Crusaders v Hull KR: Teams
Celtic Crusaders welcome Hull KR to Brewery Field on Saturday buoyed by their win over Wigan.
Last Updated: 19/06/09 1:18pm
Celtic Crusaders welcome Hull KR to Brewery Field on Saturday buoyed by only their second Super League win of the season.
The Crusaders ran out 22-16 winners at home to Wigan last time out and face a Robins side coming into the game on the back of two successive defeats.
But the Welsh side has yet to beat their opponents this season, having gone down 48-18 to the Robins away in mid-March and losing 36-6 away in the Carnegie Challenge Cup at the start of April.
Josh Hannay has returned to the 19-man squad after missing the last two games and Aled James also returns after missing last week's win over Wigan through injury.
Geraint Davies is also included, while Darren Mapp and Chris Beasley miss out through injury for what coach John Dixon predicts will be a tough test.
"When we see Hull KR, we see that they're one of the form teams in the comp," Dixon said.
"Certainly they started the season very well. We're expecting a stern test again this week."
Changes
Veteran Stanley Gene has been ruled for Hull Kingston Rovers, meanwhile, after breaking his wrist in Rovers' 40-10 defeat at home to Harlequins last week.
Rovers' captain Mick Vella, who has been out with a knee injury, is one of four players back in Justin Morgan's squad, though.
Peter Fox and Shaun Briscoe, who played for England against France, return as does Ben Cockayne, who has completed his one match ban.
Wales' captain David Mills, who did not play against the Crusaders in the Super League game at Craven Park earlier this season but did turn out in the Challenge Cup game, is also named by Morgan.
"Mick Vella is a big game player," said Morgan. "It's time for the big guns to stand up and be counted.
"Having Mick and Nick Fozzard playing together was something I was looking forward to at the start of the season. Fingers crossed, they can both make a positive contribution."
Celtic Crusaders squad: Davies, Blackwood, Bryant, Budworth, Flower, Chan, Dalle Cort, Dyer, Van Dijk, Hannay, Lennon, J. James, Lupton, O'Hara, A. James, Quinn, Tangata-Toa, Peek, Withers.
Hull KR squad: I'Anson, Briscoe, Galea, Fox, Welham, Cooke, Dobson, Fozzard, Fisher, Newton, Mills, Webster, Walker, Murrell, Wheeldon, Aizue, Netherton, Cockayne, Vella.