ESL Round 13 Previews (Friday
games)

Hull up for Saints' challenge

Hull coach John Kear has prepared his side to face crisis club St Helens on Friday as though nothing has happened.

The sacking of popular head coach Ian Millward threatens to undermine Saints? title challenge in the way the suspension of Sean Long and Martin Gleeson scuppered their hopes last season.

Dave Rotheram will be in temporary charge for the second successive week as they look to strengthen their hold on second place in the engage Super League and Kear is not expecting the visitors to be de-railed by the off-field controversy.

?We have prepared as though we are facing a St Helens side with Ian Millward in charge,? he said.

?It is difficult to tell how they will react to his sacking but we will carry on in the way we have always intended to.

?They will either come out in a defiant response or go the other way. We don?t know and will just play to the same plan we always intended to.?

With Millward under suspension, St Helens completed a routine 62-0 thrashing of York a week ago and back row forward Jon Wilkin expects it to be business as usual despite the Australian?s departure.

?We?re professional people and we?re paid to play and train for the club,? he said.

?The attitude here is very professional and, if we come up with a performance we are capable of, that should be enough to get the win.?

Saints are just two points behind Leeds but they have lost heavily on all three previous visits to the KC Stadium.

Hull have recalled hooker Andy Last following the loss of utility player Motu Tony with a fractured cheekbone and back row forward Chris Chester (finger) has joined Richard Swain, Michael Eagar and Peter Lupton on the injured list.

Centre Willie Talau (calf) and second rower Vinnie Anderson (hamstring) are St Helens? only absentees as caretaker coach Dave Rotheram brings back centre Jamie Lyon and prop forward Nick Fozzard, who were rested against York last week.

Hull FC v St Helens, KC Stadium, Friday May 13 2005 Hull 18-man: Last, Washbrook, McNicholas, Brough, Carvell, Saxton, McMenemy, Kearney, Thackray, King, Dowes, R. Horne, Cooke, Raynor, Yeaman, Whiting, Blacklock, Briscoe. St Helens 18-man: Wellens, Albert, Gardner, Lyon, Hooper, Long, Fozzard, Mason, Edmondson, V. Anderson, Graham, Fa?asavalu, Wilkin, Bennett, Gilmour, Sculthorpe, Cunningham, Higham. Referee: K Kirkpatrick

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Fleary up for Rhinos' challenge

Leigh captain Darren Fleary is hoping to put one over on his old club when the Rhinos visit the Coliseum on Friday.

The teams are meeting for the first time for 11 years yet they play each other again at Headingley seven days later and Fleary said: ?The way we see it, we?ve got two chances to beat them.

?They?re top and we?re more or less bottom, so we?ve nothing to lose.? Another Leeds old boy lining up for the Centurions will be Australian hooker Robbie Mears, who joined them a fortnight ago to help them fight their relegation battle.

The 30-year-old Mears made 24 appearances for Leeds in 2001 but quit just before the end of the season - with a year left on his contract - after having his jaw broken in a high tackle by St Helens forward Sonny Nickle.

?He always was a class act,? said Fleary. ?Leeds lost him quite early and they lost a good player.

?He?s fitted in quite well and is doing a good job for us. He plays a lot off the cuff but you can read him. He?s having a big influence on the team.?

The Centurions have taken five points out of a possible six from their last three home games to lift themselves off the foot of the table but their improvement will be put to the test against the champions, who have not lost an away match for 11 months.

?They have a had a couple of good results recently and, like ourselves, are through to the quarter-finals of the cup so there is no danger of them lacking confidence,? said Leeds coach Tony Smith.

Leigh bring back former Leeds hooker Robbie Mears, who was cup-tied last week, while ex-St Helens winger Dom Feaunati is set to make his full debut for the Centurions in place of Steve Maden.

Leeds are without centre Keith Senior for the first time this season after he picked up a knock against Pia last week and he is replaced by fellow Great Britain international Chev Walker, who has recovered from a sternum injury. Teenager Lee Smith keeps his place on the wing in the absence of Marcus Bai, who is on compassionate leave.

Leigh Centurions v Leeds Rhinos, The Coliseum, Friday May 13 2005 Leigh 18-man: Cooper, J. Duffy, Fleary, Jackson, Jones, Kent, King, Leafa, Marshall, Rowley, Stapleton, Sturm, Knott, Wilshere, Owen, Feaunati, Stevens, Mears. Leeds 18-man: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Burrow, Bailey, McDermott, Lauitiiti, McKenna, Sinfield, Dunemann, Ward, Poching, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis, Botham, Scruton, Smith, Murrell. Referee: R Laughton

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Salford and Bradford look to bounce back

Salford and Bradford will both aim to bounce back from disappointing cup exits when they meet at the Willows.

Bulls coach Brian Noble says his players have carried out some ?soul-searching? following their 26-24 defeat at Hull and he is looking for a much-improved first-half performance after failing to score before the interval in each of their last two matches.

?Some of the stuff we came up with was way below standard and we need to reinforce and show a few people that we are not quite as bad as that first half we served up at Hull,? he said.

?There has been some soul-searching this week and it?s been quite cleansing in a lot of respects but it?s pointless doing all the soul-searching unless you act upon it.

?I think the recognition is there now and we need to act.?

The match gives former Bradford assistant coaches Karl Harrison and James Lowes, now in charge of the Reds, the chance to put one over on their old boss.

?With the link between the coaching staffs, we will know a lot about each other and there shouldn?t be too many surprises,? said Noble. Salford welcome back prop forwards Paul Highton, who broke an arm in the opening game of the season, and Mitchell Stringer, who was cup-tied against London last Sunday. Andy Johnson and Stuart Dickens are also included in the 18.

Bradford are without Australian forward Brad Meyers, who sustained a knee injury in last week?s defeat at Hull, and, with new signing Ben Harris still to arrive from Sydney, youngsters Mat Cook and Ryan Atkins are added to the squad.

Salford City Reds v Bradford Bulls, The Willows, Friday May 13 2005 Salford 18-man: Beverley, Hodgson, Littler, Stewart, Robinson, Coley, Alker, Rutgerson, Sibbit, Highton, Charles, D. Bamford, Jonkers, Haggerty, Dickens, Johnson, Stringer, McGuinness. Bradford 18-man: Ferres, Deacon, Cook, Fielden, I. Harris, Langley, Lynch, Parker, Paul, Peacock, Pratt, L. Pryce, K. Pryce, Radford, Reardon, Atkins, Vagana, Vainikolo. Referee: I Smith

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Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for another excellent article.