New Silk Cut Challenge Cup favourites Bradford Bulls will meet boom club Warrington twice in seven days after being paired in the semi-finals at Headingley on Saturday week.

The Bulls are hoping for a 20,000 crowd at Odsal on Sunday for their opening home Super League game against the Wolves - a match that has now been given added significance.

Hull will play holders Leeds in the second semi-final at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium on Sunday, March 26.

Bulls coach Matthew Elliott, believes his side will need to improve significantly for the double-header, after a scrappy 28-18 quarter-final win at Halifax yesterday.

He said: "Wolves are probably seen as the new kids on the block because they have recruited a couple of high profile players in Alan Langer and Tawera Nikau and may be fancied a bit, so I think it will make for a good clash. Fortunately everyone in my squad is healthy.

"We want to win both games against them, but how we play the first one is something we need to give a lot of consideration to."

"It's a tough assignment," admitted Warrington coach Darryl Van de Velde, whose side needed a try from Alan Hunte in the sixth minute of stoppage time to clinch a 22-20 win at Salford yesterday..

The Bulls v Warrington semi-final will have a 1.30pm kick off for the benefit of BBC Grandstand who are also featuring the Boat Race that day.

The match will not be all ticket but fans are being advised to purchase them in advance.

"We do not expect to receive them from the Rugby League until Friday and at this stage the plan is to put them on sale to season ticket holders next Monday and on general sale the following day," said Bulls spokesman Stuart Duffy. "We will notify the fans if there is any change to that plan."

Meanwhile Bulls prop Neil Harmon is a target for Halifax Blue Sox. The 31-year-old has a year of his contract to run at Odsal and the Bulls are unlikely to stand in his way.

Semi-finals: Sat, March 25 - Bradford Bulls v Warrington (at Headingley 1.30pm); Sun, March 26 - Hull v Leeds (McAlpine Stadium 2.15pm).

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.