ESL Preview and team lists - Round
6

Wigan welcome back Great Britain winger Brian Carney for his first appearance of the season after recovering from an ankle problem and second rower Harrison Hansen also returns from a knee injury. Youngsters Joel Tomkins and Dave Allen make way.

Leigh are without experienced Australian playmaker Jason Ferris, who has a fractured cheekbone, and new signing Dom Feaunati has still to recover from a groin injury. Three-quarter John Wilshere is back after missing last week's defeat by Bradford with a knee strain.

Wigan v Leigh, JJB Stadium, Friday 18th March

Wigan 18-man squad: Radlinski, Dallas, Vaealiki, Wild, Carney, Brown, Moran, Seu Seu, Newton, Guisset, Hansen, Tickle, O?Loughlin, Beswick, Aspinwall, Godwin, Sculthorpe, Coyle.

Leigh 18-man squad: Cooper, Duffy, Fleary, Govin, Jackson, Jones, Kent, Wilkes, Leafa, Maden, Marshall, Rowley, Smyth, Stapleton, Sturm, Knott, Wilshere, Moore.

Salford, who are still without Karl Fitzpatrick (hamstring), give a full debut to 18-year-old full-back Darren Bamford and, with loose forward Chris Charles (ribs) joining the casualty list, 20-year-old John Clough is set for his first appearance of the season. New signing Mitch Stringer is also named in an 18-strong squad.

Leeds are without loose forward Gareth Ellis (knee) and centre or second rower Chris McKenna, who is rested, but back rower Willie Poching returns from a hamstring injury and prop Nick Scruton will be on the bench for his first appearance of the season.

Salford v Leeds, The Willows, Friday 18th March

Salford 18-man squad: Hodgson, Littler, McGuinness, Stewart, Beverley, Robinson, Dickens, Alker, Rutgerson, Sibbit, Baldwin, Haggerty, Coley, Brocklehurst, Bamford, Stringer, Jonkers, Clough.

Leeds 18-man squad: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai, Burrow, Bailey, McDermott, Lauitiiti, Sinfield, Dunemann, Ward, Poching, McDonald, Jones-Buchanan, Smith, Botham, Scruton.

Bradford are still without full-back Michael Withers (knee) and, with centre Paul Johnson (shoulder) also sidelined, they will give a debut to either former England schoolboy rugby union international Matthew Cook or fellow 18-year-old Brett Ferres.

Hull give a debut to veteran New Zealand forward Stephen Kearney and welcome back stand-off Richard Horne, who missed last week's win over Wakefield through illness. Paul McNicholas and Graeme Horne are the players to make way.

Bradford v Hull, Odsal Stadium, Friday 18th March

Bradford 18-man squad: Ferres, Deacon, Cook, Fielden, Harris, Langley, Lynch, Meyers, Parker, Paul, Peacock, K. Pryce, L. Pryce, Radford, Reardon, Vagana, Vainikolo, Pratt.

Hull 18-man squad: Briscoe, Blacklock, Yeaman, Eagar, Raynor, R. Horne, Dowes, Swain, McMenemy, Kearney, Cooke, Tony, Thackray, Saxton, Chester, Higgins, Bailey, Lupton.

Saints have been drawn away at Huddersfield Giants in the fourth round of the Powergen Challenge Cup. The match will take place at the Galpharm Stadium on either the 2nd or 3rd April.

Saints, who beat the Giants 46-6 in last year's semi-final, have played Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup thirteen times. The Yorkshire side have won eight times, although they have lost all five ties since their last victory in 1968.

St Helens v Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Knowsley Road, Saturday March 19 2005

St Helens 20-man squad: Wellens, Gardner, Talau, Lyon, Albert, Roby, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, P. Anderson, Gilmour, V. Anderson, Sculthorpe, Bennett, Graham, Edmondson, Mason, Wilkin, Hardman, Higham.

Wakefield 20-man squad: Halpenny, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala, Rooney, Jeffries, Griffin, March, Solomona, J. Field, Obst , Wrench, Snitch, King, M. Field, Applegarth, Kirk, O?Neill, Feather, Korkidas.

The Giants travel over the Pennines on Sunday to meet a Wolves outfit who have just one Super League victory to date to their name, but according to all reports they have been playing well without the results going their way. Ben Roarty will not be fit to take his place in the Giants line up, but no new injuries were reported after the success against Widnes on Friday night last. It is not yet known whether Jim Gannon will have recovered from the hamstring injury which caused him to miss the Widnes match.

Coach Jon Sharp says the Wolves are a powerful side who have been playing well without the results going their way. Leeds coach Tony Smith said they had played really well last Sunday the Rhinos. The Giants players are confident and looking forward to their visit to the Halliwell-Jones Stadium on Sunday; the mood in the camp is positive. The performance against Widnes had been good in parts; the early score conceded had not worried the players and after that they controlled the game except for a 15 minute spell when Widnes gained the initiative during the second half. The early scores against the Giants in recent matches has not been of such concern to the players as it appears to have been to the media, but it is a matter which the Giants are determined to rectify. The Giants had handled the situation really well and had not panicked when they had gone behind early on

Warrington Wolves v Huddersfield Giants, The Halliwell Jones Stadium, Sunday March 20 2005

Warrington 20-man squad: Grose, Faa'fili, Martin Gleeson, Kohe-Love, Gaskell, Briers, Appo, Lima, Clarke, Hilton, Swann, Wainwright, Mark Gleeson, Stevens, Bracek, Bridge, Pickersgill, P. Wood, Westwood.

Huddersfield 20-man squad: Reilly, O'Hare, Evans, Donlan, Thorman, March, Slicker, Drew, Gannon, Nero, Gene, Jones, Penkywicz, Morrison, Smith, Crabtree, Grayshon, White, Jackson, St Hilaire.

Tony Rea has named his twenty man squad for Sunday's clash with Widnes and has included Mark O'Halloran. O'Halloran has missed all but the first game of the season havinf suffered a knee injury in the victory against Warrington. London Broncos, unbeaten at Griffin Park this year, will have to do without their most experienced Broncos player for the rest of the season. Neil Budworth, who joined the club in 2000 and has played more games with London Broncos than any of his teammates, has been ruled out for the season and will require a knee reconstruction.

Widnes full-back Gary Connolly could be out of action for up to six weeks with a broken thumb. Former Great Britain international Connolly, who joined the Vikings from Wigan in the close season, had featured in the club?s opening five engage Super League matches. The news is a further blow for Frank Endacott?s side, who have already lost captain Shane Millard with a broken jaw. Stand-off Owen Craigie is also a major doubt for the Vikings? trip to London Broncos on Sunday. Craigie left the field after 34 minutes of last Friday?s defeat at Huddersfield.

London Broncos v Widnes Vikings, Griffin Park, Sunday March 20 2005

London 20-man squad: Armour, Bradley-Qalilawa, Dorn, Greenwood, Haumono, Highton, Hopkins, Kirkpatrick, Leuluai, Lolohea, Lucky Luisi, McLinden, Mbu, O'Halloran, Smith, Stephenson, Sykes, Tookey, Trindall, Wells.

Widnes 20-man squad: Emelio, Moule, Manu, O'Connor, O'Neill, Cassidy, Stankevitch, Finnigan, Hulse, Whitaker, Frame, Mills, Fa-alogo, Rowlands, Smith, Whittle, Bibey, Holmes, Nash, Crook.