Ganson, the sport's most senior referee, was yesterday appointed to the final between St Helens at Hull, ending the century-old tradition of neutral referees in major finals.

The RFL scrapped the neutral referees policy earlier this season following the advent of full-time officials last year, a move which has passed without controversy. Indeed, Ganson's best performance of the season came in the Super League Round 20 match between St Helens and Leeds at Knowsley Road.

"All appointments are based solely on form, and in the same way that a coach picks his best line-up for a final, I have to do the same and on current form Steve Ganson is the right man for the job," said the RFL's director of referees Stuart Cummings.

Wembley will be Ganson's first Challenge Cup final since he controlled the 2005 showpiece at Cardiff between Leeds and Hull, who won 25-24.

St Helens coach Daniel Anderson has revealed he intends to rest prop Nick Fozzard for the final despite continuing doubts over the fitness of Maurie Fa'asavalu.

Fozzard recently made a comeback from a knee injury but Anderson feels the demands of playing at Wembley will be too much for a forward who has agreed terms with Hull KR for next season.

Anderson expects Sean Long and Paul Sculthorpe to recover from niggles to play at Huddersfield on Sunday, when victory allied to a defeat for Leeds at Wigan on Friday night would secure St Helens the League Leaders Shield for a fourth successive season.

Scott Moore has played his last match for Castleford after collecting a two-match ban from the RFL disciplinary committee last night for illegal use of the forearm in his side's defeat at Leeds last Friday.

The 20-year-old, who is joining Huddersfield next season, was cited for a high tackle on Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield and will miss the Tigers' remaining fixtures at home to Warrington on Sunday night and Bradford in two weeks' time.

Wigan full-back Richie Mather escaped suspension despite being found guilty of a similar offence in his side's victory over Wakefield last Friday, when the former Leeds player was sent off, while Catalans' Jamal Fakir was banned for one match for a reckless high tackle against Huddersfield.

Wakefield Panthers provide eight players in the 22-strong England squad for the fourth Women's Rugby League World Cup in Queensland this year.

England squad: Anfield (Wakefield Panthers), Twibill (Bradford), Watmore (Halton), Gilmour (Wakefield, capt), Greenwood (Wakefield), Walsh (Wakefield), Moroney (Bradford), Slowe (Wakefield), Hall (Copeland), Donaldson (Copeland), Sutcliffe (Hillside), Cochrane (Wakefield), Dobson (Hillside), O'Toole (Wakefield), Shelburg (West London), Hodgkinson (Wakefield), Titterington (Bradford), Lazenby (West Hull), Welsby (Hillside), Taylor (Middleton), Rudge (Warrington), Carey (West London).