The big news this week, as the Super League clubs begin to release their 21-man squads for this weekend’s Betfred Challenge Cup games, is that St Helens star Morgan Knowles has been named by Saints coach Kristian Woolf in his 21-man squad and looks likely to make the matchday 17 after recovering from his thumb injury, while Joel Thompson also makes a return to the squad. James Bentley is missing from the Saints squad after suffering a leg injury against Leigh Centurions, while Jake Wingfield also makes way for the return of Knowles and Thompson.
Their opponents Huddersfield make only one minor change to their squad, with Oliver Russell, who didn’t play against Leeds on Sunday, making way for Owen Trout.
In the first game of the weekend, Tom Lineham returns after suspension for Warrington Wolves, replacing Matt Ashton, who suffered an ankle injury against Hull Kingston Rovers.
Catalans Dragons recall Bernard Jullien to their squad to replace the injured Paul Seguier, while the suspended Jordan Dezaria is replaced by newcomer and potential debutant Mathieu Cozza.
In the first game on Saturday, Jake Connor and Brad Fash will both be missing from Hull FC’s squad to play Wigan, with both players having been suspended this week, while Tony Clubb begins his eight-match suspension for the Warriors.
Clubb is replaced in the Wigan squad by Dom Manfredi, who returns from injury and is likely to go straight into the Wigan starting lineup.
But the big news for Hull fans is that Josh Reynolds returns to the squad alongside Manu Ma’u, with Connor Wynne also coming in as a possible replacement for Connor at fullback. Scott Taylor will also be missing from the Hull side.
The final game of the weekend sees both Castleford and Salford make several changes, with the Tigers recalling James Clare, Daniel Smith and Jordan Turner, while the Red Devils recall Ryan Lannon, Elijah Taylor, Dan Sarginson and Dec Patton, but the bad news for Salford fans is that hooker Andy Ackers, who had a strong game against Castleford at the weekend, is missing from their squad.
Catalans Dragons v Warrington Wolves
Friday 6.00pm
Dragons: 1 Arthur Mourgue, 2 Tom Davies, 3 Samisoni Langi, 4 Dean Whare, 5 Fouad Yaha, 6 James Maloney, 7 Josh Drinkwater, 8 Gil Dudson, 9 Micky McIlorum, 10 Julian Bousquet, 12 Mike McMeeken, 13 Benjamin Garcia, 14 Alrix Da Costa, 15 Benjamin Jullien, 20 Matthieu Laguerre, 22 Joel Tomkins, 23 Mathieu Cozza, 24 Jason Baitieri, 27 Joe Chan, 28 Sam Kasiano, 29 Sam Tomkins
Outs: 16 Paul Seguier, 30 Jordan Dezaria
Ins: 15 Benjamin Jullien, 23 Mathieu Cozza
Wolves: 1 Stefan Ratchford, 2 Tom Lineham, 3 Greg Inglis, 4 Toby King, 5 Josh Charnley, 6 Blake Austin, 7 Gareth Widdop, 8 Chris Hill, 9 Daryl Clark, 10 Mike Cooper, 11 Ben Currie, 12 Jack Hughes, 13 Joe Philbin, 14 Jason Clark, 15 Matt Davis, 16 Danny Walker, 18 Rob Butler, 19 Robbie Mulhern, 20 Sitaleki Akauola, 21 Jake Mamo, 23 Josh Thewlis.
