THE bookies have made Super League champions Saints odds on favourites to win Friday night's clash of the titans at the Reebok Stadium.

But that will only add to Sydney Roosters' determination to take the World Club crown back Down Under for the first time in three years says the Rugby League correspondent of the St Helens Star

The NRL premiers have had extra time to acclimatise and, having taken part in Monday night's scrimmage game with Widnes and picking the brains of Wigan's former Rooster Adrian Lam, who trained with his ex-team-mates during the recent World Sevens, the Aussies promise to be the best prepared side ever.

With both Bradford coach Brian Noble and Wigan coach Stuart Raper tipping the Roosters to succeed where Brisbane and Newcastle Knights failed - Saints are under no illusions about the task in hand.

No-one understands that more so than new Australian recruit Darren Smith who believes his new team-mates will never have encountered such intensity and ferocity.

"This is going to be tough. The Roosters are pretty aggressive in defence and I am not sure whether St Helens will have experienced anything as tough as this before. But this is something they are just going to have to overcome. We are just going to have to play it for 80 minutes - we can't drop off at the end of each half or else they will run over the top of us.

"Our props are really going to have to make yards and work hard."

And the veteran former Canterbury Bulldogs test centre or second rower has more reason than most to clinch a victory on Friday night, after seeing his side docked so many points last season for salary cap breaches that they plummeted from top spot to wooden spoonists at the stroke of a pen and denied the chance to make the play-offs.

"Roosters were the form team of the competition at the end and really toughed it out in the final against a big New Zealand Warriors side. But that was really disappointing to lose out like that after playing such good footy all year - this is my Grand Final!" he said.

Ian Millward has named a virtually full strength side, with the only absentee being long term casualty Keiron Cunningham. Saints will obviously miss Cunningham's aggression in the tackle - he had an outstanding game in the triumph over Brisbane Broncos two season ago. But Saints have been boosted by the return of another hero of that last big night at Reebok - full back Paul Wellens. After undergoing an operation on a fractured cheekbone sustained early in last year's Grand Final and some clean-up knee surgery Wellens is declared fit enough to pull on his number one jersey.

The number six shirt has been tossed to new recruit Jason Hooper after impressing in the victory over UTC on Saturday and showing some good touches in the Sale cross-code match. Tommy Martyn drops down to the bench - but this is a 17 man game, and his game-turning big match expertise may yet again prove invaluable.

One of the heroes of last year's Grand Final Mike Bennett is omitted from the 17 man squad - but that could be more to do with Millward requiring just a little more size and a recognised front rower on board in what promises to be a fierce physical encounter.

Millward said: "This is a massive game - it is very hard to get into one (WCC), let alone win one, but this is a reward for what we have done during the year. They will be well prepared - I wish we had four months warm weather training and one week in the winter.

"They have strength throughout - Brad Fittler is an outstanding player and Craig Wing is a great number nine. There will be battles across the park because they are a quality side.

"We want our fans to sing, sing, sing and just enjoy the occasion."

Saints: Wellens; Albert, Gleeson, Newlove, Stewart; Hooper, Long; Britt, Higham, Stankevitch, Joynt, Smith, Sculthorpe; Subs: Martyn, Ward, Edmondson, Jonkers.