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McNamara's Cup Goal

Sat 10 May, 02:09 PM


Bradford coach Steve McNamara says winning the Carnegie Challenge Cup is a "big goal" for his club this year.

It is five years since the Bulls last reached the final but they have home advantage against last year's runners-up Catalans Dragons in Sunday's fifth-round tie.

McNamara's men are fourth in the engage Super League, eight points behind Leeds, after losing two of their last three matches and the former Great Britain forward admits the Cup probably represents their best chance of silverware.

"It is a great competition," he said. "I have played at Wembley and would love to coach a side to the final and hopefully win it. It's a great place to go - everything it's cracked up to be and more.

"The club would also benefit from a good Cup run so to get there and win it is a big goal for everyone at the club."

Bradford enjoyed a club record 98-6 win over another French club, Toulouse, in the last round but know it will be different against the Dragons, whose club record nine-match unbeaten run stretches back to a last-gasp home defeat by the Bulls in March.

Full-back Michael Platt, who today signed a new three-year contract, is set to make his first start since pulling a hamstring in that 20-18 win over the Catalans.

The Dragons, meanwhile, today handed their full-back Clint Greenshields a new three-year deal and revealed they are close to unveiling a successor to coach Mick Potter.

Former Leeds assistant coach Brian McDermott insists his Harlequins side will draw positives from their 48-0 defeat at Headingley when they take on the Rhinos at the Twickenham Stoop tomorrow.

The champions ran in eight tries that day but McDermott is confident of turning around their heaviest defeat of the season.

"Leeds are beatable but you have got to play a certain way to beat them," he said. "I don't think we played that bad at Headingley. Leeds were just on fire and we didn't get a look-in.

"We've got to not allow them to be so dominant. We are certainly up for it."

Huddersfield, runners-up to St Helens in 2006, will be hoping to cast aside their wretched League form when they visit Hull KR in the BBC's televised tie at Craven Park.

The Giants have lost their last four League games since drawing 24-24 with Rovers at Craven Park in March but they have a good recent record in rugby league's famous knockout competition.

"The Challenge Cup for me personally, and for this club, has been fantastic," said coach Jon Sharp.

"We enjoyed ourselves in 2006 and we made a semi-final in my first year. It's been good for us and we are looking forward to playing Hull KR this week and continuing the success we have had.

"We know that we need to be very good but we are not that far short of being good anyway."

Rovers' forward Stanley Gene will hope to celebrate his 34th birthday in style against his former club.

Barrow and Widnes will both harbour hopes of pulling off an upset when they host Wakefield and Hull respectively.

The tie at the Halton Stadium will invoke memories of the 1982 Challenge Cup final between Widnes and Hull which ended in a draw.

Hull won the replay at Elland Road are are favourites to topple the Vikings tomorrow but coach Peter Sharp is acutely aware of the threat posed by their ambitious opponents.

"There is a lot at stake for both clubs," he said. "We felt we let ourselves down last year when we lost at home in the quarter-finals to Catalans and we want to make up for that.

"Widnes, on the other hand, are an ambitious club and they will see this game as a golden opportunity to enhance their bid for a Super League spot."

The match will mark the 100th appearance for Richard Whiting but goalkicking forward Danny Tickle misses his first game of the season because of "dead leg".

Wakefield's belief that this could be their Cup year is enhanced by the fact that on the last two occasions they met Barrow in the competition they went on to reach Wembley.

A part-time presence is guaranteed in Monday evening's quarter-final draw with Dewsbury meeting fellow National League club Oldham.

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