Wingers wait on Elliott choice for Murrayfield
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Your support makes all the difference.The Bradford Bulls coach, Matthew Elliott, is still mulling over his team selection for Murrayfield on Saturday, with three players in contention for one place on the wing.
The Bulls' 21-man squad for the Silk Cut Challenge Cup final against Leeds includes all the players who have appeared in a relatively settled side this season. However, it is a brave man who would predict which of Leon Pryce, Justin Brooker and Tevita Vaikona will fill the one undecided position on the left flank.
Vaikona and Pryce, who was the Super League Young Player of the Year last season, took the wing roles for the Grand Final last year, but Nathan McAvoy has since made the right flank his own and Brooker, after an injury-hit start to his Bulls career, has established himself as a capable and versatile alternative.
The indications are that one of the trio will start the match, one will be on the bench and the unlucky other will be the travelling reserve. Three of the 21 named players already know that they will not be involved on the big day.
The teams will fly to Edinburgh today, and both coaches intend to name their line-ups tomorrow, when the traditional Wembley walkabout is transferred to the unfamiliar setting of Murrayfield.
Castleford and their sponsors, the internet company Jungle.com, have devised an innovative way to increase their travelling support when they play at the London Broncos on 11 June. Jungle.com have negotiated 6,000 tickets from the Broncos and are offering a package, which also includes coach travel to the match, for £5, with children going for £1. The aim is to make the attendance at The Valley London's best since the start of Super League and the Castleford marketing manager, Michael McDonald, praised the company's gesture. "This is an initiative from Jungle.com to reward Tigers fans for the great support they continue to give this club," he said.
Super League is less happy about Halifax advertising the opportunity to watch last Tuesday's match at Huddersfield on the giant screen in the clubhouse at their ground rather than travel the few miles to see it live. There were only 2,982 at the McAlpine Stadium for the local derby and Huddersfield-Sheffield believed that the attendance could have been kept down by Halifax's alternative option. Super League have since investigated and found that only 12 people - mainly pensioners - watched the game at The Shay.
"No one would object to that, but we would be concerned about anything that discouraged away supporters from going to games and I will be raising it at the next meeting of our clubs," said the Super League chief executive, Ian Robson.
Steve Renouf will return for Wigan in the Bank Holiday Monday game at Warrington after recovering from concussion, but Mark Reber must visit a specialist after being concussed in his last two appearances. Mick Cassidy will be available after being found not guilty on a striking charge.
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