Three Giants aces in the frame to play in cup final

Three players are in with a chance of replacing the unlucky Danny Kirmond in Huddersfield's side for Wembley. Kirmond was immediately ruled out of the Giants' Challenge Cup final plans for Saturday when he damaged medial ligaments at St Helens on Friday night.

Andy Raleigh, who played for the first time in two months after Achilles trouble, came through safely and seemed the obvious choice.

The Huddersfield coach, Nathan Brown, insists however that Simon Finnigan and Martin Aspinwall – signed from Wigan as a three-quarter, but in the process of being re-invented as a back-row forward – are both under consideration as well.

"Andy came back and contributed well, but the other two are in the frame as well," said Brown, who confirmed that another back-rower, Stephen Wild, will be fit, despite being one of 11 first-teamers to sit out the Saints game.

Warrington's Australian Test centre, Matt King, says that he is a genuine doubt for the final and will rule himself out if he is not confident that his hamstring will stand up to the game.

"I won't play unless I'm 100 per cent or very near it," he said. "It's about Warrington more than about Matt King and, if I play and only last 10 or 15 minutes, it won't be good for the team." Warrington's other major doubt is their hooker, Jon Clarke, who suffered a recurrence of a long-standing ankle injury against Wakefield on Friday.

Two players who suffered concussion during that game, Vinnie Anderson and Mike Cooper, have passed "head-tests" and been pronounced fit. That frees the 20-year-old Cooper to be the least experienced of the Wolves' Wembley line-up. "I was a bit worried when I got the knock, but I was taken off more to avoid getting injured again," he said. "I've been fortunate that other people getting injured have given me the chance of playing at Wembley.

The Australian club, Wests Tigers, have confirmed that Wigan's loose forward, Mark Flanagan, who played in their semi-final defeat by Warrington, is joining them on a two-year contract next season. The club already has the British forward, Gareth Ellis, on its books.

Two Hull players, Jordan Tansey and Danny Tickle, have been charged with dangerous throws in their victory over Harlequins. Castleford's Mitchell Sargent has been send a warning letter about his late challenge on Wigan's Sam Tomkins during the Tigers' 29-26 defeat at The Jungle on Sunday.