Wigan face start of campaign without the injured Brett Finch

Wigan will have to launch their defence of the Super League title without Brett Finch, one of their new Australian signings who has suffered a recurrence of a neck problem that could also make him doubtful for the World Club Challenge. The injury, which denied Finch a fitting farewell to Melbourne Storm last September, flared up again in Wigan's pre-season training programme. The 29-year-old half-back will definitely miss the Millennium Magic weekend that launches the Super League season in Cardiff, where Wigan will face St Helens as the headline game on Saturday 12 February, and that will leave him with only a fortnight to prove his fitness to face the Australian champions St George Illawarra Dragons at the DW Stadium later in the month. Wigan were already resigned to starting the season without Pat Richards, the 2010 Man of Steel who suffered knee ligament damage in their Grand Final victory over St Helens last October. But Ryan Hoffman and Jeff Lima, two more internationals who were recruited by Wigan's coach Michael Maguire from his former club Melbourne as a result of their salary cap problems, are due to make their first appearances for the Super League champions in a trial match at Salford on Sunday, when Amos Roberts and Lee Mossop will also return from long-term injuries. Hull are to test the Crusaders' resolve to hang on to Jarrod Sammut, another Australian half-back who made a major impact for the Welsh club last season. Iestyn Harris, who has succeeded Brian Noble as the Crusaders coach, confirmed after their first trial match at Widnes last Sunday that Hull had made an approach for Sammut, but insisted that he would not be sold. However Hull remain keen on the Malta international to fill the gap in their squad left by Shaun Berrigan's move to the New Zealand Warriors, and Australian sources have suggested that Sammut would be interested in a move. Bradford have dipped into the Championship to sign a replacement for Matt Orford, whose return to Australia with the Canberra Raiders after one miserable season at Odsal was finally confirmed this week. Kyle Briggs, a 23-year-old former Leeds junior who was the outstanding half-back outside the Super League last season, has joined the Bulls from Featherstone on a two-year contract, and flies out with them on Thursday for their pre-season training camp in Lanzarote.