Carney returns to strengthen Wigan's backs

Brian Carney will make a perfectly-timed return to Wigan's side for the match against St Helens on Friday that will take one of them into the Super League Grand Final. The Irish winger has been out with a hamstring, tear but he has been passed fit to make his comeback at Knowsley Road and compensates for the latest blow to Wigan's injury-ravaged outside backs, David Hodgson's dislocated shoulder.

"He was close to playing last weekend, so I'm confident that he'll be alright,'' said the Wigan coach Stuart Raper.

Carney's return enables Martin Aspinwall, one of the young reserves who have done so much to paper over the cracks in recent weeks, to revert to his preferred position of centre. "Gary Connolly and myself alternated between wing and centre against Leeds, but centre is my natural position,'' Aspinwall said.

Raper paid tribute to the job the two had done on Leeds's Keith Senior last Friday. "He has been their strike weapon over the course of the season, but they worked well as a combination and he only made one clean break all match,'' said Raper, who denied suggestions from his opposite number, Ian Millward, that Paul Johnson could make a surprise return on Friday.

Johnson has been out with a broken wrist and Raper insisted yesterday: "He's gone for the season.'' He is confident, however, that Julian O'Neill and Terry Newton will be fit – after knee and elbow injuries respectively – to face Saints.

Millward described himself as "99 per cent sure'' that Tommy Martyn will not recover from his arm injury in time to play, but Sean Long will start the game after playing just the second half of the defeat by Bradford.

"Sean Long is a good player. He proved what he could do for 40 minutes last week,'' said Raper. "If he'd played for 80, it might have made a big difference.''

Glen Tomlinson, who played his last game for Batley in their narrow play-off defeat by Leigh on Sunday, has been voted the Northern Ford Premiership player of the year. The Australian veteran is now retiring and returning home.

Batley's achievement in reaching the latter stages of the play-offs has also been recognised by them being named as the NFP club of the year. Their coach, Paul Storey, is also one of the runners-up to Huddersfield's Tony Smith in the coach of the year category.

Smith will lead his Giants in their Grand Final against Leigh at Widnes on Saturday after an unbeaten season in the NFP knowing that one more victory will put them back in Super League.

Doncaster's full-back, Johnny Woodcock, is the young player of the year, and Colin Morris referee of the year.