site testing: Cas hoping Chase will make semi

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Cas hoping Chase will make semi

CHALLENGE CUP SEMI FINAL
Venue: Keepmoat Stadium Date: Sunday, 7 August Kick-off: 1515 BST
Coverage: Live coverage on BBC 2 and BBC Sport website; live commentary on BBC Radio Leeds; score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live & the BBC Sport website, highlights on the Super League Show.

New Zealander Chase has scored 12 tries and assisted 22 others in his 22 appearances for Castleford this season

Castleford have named playmaker Rangi Chase in their squad for the Challenge Cup semi-final with Leeds but it is unclear whether he will play.

The 25-year-old flew back to Australia this week for a court case relating to an incident that happened before he joined the Tigers in 2008.

It is thought he is ready to dash back for the tie at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Leeds are boosted by the returns of Weller Hauraki, Brett Delaney and Ben Jones-Bishop.

Centre Keith Senior, who has played his last game for the Rhinos after suffering a season-ending knee injury, is their only enforced absentee.

Leeds, who were thrashed 30-6 by Warrington in last year's final, have not won the Challenge Cup since 1999, despite reaching four further finals in that time.

But that is nothing like the drought Cas have endured, having last reached the final when they lost to Wigan in 1992, and not won the trophy since 1986.

For many observers, their chances of reaching another final rest on whether Chase will be available, but Tigers coach Terry Matterson refused to be drawn on whether that would be the case.

He told BBC Radio Leeds: "It's something I knew about a month ago, but until we won the quarter-final we didn't know if we were going to be involved in this game, but if he's there on Sunday he'll play; if he's not, he won't.

THIS SEASON'S PREVIOUS MEETING

Fri, 29 Apr: Castleford 6-48 Leeds

"There's been a lot of innuendo over whether he is or whether he isn't, so we might as well play it out until Sunday, so I'm not going to give you anything now.

"We're confident we can do it with or without him - obviously he's our best player and that's not a secret. We'd rather have him but we're really confident in what we can do without him."

Castleford also include former Wigan and Huddersfield winger Martin Aspinwall, who will be playing with an electronic tag after being released early from a four-month prison sentence for dangerous driving.

And Tigers captain Danny Orr is relishing the prospect of facing West Yorkshire rivals Leeds, with a trip to Wembley the prize for the winners rather than points.

"It's massive - the Cas v Leeds games are always big, and add in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup and it's pretty special," said Orr.

"I keep reading and being told that we're underdogs, but it's just a tag and it doesn't bother me one bit. It doesn't mean anything and the team that plays the best on the day will win.

"You're in touching distance of getting to the final, but stripping it all down it is just another game - there'll be 13 on each team, a referee and posts at either end. It's just another game of rugby, there's just a little bit more at stake at the end of it."

SQUADS

Castleford (from): Arundel, Aspinwall, Chase, Davies, Dixon, Ferres, Hudson, Isa, Holmes, Jackson, Jones, McGoldrick, Milner, Orr (capt), Owen, Parker, Thompson, Widders, Youngquest.

Leeds (from): Webb, Smith, Delaney, Hall, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Buderus, Peacock, Jones Buchanan, Ablett, Sinfield (capt), Bailey, Kirke, Watkins, Hauraki, Clarkson, Jones-Bishop, McShane