Saints, the Carnegie Challenge Cup holders, are odds-on favourites to keep the famous old trophy in their boardroom for a third successive season at the expense of opponents whose injury woes continue to haunt them.

But even with doubts remaining over the fitness of Adam Dykes, the Australian scrum-half who played a masterful role in their quarter-final and semi-final victories over Bradford and Wakefield, Hull remain quietly confident they can spring what would be one of the biggest surprises in the competition's history.

"We know the key areas we have to be good in to stop them and at the same time we've identified areas we may be able to exploit – if we're good enough," said Agar.

"We have to be good to get them. Our execution has to be on the money when the chances come because you don't get many against St Helens."

Speaking at the traditional eve-of-final Wembley walkabout, Agar confirmed that teenager hooker Danny Houghton would not play in the final, leaving an 18-man squad which features Dykes and Richard Horne.

Dykes has been struggling with a knee injury that has troubled him for much of the year, while Horne has not played since suffering a potentially career-threatening neck injury in April.

Both players have been undergoing intensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy this week in an effort to get them fit and both were at Wembley yesterday when their demeanour could not have been more different.

While Horne, who looks gaunt after losing over a stone in weight during his five-month lay-off, joined the rest of his team-mates on the pitch and looking around the dressing rooms, Dykes sat on his own 50 metres away listening to his iPod.

Hull's players have been told what the team will be today, but Agar will not reveal his hand publicly until lunchtime, although he did confirm that playmaker-in-chief Shaun Berrigan would definitely start at hooker.

"Shaun is most potent at dummy-half and that's where we aim to play him," said Agar, who admitted that he will take one gamble this afternoon.

Asked about the fitness of Horne, Agar said it would be a "calculated risk" to play him, but one he felt was worth making.

"If we feel we need to take that risk we will take it," he said. "His neck is fine, the work he has done in the last three or four weeks has been tremendous and though he isn't where we would ideally like him to be there are no second chances.

"We will take one risk, but we won't take two. I am not going to fill the team up with risk because I have a lot of faith in the other players in our squad."

Hull have pushed St Helens close twice this season, losing by eight points at the KC Stadium when they scored a late try to produce a somewhat flattering scoreline, and going down to a late penalty at Knowsley Road.

"We have had some good games down the years and I think that's because Saints like to play, they are not a team who want to mug you in the ruck or spend their time wrestling and grappling," said Agar.

"Their discipline is good and they are happy to back their fitness and their pace. That lets you play a bit.

"I always find that our players like playing against them because they know they get the chance to play a bit of football.

"They are an outstandingly well put together team who are getting real good value out of their (salary) cap."

A Hull victory would give captain Lee Radford a third winners' medal – the back row won with Bradford in 2003 and Hull in 2005 – and the 29-year-old is under no illusions about how tough it is going to be.

"Unless we bring our A-game we are going to get punished," he said." All the players understand that.

"Everybody is expecting a big game from each other.

"We've gone through a lot this year and are going to give it our best shot.

"It would a fantastic achievement if we won, not just for the club but for the people of West Hull.

"I have had some great highs in my career, but winning at Wembley with my home-town club would be right up there.

"Saints have won their last 20 matches but every team is beatable. We know what's ahead of us, we fully appreciate what we need to do so it's just about staying focused and taking our chances when they come."


Probable Wemblely line-ups

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli; Pryce, Long; Fozzard, Cunningham, Graham, Flannery, Wilkin, Sculthorpe. Substitutes: Roby, Hargreaves, Clough, Gilmour.

Hull: Byrne; Sing, G Horne, Yeaman, Raynor; Washbrook, Dykes/Lee; Dowes, Berrigan, Cusack, Manu, Tickle, Radford. Substitutes: Carvell, Thackray, R Horne, Lee/Dykes.

Referee: S Ganson
(St Helens).