Saints looking out for former teammates in Challenge Cup Final between Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants

Old teammates, including James Roby, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival, Alex Walmsley and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and assistant coach Paul Wellens, will be taking more than a passing interest in Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final between Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants and focusing on the performance of a number of players who have also worn the famous Red Vee jersey in the past.

Second rowers Josh Jones and Joe Greenwood spent the early part of their career at the Totally Wicked Stadium before moving on.

At 29, Jones is one of the more experienced members of the West Yorkshire club’s squad to face the Cherry and Whites - winners of a record 19 finals -and will be hoping to inspire the Giants to their first showpiece win since 1953, when they beat St Helens 15-10 in front of 89, 588 fans at Wembley.

Leyland-born Jones, who was a member of the Saints’ team which defeated the Warriors 14-6 in the Old Trafford Grand Final in 2014, said: “We have enjoyed a positive start to the season and are delighted where we currently stand but we still have one or two more hurdles to climb.”

The Great Britain international scored 25 tries in 94 games in his time at the Totally Wicked Stadium before moving on to Salford, Hull FC and now Huddersfield, as well as having loan spells at Rochdale Hornets and York City Knights and a stint with RU clubs, Exeter and Taunton.

Jones added: “Like all Englishmen in our sport, I look on it as a great honour to play in a Challenge Cup Final, but we are not going there just to make up the the numbers - our aim is to win the trophy.’’

Huddersfield, however, have suffered a late blow by losing influential scrum half Theo Fages due to injury. The French half back was a member of the St Helens side which defeated Castleford Tigers in the final at Wembley last year, only to aggravate a previous shoulder problem and was forced to withdraw at half-time.

But on the plus side the Giants welcome back 19-year-old Will Pryce - son of Saints’ Wembley winner Leon Pryce - who will be hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Pryce has just returned to the fold after serving a 10-match ban for a dangerous tackle earlier in the campaign.

The Leigh Centurions squad for the 1895 Cup Final against Featherstone Rovers, which precedes the main event of the afternoon, also includes on-loan hookerAaron Smith from St Helens.