Challenge Cup final squads in as major Bevan French and Dean Hadley calls made

Bevan French is IN Wigan Warriors’ 21-man squad for Saturday’s Challenge Cup final – while Hull KR have made a big call on Dean Hadley’s availability too.

French has been sidelined for Wigan for three months, ever since tearing his hamstring in the early rounds of the Super League season.

The expectation was that he would be missing for four months, categorically ruling him out of an appearance at Wembley this weekend against the Robins.

But the Warriors superstar is a surprise inclusion in Matt Peet’s 21-man squad, which reverts much more to type after a swathe of changes last weekend for the league fixture between the teams.

Wigan’s squad news

The headline news is without a doubt the return of French – but as expected, Peet has brought back in almost all his big guns after giving them the week off against Rovers last time out.

That means the likes of Jai Field, Harry Smith and Brad O’Neill come back in and will start for the Warriors under the arch as they look to reclaim the Challenge Cup they last won in 2022.

But there is no doubting what the biggest talking point will be: whether French is fit enough to perhaps take a place on Peet’s interchange bench to give them a real headline-grabbing option.

Wigan squad: Jai Field, Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis, Sam Walters, Patrick Mago, Oliver Partington, Jack Farrimond, Sam Eseh, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott, Taylor Kerr, Noah Hodkinson.

Hull KR’s squad news

As for the Robins, they have included Dean Hadley in their 21 for Wembley despite him coming off last weekend with a hamstring problem against Wigan.

Willie Peters admitted on Tuesday at the press event that Hadley was a doubt after scans returned an issue with Hadley’s injury.

However, he has recovered sufficiently to take his place in the 21-man squad for the defending cup holders and as revealed by Love Rugby League on Thursday morning, he is now in contention to feature.

The likes of Tyrone May and Joe Burgess, who were missing last weekend as precautionary measures for the Robins, are back in and named.

Hull KR squad: Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, Oliver Gildart, Joe Burgess, Tyrone May, Sauaso Sue, Jez Litten, James Batchelor, Elliot Minchella, Tom Amone, Dean Hadley, Jack Broadbent, Sam Luckley, Jai Whitbread, Rhyse Martin, Jack Brown, Karl Lawton, Jordan Dezaria, Noah Booth, Bill Leyland.

WATCH THE NEW EPISODE OF THE LRL PODCAST!