Crusaders v Rovers: Teams
Crusaders need to avoid defeat on Saturday and hope that St Helens do them a favour.
Last Updated: 03/09/10 4:59pm
Crusaders need to avoid defeat on Saturday and hope that St Helens do them a favour if they are to secure a first play-off appearance.
Ninth-placed Crusaders are level on points with Castleford but have a vastly inferior points difference, so if the Tigers can win at Knowsley Road, the Welsh side will miss out.
Both games kick off simultaneously on Saturday evening.
Crusaders have half-back Jarrod Sammut and forward Adam Peek back from injury for the visit of Rovers, which gives coach Brian Noble a virtual full-strength squad to select from.
"I think if you would have asked our critics at the start of the year whether we would be in with a shout of finishing in the top eight, they would have chuckled," said Noble.
"We've got some good players. We stopped sneaking up on people after five weeks and other teams recognised that they had to show up to play us this year.
Credit
"The credit has to go to the players who have applied themselves all the time. I think they are a great bunch and I personally believe they deserve to finish in the eight."
Hull KR are boosted by the return of centre Kris Welham, who has missed the two months with a shoulder injury, and back-rower Ben Galea, who sat out the last match with a eye problem. Matt Cook makes way and young prop Richard Beaumont comes into the squad and could make his Super League debut.
The Robins will finish seventh whatever the result in Wrexham.
Crusaders RL squad: Youngquest, Martin, Mellars, Sammut, O'Hara, Withers, Bryant, Hauraki, Chan, Trimarchi, Dyer, Lee, Winternstein, Peek, Thackray, James, Lupton, Schifcofske, Hanbury.
Hull Kingston Rovers squad: Briscoe, Fox, Welham, Colbon, Dobson, Lovegrove, Murrell, Wheeldon, Newton, Galea, Netherton, Fisher, Vella, Hodgson, Watts, Beaumont, Cockayne, Latus, Clinton.