It means we’re the `home’ team in Sheffield, so we’re going to go in, take charge and treat the place like it’s our building.”We’re also going to have 3,000 fans or more there as well So it’s not as if we’re going in without any support. We can’t allow them to stroll around and act like it’s a Sunday picnic I can assure them it won’t be like that against us We won the coin toss, which I think is an important factor. The trio have been the key to Steelers’ success in the competition this season, and Blaisdell knows if he can shut them down then his side should end up with more silverware.Having already tasted victory in the Arena in December when the Panthers won the Benson and Hedges Cup, Blaisdell said: “Our game plan has to centre around Courtenay, Hand and Priestlay. In their own building, Steelers will be sat on the away bench and in their away strip, although rights are still being resolved with regard to the dressing room due to an earlier agreement.
Crucial for Blaisdell, however, is that he will have the last line change, allowing him to match up whichever players are needed to combat the prolific Ed Courtenay/Tony Hand/Ken Priestlay triumvirate. NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS already have an important psychological edge over Sheffield Steelers going into tomorrow’s Challenge Cup final. Coach Mike Blaisdell’s Panthers will be the “home” team at the Sheffield Arena having won a vital toss of the coin.

Wakefield Trinity, with new signing Jamie Field in their squad, will sense an opportunity against Salford, who bring in Mark Johnson for his first game, while Warrington have to prove that their collapse at Odsal was only a blip when Castleford come calling.. John Bentley could make his Huddersfield debut, also against a former club.Elsewhere, it is a question of how clubs can regroup after heavy cup defeats. Sean Allwood is in line to replace him at hooker, while Richard will come in for the suspended Andrew Hick on the bench.The local derby at Huddersfield will be a good test of the Malcolm Reilly factor, with one of the coach’s old clubs, Halifax, the visitors. His new club, Gateshead Thunder, are waiting anxiously for a fitness test on Kerrod Walters’ groin strain today.

If their captain is ruled out, Gateshead could become the first Super League side to field identical twins. London have benefited from Martin Offiah’s return to full fitness. His club record five tries against Whitehaven last week made him the leading scorer for the season so far, a throwback to a decade when he was the most dangerous man in the game.The Broncos will be without their other winger, Rob Smyth, and forward, Darren Bradstreet, but Matt Crowther could make his first appearance in 10 months for Sheffield.Tomorrow night sees Shaun McRae’s return to St Helens, the club he coached to three major trophies in three seasons. For Bradford, Steve McNamara is fit again.The game at The Boulevard is one of a series of intriguing contests tomorrow, but before that we will see how the London Broncos handle the prospect of their impending Challenge Cup semi-final when they play at Sheffield tonight. We’re only one game into the season.”Walsh will be without Steve Holgate, who injured a shoulder at Wigan. The one bonus is that Karl Harrison should be fit, after struggling through at Central Park on pain-killing injections. “I’ve answered a lot of letters and phone calls from supporters, but you’ve got to have some common sense.

A man with a fine line in gallows humour, he joked at Wigan that the chant for him to be sacked was replacing “Old Faithful” as the Hull anthem “But they aren’t going to determine my future,” he said. “The players had me believing that they could beat Wigan, the preparation was so good,” Walsh said. “Then they go out there and miss 38 one-on-one tackles.”Walsh knows they will have to improve enormously tomorrow if he is to avoid another heavy defeat and further calls for his head. “It was a question of how Bradford were allowed to play,” said Walsh, the Hull coach, of that ominous performance. “It was just like watching us play Wigan: absolutely inept.”
It is one thing analysing short-comings and another putting them right.

Mangled at Wigan two weeks ago, they now face a Bradford side rampant after inflicting similar damage on Warrington last weekend. JUST AS Peter Walsh predicted after their thrashing in their first match of the Super League season, it does not get any easier for Hull. But the first aim tonight is to beat the attendance at the Birmingham game.”By Thursday evening over 8,000 tickets had been sold, and for the promotion against Leopards in 1995 nearly 3,000 fans paid on the night.Sheffield should win easily at struggling Leicester City Riders tonight, who cancelled the contract of their leading scorer JaRon Boone on Thursday and allowed the player to return to America.. Although we later proved the actual attendance that night was 14,251, the Basketball League only accept the lower figure. That night, though, Giants lost 107-88 and a similar slip tonight against the Towers will cost them ground over second-placed Sheffield.
Goldberg said: “That crowd figure wasn’t submitted to the Guinness Book of Records.