Rugby: Trio Return for Saints

St Helens have named Sean Long, Darren Albert and Jason Hooper in their 20-man squad for Friday's Engage Super League final eliminator against Bradford, the winners of which will play Leeds in the Old Trafford grand final on Saturday week.

Long and Albert had initially been ruled out after their cheekbones were fractured at Wigan last month, and the Saints coach Daniel Anderson confirmed that Hooper suffered a dislocated shoulder in last Friday's 19-16 defeat by Leeds. But yesterday an evasive Anderson, while refusing to comment on any individual player, said: "It's elimination, so there's a different mindset. The season's finished if we don't do the job. We're well aware of that."

He will have to be a little more forthcoming tomorrow when, under Super League regulations, both Saints and Bradford will have to reduce their squads to 18. The Bulls coach Brian Noble, who was able to name a full-strength 20 after Brad Meyers escaped disciplinary action for an alleged spear tackle in last Saturday's 71-0 demolition of Hull, did not entirely dismiss the possibility of Long, Hooper and Albert all playing. "There is nothing after it if you lose, so why not if there is no danger to the person involved and they're willing to give it a go?" he said. "But there has to be common sense as well."

Saints officials have claimed that Long had four titanium plates inserted in his face after suffering his injury in a clash with Terry Newton, for which the Wigan hooker initially received a seven-match suspension, which was increased when he appealed. However, the Great Britain scrum-half has a record of comebacks at this end of the season: he returned from a serious shoulder injury to star in the 1999 final eliminator against Castleford, and then kick the match-winning conversion to beat Bradford 8-6 in the grand final.

Nathan Hindmarsh, Australia's outstanding forward in last year's Gillette Tri-Nations series, has withdrawn from their squad for this autumn's competition after failing to convince the team doctor that he had recovered from a knee injury. He will be replaced by Ben Creagh, an uncapped 20-year-old from St George Illawarra.

New Zealand suffered a far more damaging blow with Benji Marshall and Dene Halatau, two of the stars of Wests Tigers' victory in last Sunday's Australian grand final, both pulling out to have off-season shoulder surgery. Marshall is also expected to miss the World Club Challenge against the British champions next February.