Outs: 17 Matty Ashton
Ins: 2 Tom Lineham
St Helens v Huddersfield Giants
Friday 8.15pm
Saints: 1 Lachlan Coote, 2 Tommy Makinson, 3 Kevin Naiqama, 4 Mark Percival, 5 Regan Grace, 6 Jonny Lomax, 7 Theo Fages, 8 Alex Walmsley, 9 James Roby, 11 Joel Thompson, 13 Morgan Knowles, 14 Sione Mata’utia, 15 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 16 Kyle Amor, 17 Agnatius Paasi, 18 Jack Welsby, 19 Aaron Smith, 20 Joe Batchelor, 21 Lewis Dodd, 25 Dan Norman, 29 Ben Davies
Outs: 12 James Bentley, 23 Jake Winfield
Ins: 11 Joel Thompson, 13 Morgan Knowles
Giants: 2 Jermaine McGillvary, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Darnell McIntosh, 6 Lee Gaskell, 7 Aidan Sezer, 8 Luke Yates, 9 Adam O’Brien, 10 Michael Lawrence, 11 Kenny Edwards, 13 Josh Jones, 14 Matty English, 15 Joe Greenwood, 16 Jack Cogger, 17 Chris McQueen, 18 Jack Ashworth, 19 James Cunningham, 20 Oliver Wilson, 21 Leroy Cudjoe, 22 James Gavet, 25 Owen Trout, 27 Sam Wood,
Outs: 23 Oliver Russell
Ins: 25 Owen Trout
Hull FC v Wigan Warriors
Saturday 2.30pm
Hull: 3 Carlos Tuimavave, 4 Josh Griffin, 5 Mahe Fonua, 6 Josh Reynolds, 7 Marc Sneyd, 9 Danny Houghton, 10 Tevita Satae, 11 Andre Savelio, 12 Manu Ma’u, 13 Ligi Sao, 14 Jordan Johnstone, 15 Joe Cator, 16 Jordan Lane, 19 Ben McNamara, 20 Jack Brown, 21 Adam Swift, 23 Connor Wynne, 24 Cameron Scott, 26 Jude Ferreira, 27 Mitieli Vulikijapani, 28 Harvey Barron
Outs: 1 Jake Connor, 8 Scott Taylor, 17 Brad Fash
Ins: 6 Josh Reynolds, 12 Manu Ma’u, 23 Connor Wynne
Warriors: 1 Bevan French, 2 Dom Manfredi, 3 Zak Hardaker, 8 Brad Singleton, 9 Sam Powell, 10 Joe Bullock, 11 Willie Isa, 12 Liam Farrell, 13 John Bateman, 14 Oliver Partington, 15 Morgan Smithies, 19 Liam Byrne, 20 Harry Smith, 21 Ethan Havard, 22 Jake Bibby, 23 Mitch Clark, 25 Joe Shorrocks, 28 Sam Halsall, 29 James McDonnell, 30 Umyla Hanley, 31 Jackson Hastings
Outs: 17 Tony Clubb,
Ins: 2 Dom Manfredi,
Castleford Tigers v Salford Red Devils
Saturday 5.00pm
Tigers: 1 Niall Evalds, 2 Derrell Olpherts, 3 Peter Mata’utia, 4 Michael Shenton, 6 Jake Trueman, 7 Danny Richardson, 8 Liam Watts, 9 Paul McShane, 10 Grant Millington, 11 Oliver Holmes, 13 Adam Milner, 14 Nathan Massey, 15 George Griffin, 21 Jesse Sene-Lefao, 22 Daniel Smith, 26 Lewis Bienek, 27 Lewis Peachey, 28 Brad Martin, 31 Gareth O’Brien
Outs: 12 Cheyse Blair, 23 Greg Eden, 29 Sam Hall
Ins: 20 James Clare, 22 Daniel Smith, 25 Jordan Turner
Red Devils: 2 Ken Sio, 3 Kallum Watkins, 6 Tui Lolohea, 7 Kevin Brown, 8 Lee Mossop, 10 Sebastine Ikahihifo, 11 Ryan Lannon, 12 Pauli Pauli, 13 Elijah Taylor, 14 Danny Addy, 15 Ollie Roberts, 16 Greg Burke, 18 Chris Atkin, 19 Elliot Kear, 20 Harvey Livett, 21 James Greenwood, 22 Rhys Williams, 23 Dan Sarginson, 25 Jack Ormondroyd, 28 Darcy Lussick, 29 Dec Patton
Outs: 1 Morgan Esacré, 4 Krisnan Inu, 9 Andy Ackers, 17 Josh Johnson,
Ins: 11 Ryan Lannon, 13 Elijah Taylor, 23 Dan Sarginson, 29 Dec Patton
