STUART Raper claims his Wigan side are ready to write their names in the history books by becoming the first Grand Final winners to come from outside of Super League's top two.

Warriors were edged into third place in the final table by Bradford and Minor Premiers St Helens, leaving Raper's charges an uphill battle to even qualify for the final showpiece.

But, after confidently brushing aside Castleford and Leeds in recent weeks, they take on arch rivals Saints tonight full of confidence that they can not only reach Old Trafford but also knock Bradford off their perch to reclaim the title they won four years ago.

"Records are always there to be broken. I have always believed that," said Raper.

"Look at Julian O'Neill. He won the Australian Grand Final with Brisbane after they had finished fifth.

"We aren't bothered where we started these play-offs from. We're more bothered about where we finish."

Wigan can also take heart from the fact that they have already beaten Saints three times this season, including their victory in the high pressure environment of the Challenge Cup final.

Had Paul Sculthorpe converted from the touchline to level the scores in the last minute of St Helens' defeat to Bradford last week, Warriors could easily have been facing a difficult trip to Valley Parade.

Instead they enter the marginally more welcoming surroundings of Knowsley Road but Raper insists he had no preference of semi-final opposition.

"It didn't matter who we played," he said.

"We knew all along that we would have to beat the best teams eventually.

"When we found out we were playing Castleford in the first round I said it didn't matter if it had been them, Widnes or London because our form at the time was so bad. We had lost three out of four games, so we had bigger issues of our own to worry about.

"That's the attitude we have had throughout the play-offs. We aren't going to worry too much about the opposition because we have to get our own form sorted out first."

The key to the game could lie in the half-backs, with Great Britain ace Sean Long now fully fit to go head-to-head with Wigan's Adrian Lam.

But Raper knows Saints have plenty more in their armoury even if Wigan do find a way to smother Long's inspirational off-the-cuff style.

"Sean's a good player and proved what he could do for 40 minutes against Bradford last week," he said.

"He's got a spark about him but I think Paul Sculthorpe and Keiron Cunningham are their two main strike players who make them tick.

"But knowing what your opposition can do and doing something about it are two very different things."