Wigan in need of cup glory after points deduction

For just a couple of hours this afternoon, Wigan will be able to put aside their status as the game's leading salary-cap defaulters and concentrate on recovering lost glories in the Challenge Cup.

The British game's most famous club were docked four points this week for exceeding last year's spending limit by almost £225,000. They are generally seen as having got off lightly after seeming to be in line for a 12-point deduction.

Losing four points is not likely to embroil them in a repeat of last year's relegation battle, but it will make it desperately hard to do anything in the play-offs, even if they qualify for them. Hence the emphasis on today's Cup semi-final.

Catalans Dragons' form has been poor of late, but in Stacey Jones the French have the epitome of a big-match player. The Dragons have suffered one blow, however, with the loss of their goalkicking full-back Thomas Bosc with a broken arm.