St Helens v Huddersfield Giants: Ian Watson targets statement win against 'best team in competition'

Both sides are outside the top six at the halfway mark of the campaign, albeit with a game in hand on the rest of the competition.

Huddersfield have failed to live up to the pre-season hype, while Saints are still trying to hit the heights that brought them four successive Super League titles and the World Club Challenge earlier this year.

Despite their relative struggles since stunning Penrith Panthers in their own backyard, Watson believes St Helens are the side to beat once again.

"They're the best team in the competition," he said ahead of Sunday's meeting at St James' Park.

"You can look at the knock-on effect from when they came back from Australia. A big game like that is normally at the end of the year and you have the rest of the off-season to recover from that; Saints had to go straight into a league campaign that was already up and running.

"They've had a bit of disruption as well through injuries and suspensions. It's like any team – you lose a few players and it starts to unsettle you."

Paul Wellens' men head to Newcastle protecting a three-match winning run after coming out on the right side of a dramatic golden-point contest at Leeds Rhinos last week.

That 13-12 victory underlined the spirit in the Saints camp, according to Watson.

"They're a champion team," he added. "People can say they're vulnerable but you look at them last weekend when they managed to come through and get the win.

"They're still showing the same characteristics – effort, a desire to work hard for each other and compete to win tight games.

"I'm not looking at it like that (that they're vulnerable). I think the competition has got a lot stronger which is forcing St Helens into more of those tighter games."

The Giants are four points behind Saints and six adrift of the play-off positions ahead of the two-day event in the north east.

Watson appreciates the value of a win against the defending champions.

"It would be huge for us," said Watson, whose side lost 14-12 to St Helens in March.

"I love playing against St Helens because you know it's going to be a top-class game. It's about going to compete against the best players and best team in the competition and seeing where you're at.

"The game we had against them at the John Smith's Stadium was an outstanding game, a real pleasing game to be a part of and watch.

"Hopefully we can get a game like that but we come out the other side with a win."