Return of Watkins possible as McDermott ponders gamble

The stylish 19-year-old centre has not played since the Challenge Cup final defeat at Wembley Stadium against Wigan Warriors five weeks ago due to a problematic knee injury which subsequently flared up.

Fellow teenager Zak Hardaker has impressed during his absence, scoring a hat-trick in the play-off defeat of Huddersfield Giants and assuredly handling Friday’s epic semi-final victory at Warrington.

However, McDermott says Watkins has a chance of playing against St Helens at Old Trafford on Saturday evening and could be thrown straight back in.

“It will be a similar squad to last week,” he said at yesterday’s Grand Final launch in Manchester.

“Kallum Watkins has been very unfortunate with this knee issue.

“It just hasn’t settled down. If the Challenge Cup final had been a normal league game we’d have given him an extra week off but we played him and he didn’t feel any symptoms during the game.

“It blew up after and we haven’t been able to get rid of the swelling but I should imagine he’s available for selection now.

“He was there or thereabouts last weekend and will be towards the back end of this.”

St Helens’s only doubt was Leon Pryce who missed their semi-final against Wigan with illness. But the ex-Bradford Bulls stand-off is expected to recover and play in his record-extending 10th Grand Final, albeit probably from the bench.

Long-serving full-back Paul Wellens, meanwhile, is still waiting to discover who will lead St Helens out at Old Trafford, but admits his co-captain James Graham would be a fitting choice.

The showpiece match will be Graham’s final appearance in Super League as he prepares to embark on a new career in Australia in 2012 with Canterbury Bulldogs.

Wellens, who has been sharing the captaincy with the England prop since the retirement of Keiron Cunningham at the end of last season, was in charge for last Saturday’s 26-18 semi-final victory over Wigan but is in the dark about this weekend.

“I’m not sure, (coach) Royce (Simmons) hasn’t made that decision as yet,” said Wellens, pictured with Leeds’s Kevin Sinfield.

“He looks at the team every week and makes a decision early.

“We don’t alternate. There have been times when I’ve done two or three weeks on the spin and ‘Jammer’ (Graham) has done a couple on the spin.

“It’s not something that James or I worry too much about.”

n Leeds prop Kyle Amor has signed a three-year deal with Wakefield Trinity Wildcats where he spent this season on loan.

However, in a unique arrangement, Rhinos have the option to bring him back to Headingley for 2013 and take up the remaining two years of that contract.

They must decide by July next year on how they want to proceed.

n Leeds Rhinos’ remarkable long-serving president Harry Jepson OBE was presented with the Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award at the Man of Steel dinner last night in recognition of his lifelong involvement in the sport, while retired former Hull FC and Saints scrum-half Sean Long, as well as departing Harlequins captain Rob Purdham, were presented with Outstanding Contribution Awards to mark their long service to the Super League competition since its inception.

Catalan Dragons’ Trent Robinson won Coach of the Year after taking the French club from bottom to sixth in his first season, beating Hull KR in the play-offs before losing heavily to reigning champions Wigan.

It was a night to remember for the the Perpignan outfit as they were also named Club of the Year.

Huddersfield Giants’ Eorl Crabtree has pulled out of England’s Four Nations plans after undergoing shoulder surgery while all four of his club colleagues who are in the England Knights squad – Larne Patrick, Jermaine McGillvary, Dale Ferguson and Michael Lawrence – have withdrawn from the games against France and Samoa due to their own injuries.

Giants have also confirmed the signing of Featherstone Rovers prop Tony Tonks, 26, on a one-year deal.