Morgan Knowles could lift rugby league s Challenge Cup at Wembley Stadium this afternoon when St Helens face Castleford Tigers. The Barrovian has been included in Saints 21-man squad for the Wembley showpiece, which is set to kick off at 3pm. Coach Kristian Woolf has also kept a place for Matty Lees, who returned to action last week following a three-month absence with a broken ankle, while Sione Mata utia is suspended after picking up a ban against Wakefield. Speaking to the
St Helens Star, Woolf said: “This is a Grand Final week – it is different because it is in the middle of the season and in the back of our minds we know when we finish on Saturday we will have to re-focus for the rest of Super League and a lot if games over a short period.
The 26-year-old French international scrum half is in discussion with Saints over a new deal. Although Woolf says he would like to keep the two-time Grand Final winning number seven – he is resigned to losing some of his squad due to the effects of the salary cap. Woolf said: “We have a couple of blokes off contract this year, and everyone in our starting 17 at the moment is someone we would really like to keep and a priority. “Theo in particular falls right into that category. “He has been here at the club for six years, been our half back for the last two and a Premiership winning half back for the last two.
MC: First up - how have Morgan Knowles’ scan results come back?
KW: Morgan will be back in a couple of weeks. He has got his scans all positive and it is a matter of re-introducing everything because he has not held a footy for a long time. He has to get back into doing some skills and developing that side again and into doing some contact and making sure we are preparing his body for what he has to go though in a game.
MC: With Matty Lees out for a spell you will be leaning on Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook there?
Mark Percival. Picture: SWpix.com MARK Percival could return to Saints’ backline against Wakefield Trinity. The England centre, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, was named in the 21-man squad for the Leeds Rhinos game in the Challenge Cup but never featured. Saints head coach Kristian Woolf explains why. “It’s a week by week thing with Mark,” he said. “We’re not going to play him until we’re very confident that he’s in a position to not only get through a full game but also to play the week after that and the week after, and to finish the season with us on the field.