Nickle cleared for final

Rugby League

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

Sonny Nickle, the Bradford Bulls forward, has been cleared to face his old club, St Helens, in the Challenge Cup final in 10 days' time.

Nickle has been ruled to have no case to answer after being placed on report following an incident in the Super League match between the two clubs on Sunday. That leaves Brian Smith, the Bulls' coach, able to field his first-choice second row combination at Wembley, with Jeremy Donougher expected to recover from a neck injury in time to play.

St Helens, on the other hand, have some worries in their back row. Vila Matautia, faces the disciplinary committee tomorrow as a result of his sending-off for the use of an elbow against Bradford. Dean Busby, the first-choice loose forward, was ruled out yesterday because he has not recovered from a knee injury quickly enough.

The better news from Knowsley Road is that Simon Booth, the second row, could be fit to resume in time for the final.

St Helens will also have Mike Gregory, the former Great Britain loose forward and captain, on hand on the big day.

Gregory was appointed assistant coach to Shaun McRae last month, but Salford were refusing to release him from his playing contract. Now they have relented in time for Gregory to be involved behind the scenes in the Wembley preparations.

"It's a great time to arrive at the club and I have to thank John Wilkinson, the chairman at Salford, for releasing me from my contract," Gregory said.

Mike Ford, the former Great Britain scrum-half, will make his debut for Wakefield in the home match against Salford on Sunday after joining the club from Warrington. The 30-year-old former Wigan and Castleford player has agreed a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Wakefield have paid a small transfer fee for Ford, who joined Warrington last September after a spell with the South Queensland Crushers in Australia.