RUGBY LEAGUE: Deacon hoping warm-up does not halt Bulls comeback

Scrum half and captain Deacon is as desperate as Bradford are to have him back in their line-up after a seven-match absence with a persistent hamstring problem.

Long-awaited comeback: Deacon (left) is hoping his warm-up jinx does not rule him out again

‘Paul has trained all week with no ill effects but now we have got to get him through the warm-up before the game,’ says Bulls coach Steve McNamara.

‘He had to pull out a couple of times last season in the warm-up so we hope it  doesn’t happen again.’

Deacon has been close to a return on a number of occasions only to be left  frustrated and he has seen the Bulls knocked out of the Challenge Cup and struggle to stay in the top six in Super League.

Worryingly for Bradford, they will be without Great Britain internationals Sam Burgess and Terry Newton, both injured, while centre Paul Sykes is suspended.

Warrington have run into form under caretaker coach and former Bradford hooker James Lowes.

Lowes has warned his players of Deacon’s threat if the goal-kicking half-back, who only needs four points to reach a landmark 2,000, gets the all-clear.

‘I played with Paul at Bradford and have a lot of time for him,’ said Lowes. ‘He is quality and it will be a big boost for them to have him back.’

Bradford will leapfrog Warrington if they win but Lowes has revived the Wolves and they are looking for their fifth victory in six.

National League One club Featherstone Rovers claim that Warrington’s reserve  hooker Mark Gleeson has reneged on an agreement to join them for the remainder of the season.

Warrington released Gleeson, younger brother of the club’s Test centre Martin, from the last three months of his contract to join Featherstone but the proposed deal looks to be off.

New Super League leaders St Helens, who face bottom club Castleford Tigers on Friday, have forwards Chris Flannery and Lee Gilmour available again. Coach Daniel  Anderson says: ‘We have prepared just the same as we did when we played Leeds.’

Leeds will give skipper Kevin Sinfield a late fitness test before their local derby against Huddersfield Giants at Headingley but Kiwi centre Clinton Toopi is definitely back for the first time since he dislocated a shoulder in February.

Leeds have lost three of their last four games and coach Brian McClennan says: ‘We need to get our game in order and come up with a strong performance.’

In the next two weeks Leeds have to go to third-placed Catalans Dragons and then take on St Helens in the Challenge Cup semi finals.

Wigan coach Brian Noble will decide on Friday whether to include new Australian signing Tim Smith in the Warriors squad to visit Hull KR on Sunday.

‘Tim has trained well but we have to recognise that he hasn’t played for three  months,’ says Noble.