BRADFORD Bulls boss Steve McNamara is braced for a tough Cup encounter against former club Huddersfield.

The Bulls, the 2003 winners, will face West Yorkshire opposition for the third successive round - they have beaten Castleford 24-16 and Wakefield 14-4 - and McNamara knows the key quarter-final clash with the Giants will be just as tough.

The sides will do battle in a live BBC televised game at Odsal on Sunday, June 10 (2.15).

That's just three weeks after the sides go head-to-head in Friday's Super League showdown at the Galpharm.

But former Huddersfield captain McNamara believes that clash will have little bearing on the Cup-tie that follows.

"There were eight Super League teams in there, so whichever draw you got, it was going to be tough," he said.

"To be at home is a big bonus so we're reasonably happy with it.

"We've had as tough a draw as anybody at this stage and this will be just as close as the other two.

"As for Friday, the competitions are two completely different concepts.

"The cup-ties have a completely different feel to them so Friday's game won't have any relevance."

The Giants lost 18-14 at Odsal in the first round of Super League XII, but they did, of course, beat Leeds there in last year's semi-finals.

And Huddersfield must end a 27-year wait if they are to reach consecutive finals after being paired with Bradford in another derby.

The Bulls have won their last 21 meetings with the Giants - going back to a Yorkshire Cup clash in 1980 - with 20 of them in Super League.

Holders St Helens, meanwhile, have been paired with big derby rivals Warrington in the quarter-final tie to be screened on the Saturday.

Saints have been drawn at home for the third successive round but, after racking up big scores against part-time National League opposition, will face a sterner task against the Wolves.

However, they have been made evens favourites with one bookmaker to lift the trophy at Wembley on August 25, with Wigan installed as the new second favourites at 4-1 after landing a home tie against Harlequins.

In the other tie, Catalans Dragons will visit 2005 winners Hull hoping to improve on their opening match of Super League XII when the sides drew 10-10 at the KC Stadium.

The away tie has scuppered the Dragons' bold plan to stage the match at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium.