Wembley will light up League

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Don Furner
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Wembley will light up League

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Noble will have Wigan in the mix.

WEMBLEY WILL LIGHT UP LEAGUE

By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport Rugby League Correspondent

Rugby League bosses have planned two away weekends to give their fans the best of both worlds in 2007.

They will be expected to post the house-full signs for the Challenge Cup final in August as the game's showpiece occasion finally makes its eagerly awaited return to Wembley.

Supporters will also have the opportunity to relive their trips to Cardiff, which proved a popular venue for the cup final from 2003-5 with a 'Millennium Magic' weekend in May.

Super League chiefs are taking an entire round of fixtures to south Wales on the May Bank Holiday weekend, staging three matches on the Saturday and three the following day.

One of the fixtures will be the Hull derby, which will be revived after an absence of 10 years following Rovers' promotion from the National League.

Hull KR will attempt to succeed where Leigh and Castleford failed in the last two years but they have already been made relegation favourites.

Title favourites will be reigning champions St Helens, who have the chance to claim some early silverware when they take on Brisbane Broncos in the annual World Club Challenge on February 23.

Saints won the Challenge Cup and finished eight points clear of Grand Final runners-up Hull in 2006 but the signs are that they could face sterner opposition in Super League XII.

Wigan, who finished out of the top six in each of the last two seasons, are sure to be in the mix under Brian Noble and Warrington, with Adrian Morley in their ranks, could be the dark horses for 2007.

Hull, too, look significantly stronger with the addition of Matt Sing, Hutch Maiava, Wayne Godwin, Danny Tickle and Willie Manu, while Leeds and Bradford, especially with David Solomona bolstering their pack, cannot be discounted.

Morley, who is ending his six-year stint in Australia's National Rugby League, will be in good company in Super League XII.

Former Australian Test players Trent Barrett (Wigan), Scott Hill (Harlequins), Michael Vella (Hull KR) and Matt Gidley (St Helens) are among the new recruits while current New Zealand full-back Brent Webb promises to be a star attraction at Leeds.

On the international front, the Tri-Nations Series goes into cold storage as the focus turns towards the 2008 World Cup in Australia.

New Zealand will play one-off Tests against both Australia and Great Britain in mid-season before making their first proper tour to England since 2002.

The autumn Test series will be a historic occasion, marking the centenary of the famous All Golds tour of 1907 and the farewell appearance of Great Britain before they become England for the World Cup.

England, as one of five seeds, are guaranteed a place in the World Cup finals and Scotland, Wales and Ireland all have their chance to join them.

The winners of the second leg between the Scots and Wales in Glasgow in November will go straight through, with the losers entering the repechage, while Ireland must beat Lebanon to book their place.

Source: www.sportinglife.com
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