By Ray French BBC Sport rugby league commentator

With just three rounds of the regular season to go, the battle at both ends of the Super League table is hotting up nicely.

At the summit, the first five play-off spots have been all but secured, although the order has yet to be finalised.

St Helens, Bradford and Wigan are chasing the top two positions that guarantee an easier passage to the Grand Final.

And Sunday's derby between the Warriors and the Saints at the JJB Stadium will naturally have a big impact on who finishes where.

But, whatever the result, Ian Millward's men should remain as the bookmakers' favourites for the Super League VII title.

St Helens must take note of the complacency which dented their chances of victory in this year's Challenge Cup final.

Any repetition of that Murrayfield flop will allow Wigan to cash in again.

But for all the power and strength of Bradford's pack and the guile and artistry of Warriors scrum-half Adrian Lam, Saints have a side packed with the match-winners.

In loose forward Paul Sculthorpe and exciting halves Tommy Martyn and Sean Long, they have the midfield trio to hit any side for six.

And in the game's leading try scorer this season - Aussie wing Darren Albert - they also possess the one man with the pace and poise to grab a four-pointer from anywhere on the pitch.

The fight for the sixth and final berth is just as intense, with Castleford, Widnes and London still in the hunt.

London's end-of-season run-in - against Hull, Leeds and St Helens - has probably dashed their hopes while the Vikings look likely to fall just short in their first season back in English rugby league's elite.

That leaves Castleford, who have hit such a rich vein of form at just the right time.