Penny May Be Dropped But the Star of Wolves Youngster is on the Rise

It is a mark of the impact made by Kevin Penny in his memorable debut season with Warrington that the possibility of him being dropped for tonight's derby against Wigan should be such a big deal. This time last year Penny was an unknown 19-year-old who had made a single substitute's appearance for the Wolves. Then an injury crisis in June forced the Wolves coach, Paul Cullen, to throw him into the lions' den for an away game at Leeds. Penny responded with two spectacular tries, and ended the season with a dozen from 13 appearances, as well as one of the three nominees for the Super League's young player of the year award.

However, the second season was always going to present fresh challenges given the wiry frame and lack of height or experience of a youngster who spent his schoolboy years playing basketball rather than rugby league, and in the last three games Penny has been successfully targeted by St Helens, Hull KR and Catalans Dragons.

Cullen admitted after last Sunday's Catalans game that the damage to Penny's confidence was becoming a real worry, and his captain, Adrian Morley, suggested on Thursday that the return of the former Melbourne Storm centre Matt King after two weeks' absence with a calf injury might allow Warrington to take the rookie out of the firing line.

Wigan have scored more tries from kicks than any Super League team this season, mostly by their tall wings Liam Colbon and Pat Richards, and much as their coach, Brian Noble, would welcome the chance to pile extra pressure on Penny, he has been preparing this week to face the less speedy but more solid opposition of Paul Johnson on Warrington's left flank.

Penny was included in an 18-man squad named by Cullen yesterday, suggesting he may yet play a part against a Wigan team he tormented during his hot streak last summer, scorching around their Northampton-bound full-back Chris Ashton for the highlight of a 43-24 Wolves win.

That was Wigan's second defeat in consecutive weekends in Warrington after they had been stunned there by the Catalans in the Challenge Cup semi-final, and it extended their miserable run at the Halliwell Jones Stadium to five losses from as many visits since the Wolves left Wilderspool in 2004. However, they go into tonight's game in much better shape with three wins from their first four matches - an identical record to Warrington's - and their Australian second-row Phil Bailey returning after a one-match ban, with Eamon O'Carroll likely to take Paul Prescott's place on the interchange bench.

In two other Super League games today the Harlequins coach, Brian McDermott, is expecting the toughest test yet at the Stoop for his early season surprise packets from a Huddersfield Giants team fired by consecutive home wins over Castleford and Hull, while Bradford need to beat the Catalans in Perpignan to put their stuttering season back on track.

Highlights of the weekend's 19 third-round Challenge Cup ties include the Super League hopefuls Toulouse at Keighley and Lokomotiv Moscow versus Celtic Crusaders in Bridgend tomorrow, while this afternoon Ellery Hanley returns to Headingley where his Doncaster team face Leeds Metropolitan University.