McCormack sets sights on Saints

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McCormack guided Gateshead to a 34-16 fifth-round win over Oldham on Saturday in his first match in charge of the north-East club and then put his feet up on Sunday to watch Saints thrash Catalans Dragons 42-8 on television.

After being paired with the holders in the quarter-finals, McCormack said: "They are somewhere back to their best. They played very well and players like Leon Pryce and Paul Wellens stood up."

Wellens, Francis Meli and Gary Wheeler all scored two tries apiece as Saints bounced back impressively from heavy back-to-back engage Super League defeats by Bradford and Wigan.

McCormack, who succeeded Chris Hood as head coach last week, admits his priority is to guide Thunder away from the threat of relegation - they have won just two of their first seven matches in the Co-operative Championship - but he will relish the chance to pit his wits against St Helens boss Mick Potter.

"It's a fantastic draw for us," he said. "The main thing is a home tie and, to get the holders, it couldn't be better.

"It gives the players and the club an opportunity to be part of a special occasion." Although Thunder played their fifth-round tie at Darlington because the International Stadium was unavailable, they are likely to stage their money-spinning tie with Saints on the weekend of May 30-31 in Gateshead.

St Helens came away from their only previous trip to the International Stadium with a 32-20 defeat in Gateshead's solitary Super League season in 1999.

In the other quarter-final ties, second favourites Wigan have been drawn at home to Salford, Castleford visit Huddersfield and Hull KR have home advantage against Warrington.