Pryce and Reardon in court on charge of breaking in with violence

St Helens' international stand-off Leon Pryce will play in the Challenge Cup final at the end of this month with an assault charge hanging over him.

Pryce and his former Bradford team-mate Stuart Reardon, now playing with Warrington, both appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with using violence to gain entry to a house occupied by Reardon's wife.

Reardon is also accused of assaulting his wife, while Pryce is accused of an assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a man at the same address.

The men, both aged 26, were bailed to appear again at the same court on 4 September, five days after Pryce is due to play for Saints against Hull at Wembley. The following month Pryce should be a key member of the England squad at the World Cup in Australia.

He has 17 Great Britain caps, while Reardon, who appeared in court wearing a cast on a ruptured Achilles tendon, has five.

It is Pryce who would be the big loss to Tony Smith's plans, as he has been his first choice at No 6 since taking over as national coach last year. Smith is also likely to be without Wigan's Sean O'Loughlin, who has admitted after a recurrence of his shoulder injury that he could be out for the season.

Paul Anderson, who has impressed as joint caretaker coach at Huddersfield over the last few weeks, is staying on as assistant to Nathan Brown next season.

Anderson has agreed a two-year contract with the Giants, whose other acting coach, Kieron Purtill, is joining St Helens as assistant to their new coach, Mick Potter.

Widnes, who failed in their Super League application last month, have extended the contract of their coach Steve McCormack until the end of next season.