Wigan face St Helens and Bradford in testing start to Super League

Wigan have been handed a tough start to their first defence of the Super League title for 12 years, with games against St Helens and Bradford before they face St George Illawarra Dragons in the World Club Challenge. Michael Maguire's team will play Saints at the Millennium Stadium on 12 February as the highlight of the Magic Weekend of seven fixtures that kick off the season in Cardiff. They then go to Odsal where Bradford are hoping to become the formidable force of old after making a glut of new signings and appointing Mick Potter as coach. Wigan will break new ground when they face the Catalans Dragons in Montpellier in June and the French club are also expected to switch their August home game against Warrington to Barcelona. St Helens have shelved plans to take their home game against Warrington to Goodison Park. The Wolves will instead be Saints' first opponents at their temporary Widnes base on the third weekend of the season on 25 February in a game that seems certain to test the 14,000 capacity of the Stobart Stadium. There is further evidence of the expectation that the Crusaders will emerge from administration. They have not only been included on the fixture list but their first home game against Bradford has been selected by Sky for live coverage on 19 February. That is a Saturday match but the majority of the Welsh club's home games are down for Friday nights – following the example of Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Hull and Salford. Super League early rounds 12-13 Feb (Millennium Magic): Huddersfield v Warrington, Catalans v Harlequins, Castleford v Wakefield, Wigan v St Helens, Crusaders v Salford, Leeds v Bradford, Hull v Hull KR. 18-20 Feb: Hull v Leeds (Sky), Salford v St Helens, Castleford v Huddersfield (Sky), Catalans v Wakefield, Bradford v Wigan, Harlequins v Crusaders, Warrington v Hull KR. 25-27 Feb: St Helens v Warrington (Sky), Leeds v Harlequins, Crusaders v Bradford (Sky), Huddersfield v Hull, Hull KR v Catalans, Wakefield v Salford. 27 Feb: World Club Challenge: Wigan v St George Illawarra (Wigan's round three Super League match at home to Castleford to be rearranged). Other early Sky games: 4 March Harlequins v Huddersfield, 5 March Warrington v Leeds, 11 March Wakefield v Warrington, 12 March Castleford v Catalans. Grand Final: 8 October.