St Helens and Wigan kept apart in semi-finals

The old rivals and Challenge Cup favourites, St Helens and Wigan, have been kept apart in the semi-finals.

The old rivals and Challenge Cup favourites, St Helens and Wigan, have been kept apart in the semi-finals.

Saints, who have already knocked out three big clubs in Bradford, Leeds and Hull, will meet the outsiders, Huddersfield, while Wigan face Warrington. The ties will be played on 18 and 25 April, but the Rugby League will not decide on dates and venues until later today.

Wigan will have their second-rower Mick Cassidy available after he was given a one-match suspension yesterday having been placed on report for an off-the-ball tackle on Wakefield's Gareth Ellis in the fifth-round tie.

St Helens' Samoan forward, Maurie Fa'asavula, makes his first-team debut at Castleford on Friday night. Fa'asavula, a star of the rugby union World Cup, follows in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Dom Feaunati, who has already established himself on the wing for Saints.

The Australian club Canterbury have been given a suspended points deduction following crowd trouble during their defeat by the Sydney Roosters at the weekend. Canterbury have also had five of their players interviewed again by the police investigating allegations of gang rape after a pre-season game.

The Doncaster coach, St John Ellis, has reacted to Sunday's defeat by Batley by dropping the wings PJ Solomon and Marlon Billy for tonight's Arriva Trains Cup game against the London Skolars.

The Australian centre, Aaron Wood, who missed York's Challenge Cup quarter-final at Huddersfield because of a suspension, returns to their side for tonight's game against Gateshead.

POWERGEN CHALLENGE CUP Semi-final draw: St Helens v Huddersfield; Wigan v Warrington (Ties to be played on 18 and 25 April. Venues to be confirmed).