Rugby League: Absent Ward becomes the title motivator: Wigan and St Helens take their chase for the title into the final week. Dave Hadfield reports
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Your support makes all the difference.ST HELENS hope to use the injury that has ruled Kevin Ward out of their last Championship game as an extra motivation in their final push for the title, writes Dave Hadfield.
Ward broke his left leg in two places in the 8-8 draw at Wigan on Good Friday - a result that left Saints to hope that they beat Widnes today and Wigan drop a point in one of their two remaining matches.
'As soon as Kevin Ward went off on Friday, we said that we wanted to win for him, because he is a great footballer, a top personality and one of the nicest people you could meet,' Shane Cooper, the St Helens captain, said. 'But the title is in Wigan's hands now.'
Saints will miss Ward against Widnes this afternoon, although they have a Great Britain international in Sonny Nickle to bring in to their pack. Even more serious would be the absence of two Test backs, Gary Connolly and Alan Hunte, both of whom are doubtful with knee injuries. Cup finalists Widnes, who got their minds back on the workaday business of the first division by beating Warrington on Friday, have Paul Moriarty and Esene Faimalo back to start proving their fitness for Wembley after knee operations. Darren Wright also returns, but to balance that, Andy Currier, David Hulme and Steve McCurrie are all likely to be missing. The scheduling of Wigan's game at Warrington for 11.30 means that Saints could go into their match at Widnes knowing that they are playing for the Championship.
Warrington have proved awkward opponents for Wigan in the recent past and beat them in the league at Central Park earlier this season. The feeling that Wigan have enough know-how to get the job done is strengthened, however, by the return of Dean Bell after his mandatory 15- day break following concussion.
There are hopes that Andy Platt will re-appear after his shoulder injury; you could not wish for two more resolute competitors to bring back into the firing line at a moment like this. Wigan are likely to still be without Kelvin Skerrett and Andrew Farrar, while Warrington welcome back Kevin Ellis after an absence through injury.
The Hull scrum-half, Ivan Henjak, has announced his retirement half- way through a two-year contract.
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