England release Lunt for club duty

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The Huddersfield hooker Shaun Lunt has been released from the England squad to allow him to play for his club at St Helens tomorrow night. Lunt is not now scheduled to play in the international against France on Saturday, but will rejoin England in camp after the game, in order to give him as much time as possible in that environment.

His temporary departure points to the hooking duties against the French being shared between James Roby and Kevin Sinfield, normally a loose forward for Leeds but England's starting hooker in the Four Nations final last autumn.

Warrington have recalled three dual-registered players from Leigh for their match against Hull KR tomorrow night. Matty Blythe, Tyrone McCarthy and Lee Mitchell are all in the Wolves' squad, in place of their trio of England players Adrian Morley, Ben Westwood and Chris Bridge.

St Helens have the Academy front-rower Paul Johnson, who has been on loan to Whitehaven, in line to make his debut against Huddersfield.

Huddersfield have described reports that their assistant coach Paul Anderson has been offered the head coach's job in place of the departing Nathan Brown as "very premature."

The Castleford full-back, Ryan McGoldrick, has failed in his appeal against a one-match suspension for kicking out in the tackle against Wigan and will miss the meeting with the Catalan Dragons on Sunday.

McGoldrick had complained that Leeds' Keith Senior had escaped without a ban for a similar offence, but the League's disciplinary committee pointed out that, unlike Senior, McGoldrick had been warned for the offence in the past.

The Blackpool prop Andy Hobson has been suspended for a total of five matches for two offences in the game against York City Knights.