ESL Round 17 - Friday Game
Previews

Reds and Saints name squads, Wildcats and Rhinos clash, and Millward rides the storm.

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Reds and Saints name squads

Salford, who like Wakefield are just two points above the drop zone, face the daunting task of having to tame resurgent St Helens.

Saints have enjoyed spectacular wins in new coach Daniel Anderson?s first two matches in charge, first overpowering champions Leeds and then crushing Bradford 66-4.

The absence of Ian Sibbit, Kevin McGuinness, Karl Fitzpatrick and Andrew Brocklehurst and the possible loss of Andy Coley through injury make the Reds? task even harder but at least Saints? Paul Sculthorpe is out.

The Great Britain captain has failed to recover from a hamstring injury and sits out the clash at The Willows along with star winger Darren Albert.

Salford v St Helens, The Willows, Friday June 10 2005

Salford 20-man squad: Hodgson, Stewart, Littler, McAvoy, Hartley, Beverley, Robinson, Rutgerson, Alker, Stringer, Coley, Shipway, Charles, Jonkers, Haggerty, Dickens, Johnson, Langi, Baldwin, Clough.

St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Lyon, Talau, Hardman, Hooper, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, Edmondson, Gilmour, Wilkin, P. Anderson, V. Anderson, Roby, Graham, Fa?asavalu, Mason, Sculthorpe, Bennett.

Referee: I Smith

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Wildcats and Rhinos clash

Leaders Leeds make the short trip to Wakefield looking to avenge one of only two defeats this season.

The Wildcats have slipped into trouble at the bottom end of the table but after pulling off a surprise win at Headingley on Easter Monday, Rhinos coach Tony Smith will not be underestimating them.

Smith said: ?They have come back into form in the last couple of weeks and will be out to put in a good show in front of their own fans.

?It is another local derby and it looks like it is going to be a big crowd which should create a great atmosphere.?

Both sides are unchanged with key forward David Solomona continuing in the Wildcats side after making a tryscoring return to action in last week?s crucial win over Salford.

The Kiwi had been out for 11 weeks after breaking his hand in the Wildcats? win at Leeds.

The game should be a record crowd for the clash between these two local rivals and with under 1000 tickets left the Wildcats have announced that there will be a ticket office open on the night at the Doncaster Road entrance.

However, they stress that it is strictly first come, first served so recommend either getting there early or booking over the Ticketline (01924 211611) or website www.wildcatsrl.com

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats v Leeds Rhinos, Atlantic Solutions Stadium, Friday June 10 2005

Wakefield 18-man: Halpenny, Demetriou, Domic, Tadulala, Rooney, Jeffries, Griffin, March, Korkidas, Solomona, J. Field, Spicer, Obst , Snitch, MacGillivray, Elima, M. Field, Feather.

Leeds 18-man: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, McDermott, Lauitiiti, McKenna, Sinfield, Dunemann, Ward, Poching, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis, Murrell.

Referee: K Kirkpatrick

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Millward rides the storm

Ian Millward claims he is relishing the challenge of trying to revive Wigan?s fortunes despite his difficult start to life at the JJB Stadium.

Millward took over the injury-ravaged Warriors last month after being controversially sacked by St Helens and now has a battle on his hands to qualify for the engage Super League play-offs.

His Warriors reign began well enough with victory at Salford but last week?s loss to London Broncos saw his new side fall out of the top six.

With a number of players on the sidelines through injury, the Warriors have had to call on their youngsters and they now face a testing visit from Hull on Friday.

But Millward is warming to the task and said: ?For me it?s exciting at the moment because I am working with some young guys who want an opportunity.

?This is the best time to be involved with Wigan, I look at the whole place and everything is in place, we just need to do some strengthening and we will be fine.

?The only way is up and that will happen sooner rather than later and I am part of something that?s going forward.

?All I want the players to do is keep trying and look to improve and later in the track we will get some rewards.

?I am looking forward to the game, to seeing another couple of our young guys play against a team who are in the top four and who have some good players.?

With Great Britain full-back Kris Radlinski and 19-year-old prop Paul Prescott this week joining an injury list that includes Gareth Hock and Sean O?Loughlin, Millward this week bolstered numbers by bringing in Liam Botham from Leeds.

Second row Botham goes straight into the squad to face Hull with stand-off Danny Orr also proving his fitness to play and utility back Kevin Brown shaking off an ankle problem. Millward has also included 18-year-old full-back Chris Ashton in his squad.

He added: ?I am going to put young Chris Ashton on the bench. He is a player who can play wing, centre and full-back.

?I have watched him in the last two under-21s games and he has done a good job. He will play his first ever game for Wigan, that?s exciting. There are a few guys going through that process at the moment.?

Hull are five points better off than Wigan in fourth place but are also looking to get back to winning ways after back-to-back losses to Bradford and Leeds.

They are weakened by the loss of winger Gareth Raynor and Richard Whiting is again missing but coach John Kear is in confident mood.

Kear said: ?The players have a lot of respect for Ian Millward and Wigan but they are equally confident of arresting our run of two successive defeats.

?If we can perform to the level we can perform we should be able to take two points.?

Wigan v Hull, JJB Stadium, Friday June 10 2005

Wigan 18-man: Brown, Dallas, Aspinwall, Wild, Carney, Orr, Moran, Seu Seu, Newton, Guisset, Tickle, Hansen, Tomkins, Hargreaves, Godwin, Ashton, Botham, Beswick.

Hull 18-man: Briscoe, Blacklock, Yeaman, R. Horne, Dowes, King, McMenemy, Kearney, Cooke, Thackray, Saxton, Carvell, Brough, Dixon, McNicholas, G. Horne, Barnett, Washbrook.

Referee: R Laughton

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