KIWI international Willie Talau has answered injury hit Saints' SOS call and joined the club in a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Canterbury Bulldogs' centre jets into Knowsley Road today, Thursday, and could even be in line for a debut on Sunday at Hull, kick-off 3pm.

Talau, who officially begins a three-year contract with the club at the end of the season, is able to take the quota spot of retired prop Darren Britt.

Saints coach Ian Millward said: "We've received a work permit for Willie and that takes us through to 2006.

"I think he'll arrive here on Thursday and if he's not feeling too bad he might come into contention for a place against Hull on Sunday. But we might keep him until the following week. We will have to see how he is.

"With Darren Britt leaving I looked for a replacement and at what front rowers were available.

"But there was not the quality that deserves to play at St. Helen so we've brought Willie over early to give us some breathing space with our injury position.

"He's a very powerful player and I think the fans will really warm to him. But he hasn't played a lot of first grade football lately, so although he'll come to us fresh he might take a little while to get up to speed."

Saints take on Hull at the plush new KC Stadium barely two weeks after beating the Airlie Birds in a bruising clash at Knowsley Road.

And coach Millward is keen to avenge the earlier drubbing on Humberside which saw Saints slump 30-6 - their heaviest defeat of the season.

He said: "It is a lovely stadium and we want to go there and do a lot better than we did last time. When they beat us that day, they looked like a side that could genuinely be at Old Trafford come October.

"They could have Jason Smith back and despite injuries their key players are there."

Saints' 17 that accounted for Castleford at the weekend all came through relatively unscathed and although Keiron Cunningham limped off with a leg injury it will not keep him out of Sunday's clash.

Darren Smith should be back in action after running the water on Friday and Mick Higham could also come back into the reckoning.

But Millward said: "I won't play anyone who is not 100 per cent fit because we will end up losing them for another five games and that is their season done."

If the game a fortnight ago is anything to go by, Saints could be in for another tough one, particularly as Hull are fighting to stay in the top six having lost their last four games.

Millward said: "They play tough and they knocked us around in that last game."