THERE will be an emotionally charged atmosphere on Friday night when, barring a late surge up to fourth, the curtain will come down on three departing Saints playing on home soil for the last time.

Sione Mata’utia, Tommy Makinson and Lewis Dodd will make their final bow at the Totally Wicked Stadium in a game where nothing short of victory over Castleford will do if Saints are to realistically make the top 6.

And coach Paul Wellens wants his side to channel the emotion around the trio’s departure into a performance to secure a play-off spot as the race goes down to the wire.

Although the formbook suggests otherwise, should Saints win on Friday and then back it up at an on-song Leigh on Friday, then they could remarkably climb to fourth above Salford and secure a home play-off.

But nobody is putting that cart before the Castleford horse, not least because the Tigers inflicted a 8-6 win over a woeful Saints side in early July – the sort of result that has left Saints scrapping to maintain a play-off record spanning six decades.

The focus is 100 per cent on securing a home win - and that was given a boost with the return to five senior players to the squad and the first time in aeons that Paul Wellens has been able to name the numbers 1-13 in the 21-man selection.

But they need to bring a performance, one that will not only secure qualification but also give an infusion and hope that they can attack the play-offs with the same 'Mission Impossible' approach of 2014. 

Wellens said: “I hope that we are approaching it different to the last time we played Castleford because that night we were way below the standards we need.

“But I have every confidence that we will.

“I feel the group is in a different spot and that there is an energy about the team going into the back end of the year.

“We have a number of players potentially playing their last home game for the club at the weekend.

“Tommy, Lewis and Sione are players that have been here a long time and they will be determined to finish in the right way, but what we have got to do as a team is channel that emotion in the right way.

“Just the fact that key players are leaving doesn’t guarantee success – the best way is by going out there and be performance driven and that is what we have got to do on Friday .

“Two valuable Super League points is a motivation to help us secure a play-off spot, but also players that have been at the club for such a long time and have contributed so much to our success.

“We want to give those guys a fitting send-off on the last home game of the season.”

If Saints were to lose this week qualification would become improbable but not impossible - but they would have to win at Leigh in the final week to make the play-offs.