Odsal starlet Leon Pryce is handed his first senior start of the season as Bradford Bulls try to cover the loss of tough tackling centre Danny Peacock against basement outfit Salford Reds at home on Sunday.

The 17-year-old has made a big impression from the bench in the last five games to underline his status as one of the most exciting talents at the club in years.

But now coach Matthew Elliott thinks the time is right to let the Queensbury product off the reins.

"Leon has made a lot of progress this season and deserves this chance," said Elliott who is likely to put Pryce on the wing with the in-form Michael Withers switching to centre.

Pryce has started only one senior game previously - also against Salford in the final round of Super League last season.

It means Scott Naylor, who has recovered from a rib injury which has kept him out of the last two games, has to make do with a place on the bench against his former club.

The other change to the starting line-up sees Stuart Fielden take over from the suspended Paul Anderson who misses the next two games.

Elliott was deciding today who will move up from the Alliance side to complete the 17.

But there were few pointers from last night's under-21 clash with Salford at Odsal which was played in heavy rain and resulted in an 8-4 win for the Bulls.

The night began badly when kick-off was delayed until 8.10pm after the Reds got caught up in a traffic jam on the motorway following an accident.

The Bulls led 2-0 at half-time but it needed a late try from Michael Banks to secure the points. Their other points came from two goals by Lee Radford as the game finished at 9.50pm.

Lowly Huddersfield aim to halt the march of unbeaten Super League leaders St Helens tonight in a match that pits two former Great Britain coaches against each other.

Huddersfield's Malcolm Reilly, who was in charge of the national side for seven years until leaving for Australia in 1994, and his GB successor Ellery Hanley, are experiencing contrasting fortunes in their debut seasons in Super League.

While Hanley is enjoying instant success with 1997 champions St Helens, Reilly is having to start from the bottom with last year's wooden spoonists.

And Reilly, whose side have won just two of their eight games so far, accepts that it could be some time before his sleeping Giants can slug it out with the sizzling Saints on a level playing field.

"St Helens have probably got the most dominant squad in the competition at the moment," said Reilly. "They're very, very good and they have a high skills level."

Leeds will be wary of a trio of old boys when they take on Wakefield Trinity at Headingley.

Vince Fawcett has recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in a pre-season friendly and he will make his Wildcats debut alongside ex-Headingley men Adam Hughes and Jamie Fielden.

The Rhinos are boosted by the return of skipper Iestyn Harris and international duo Daryl Powell and Barrie McDermott, who missed Tuesday's mauling at Knowsley Road.

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