Injury gives McDermott chance

Barrie McDermott earns the chance to shed a job he hates when Leeds play Huddersfield tonight.

The Great Britain prop, used as a substitute so far this season after recovering from injury, begins a game for the first time, thanks to a rib injury ruling out the teenager Ryan Bailey, who has taken over his role in the starting line-up.

"Barrie has been wanting to start for a couple of weeks," his coach at Leeds, Daryl Powell, said. "He's got an opportunity to show us that he's back to his best."

Ewan Dowes takes over from McDermott on the bench, in an otherwise unchanged side, against a Giants team that will use an administrative loophole to allow them to field Stanley Gene and the former Leeds prop, Darren Fleary. Warrington are using the same ploy – of counting reserve games against a ban – to allow Nick Fozzard to play against London Broncos tomorrow without serving his one-match suspension in Super League.

In tonight's other game, St Helens' Sean Long will be looking for his 100th try when Castleford try to win in the league at Knowsley Road for the first time in 13 years. Mitch Healey, is still missing from the Tigers' team.

The Bradford captain, Robbie Paul, has revealed that he has been playing this season with a painful neck condition, but has had to carry on because of the team's other injury problems. "When I get a knock on the head it compresses the vertebrae," he said. "It's frustrating, but it's a question of putting up with it."

Harvey Howard, the veteran former Great Britain prop who has been without a club since his contract at Wigan expired at the end of last season, has joined Hull Kingston Rovers. Howard will also be installed as assistant coach at the club.