the centres in place of Matty Fleming, who showed some excellent touches against Hull.

Wilkin will partner Travis Burns in the halves – a player who enjoyed his best game in Saints colours at the weekend.

Burns looked as though he really settled into his role of taking the game by the lapels and guiding the team around the pitch with a shrewd kicking game and some excellent game management.

He was helped by a commanding display from the pack – and this Sunday those forwards will again have to earn their spurs against another formidable set led by Ashton Sims, Ben Westwood and Chris Hill.

Cunningham gave special praise for the job done by his big men at the weekend and the spirit they showed.

“ I thought our middle was outstanding.

“Andre Savelio, Mose Masoe and big Alex Walmsley carried it really well and Greg Richards and Kyle Amor carted it up all day.

“They kept turning up for each other and that is genuine team spirit and resolve,” Cunningham said.

That augurs well for the showdown with the Wolves, particularly as the last time the two teams met at Magic the Saints pack were well and truly dusted leaving the then coach Nathan Brown visibly angry and prompting Paul Wellens, who was skipper at the time, to give a stinging critique of the team's performance in the post match television interview.

Warrington are a bit more than a big pack, and although they have lost the experienced hooker Micky Higham to Leigh, they still pose a massive threat at dummy half with Man of Steel Daryl Clark joined by another dynamic operator in Brad Dwyer.

Wolves have plenty of strike out wide, too, and Saints' defensive structure will not be able to allow Joel Monaghan, Gene Ormsby or Kevin Penny the same space on the flanks that they afforded Hull's wings last weekend before scrambling back.

With competition for top-four spots keenly contested this season, this is a real four-pointer.