Once again the Salford defence holds firm. But the game is being played in their half and they've done some energy-sapping defending already.

Iestyn Harris
Former Great Britain and Wales international on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Salford are not quite at the races so far, they need to settle quickly.

St Helens get the ball back deep in their own territory but Salford's Gil Dudson is penalised for holding down, enabling Saints to kick for field position again.

Once again the Red Devils' line is under pressure.

Time and again Saints drive for the line. Luke Thompson is held up short before Theo Fages runs into traffic on the last tackle.

Danger averted by Salford for now.

Salford turn the ball over straight away. St Helens get possession on the Red Devils' own 20m line.

The under dogs have some defending to do.

All the pre-match pleasantries are done and dusted.

Referee Chris Kendall blows his whistle and St Helens' Lachlan Coote get us under way.

Salford will have the ball first.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

This is the fifth Super League Grand Final I've been fortunate enough to cover and I've never heard a noise like the one that greeted the two teams. It's loud in here.

Now it's time for the teams to walk out of the tunnel as fireworks go off around the ground and the supporters' flags fly.

St Helens are in their 11th Grand Final and aiming for their sixth victory at Old Trafford. For Salford, it's their first taste of the showpiece.

Before the two sides take the field the 'Britpop' of Shed Seven is replaced by something a little more traditional as soprano Laura Wright leads the singing of 'Jerusalem'.

As she does so, the Super League trophy is walked on to the pitch by members of the armed forces.

Image source, Rex Features

Shed Seven close their set with 'Chasing Rainbows' and the fireworks go off around the edge of the Old Trafford pitch.

Kick-off isn't far away now.

Matt Newsum
BBC Radio 5 Live at Old Trafford

Image source, Rex Features

Naturally, you cannot discuss Salford's threats without mentioning Jackson Hastings, who has lit up the Super League this year to win Man of Steel.

So what is it that makes him so good? Well, unlike Ben Barba last year at St Helens, this is not just a player who just makes himself look awesome. Barba was classy, but so much of his best work was in solo, individualistic moments of magic.

Hastings is a true team-player. Yes, he'll duck and weave and test out defences with a step if the option is on, but if he spots a player in a better position, he'll put them away.

The best way of highlighting his value is to look at players around him. Niall Evalds has scored 27 tries, many from the Australian half's initial breaks; Josh Jones has developed a terrific inside-ball link-up with Hastings which is a go-to Salford play and in Joey Lussick, his old pal at both Sydney Roosters and Manly, there's a near-telepathic understanding.

This is his last game in a Salford shirt, as it is for a number of players. One last performance for the band before it breaks up... it all feels a bit like The Jam at Brighton back in 1982...

Matt Newsum
BBC Radio 5 Live at Old Trafford

Image source, PA Media

St Helens have awesome firepower out the back, with Lachlan Coote, Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace to name but three, but their attacking menace is only brought to the fore by the rampaging platform set by the forwards.

Two of them, Alex Walmsley and Luke Thompson, are as destructive a combination as there is in world rugby league.

Walmsley, as Brian Noble once put it, is like a Transformer robot, stomping his way through the middle and scattering defenders. All huge arms and treetrunk thighs.

His fellow front-rower Thompson hits hard lines at pace with relentless frequency and in huge stints to punch holes in defences, and dips his shoulder just as savagely in defence.

Any side that thinks they've contained these two then has to cope with the rest of the threats. Good luck...

A public service reminder that as well as following our live text commentary of this evening's game, we also have a choice of listening available to you.

Matt Newsum is your commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live and is joined by former Great Britain star Iestyn Harris and England World Cup finalist Kevin Brown.

But if you want something a little more partizan then tune in to either BBC Radio Merseyside or BBC Radio Manchester.

Simply scroll through the options at the top of the page and click on the commentary of your choice.

So, it looks like the celebs have had their say but who do you think will win the Grand Final?

Let us know using #bbcrl

Iestyn Harris
Former Great Britain and Wales international on BBC Radio 5 Live

St Helens are a brilliant side, they have got it all over the field and when they shift the ball from left to right or right to left you don't know which players are in which position and I think that makes them really unpredictable.

Image source, Rex Features

St Helens and Salford have already met twice this season - with the Red Vee running out winners on both occasions.

After easing to a 26-4 away win at the AJ Bell Stadium back in February, Saints then edged a humdinger of a game 32-30 when they met at the Totally Wicked Stadium in May.

Their paths haven't crossed since until now and Salford have run into some serious form since then.

Image source, PA Media

If there's a quirk about this Grand Final it's that both sides beat Wigan to reach Old Trafford.

The way the play-offs worked this year meant that securing a top-three finish earned each of those sides a second chance if they lost their first play-off game.

Salford were beaten by Wigan in week one of the play-offs to earn Warriors a clash with St Helens, while the Red Devils had a second chance in a knock-out game against Castleford.

Saints thrashed Wigan 40-10 to book their place at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, while Salford impressively beat Cas to earn a second crack at the Warriors.

And they made the most of it too, running out 28-4 winners at the DW Stadium to reach the Grand Final for the first time.

Image source, PA Media

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Shed Seven are tonight's pre-match entertainment and it's fitting that they start up with "Going For Gold"... we're about two hours away from finding out who will be this season's gold standard in Super League.

Image source, PA Media

It's been a massive season in the career of Jackson Hastings, whose performances in a Salford shirt saw him named the Super League's Man of Steel for 2019.

But it could have been so different for the 23-year-old who, just 16 months ago, feared his career might be over after he left NRL side Manly.

Hastings will join Wigan for next season but is hoping to end his time with the Red Devils on a high.

"It's David v Goliath, but you never know what will happen in that story," he said. "Sometimes fairy tales happen and sometimes they don't."

Kyle: Hopefully Salford do it. I think if they are to win they have to get off to a good start. If it's close with 20 minutes to go they have every chance. They will probably wish they still had Robert Lui who destroyed the Saints defence when Saints won 32-30.