Rugby League: Dragons Block Wigan's Way Back to Wembley As Bulls Draw Saints

The first Challenge Cup final at the new Wembley this August will feature either a fresh French flavor or the far more familiar cherry and white of Wigan after the Warriors were drawn against Catalans Dragons in yesterday's semi-final draw - conducted by two of their former players, Alex Murphy and Martin Offiah.

That left Bradford with the tie nobody wanted against the holders and favorites St Helens, although the Bulls are making provisional plans to recall Lesley Vainikolo from rugby union as they aim to improve on a recent big-match record against the Saints that even their own coach Steve McNamara concedes is "rubbish".

Vainikolo joins Gloucester at the end of the month but McNamara confirmed after the draw at Wembley that they may ask for the New Zealand wing to be released. "It's a possibility, but no more than that at this stage," he said. "It's a fair way down the track, but if we decide that's what we want, we would speak to Gloucester.

"We are aware that our record in finals against St Helens is rubbish, and on paper they are the side everyone would have preferred to stay away from. But we are better off getting them in a semi than a final." Bradford have lost five major finals to St Helens in the Super League era, including two of the last four at Wembley in 1996 and 1997.

Wigan's chairman, Maurice Lindsay, the highest-profile survivor at the club from the golden era when they won eight consecutive Wembley finals from 1988-95, had to battle manfully to conceal his delight at avoiding Bradford and especially Saints, which keeps alive the possibility of a seventh final between the old Lancashire rivals. "You can never take anything for granted," he said. "We've only played the Catalans once this year, and we won in the last few minutes. But the attraction of Wembley is probably more special for Wigan this year than for anybody else."

Wigan play their return Super League match against Catalans at the JJB Stadium tomorrow night, whereas Bradford and St Helens meet at Odsal on July 13, two weeks before their semi-final showdown.

Doncaster and Swinton have each been deducted six points after being found guilty of breaching the Rugby Football League's insolvency regulations. Doncaster, whose future remains in doubt, are now bottom of National League One while the punishment also removes any chance of Swinton challenging promotion from the Second Division.

Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-finals Bradford v St Helens (Galpharm Stadium, July 28, 12.30pm); Wigan v Catalans Dragons (Halliwell Jones Stadium, July 29, 3.30pm).