HUDDERSFIELD Giants play their most important Senior Academy clash of the season at Widnes Vikings tonight (7.30).

Victory at the Halton Stadium should guarantee coach Lee St Hilaire's side a place in the top six play-offs at the end of the season.

With the sides both locked on 24 points from their 20 games, they are vying for the final play-off place.

And if Huddersfield were to triumph tonight, they would be red-hot favourites to compete in the exciting final group of games.

Confidence in the Giants camp is certainly running high, with Huddersfield going into this vital clash on the back of last week's magnificent 34-26 triumph over leaders Bradford Bulls at Fartown.

Changes to last week's side have had to be made, with in-form stand-off Kevin Bower - a star against the Bulls - ruled out with a dead leg.

The Giants will also have to go in to this important battle without the likes of top Senior Academy performers Paul White, Craig McDowell and Chris Plume, who are again on first-team duty this weekend.

It means St Hilaire will be sending a very young side into action and has also had to make a number of key positional changes.

The main ones are in the backs, with centre or second-rower Ben Feehan on the wing and stand-off or loose-forward Philip Joseph taking a centre slot.

Hopes are high that both players will rise to the occasion, with St Hilaire full of praise a week ago for the current form of Joseph.

Another interesting selection is at prop where David Armitage from Bradford amateur club Dudley Hill gets another run.

Huddersfield Giants: Bullas; Feehan, Joseph, Joyce, George; Williams, Clare; Armitage, Lythe, Mills, Gledhill, Elswood, Ramsden. Subs (from): Samuel, Southwell, Wilkinson, Holdsworth, Hull.

Next story