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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 SPORTS Castleford bid for a bit of Giant-killing LEEDS: Castleford face their biggest game of the tions. However, Solomona is adamant he and his slide. But they will face a Leeds side who won the against Hull FC on Sunday to retain any hope of season so far today and, despite a less than ideal teammates are ready for their most important Challenge Cup last weekend and are looking to making the top four and after a fortnight off, Tony preparation, Denny Solomona insists the Tigers are stretch of the season and remain unaffected by complete an unprecedented treble in the club’s Smith is adamant his side will show improvement. ready to show their claws. the Carney situation. “The boys are fine, we will do history. And Brett Delaney is confident the Rhinos “It was an opportunity to freshen them up Solomona will return from an ankle injury that our best to go out there on the day and do the have learned from last season when they lost all over the weekend,” the Wolves head coach said. kept him out for the best part of a month as best we can,” said the 21-year-old former four games after their victory at Wembley to finish “These guys don’t get too many opportunities to Castleford - presently fifth in the Super 8s table - Melbourne Storm flyer. sixth in the table and crash out of the play-offs at have much of a break and they got a couple of head to a Huddersfield Giants side two places and “This is our biggest game of the season, it’s do the first hurdle. Delaney, who became the first days off. only two points above them. or die for the boys really if we want to get in the Australian to play in five Challenge Cup finals, says “It’s pretty much business as usual apart from Only the top four in the Super 8s will progress top four but we are up for the challenge. there is a determination to avoid a repeat of that that.” Also in the Super 8s, Wigan Warriors host to the play-off semi-finals and after a fourth-place “We have lost to Huddersfield twice already this anti-climactic finish to the season Catalans Dragons while in the Qualifiers unbeaten finish last season, Daryl Powell’s Tigers are desper- season by making too many errors, if we can cut “We set a goal at the start of the season to win Hull KR will look to bounce back from their ate to get back there this time. down on that then we can beat them. It will be all three trophies and that’s one of three,” said Wembley disappointment against Wakefield. But with star winger and former Brisbane tough though, they are a good defensive team.” Delaney. “But the job’s not done yet. We’re back in Also on Sunday Bradford Bulls host Widnes and Bronco Justin Carney suspended last week with Elsewhere in the Super 8s, defending champi- next Friday and we’ve got to kick on. Last year our Sheffield travel to Leigh, while the day before sees immediate effect pending an internal investiga- ons St Helens head to table-toppers Leeds Rhinos form dropped and we don’t want to do that again.” Halifax welcome a Salford Red Devils side in des- tion - the club have had to battle off-field distrac- knowing they badly need a victory to halt their Meanwhile, Warrington Wolves must win perate need of a win. — AFP Hamilton to pick up speed at Italian GP MONZA: New father Nico Rosberg has plenty to be happy about right now but Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton intends to be smiling just as much after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. Sunday’s race, at a super-fast track that faces an uncertain future despite its historic status as a temple to Ferrari, could see Hamilton accelerate ever closer to his third Formula One world cham- pionship. “At the moment it doesn’t look like it is possible to beat Hamilton,” said retired triple champion Niki Lauda after the Briton won last month’s Belgian Grand Prix to go 28 points clear of Rosberg with eight races remaining. “If Lewis does not make a mistake in the next AUCKLAND: Delegates and guests celebrate after the South African city of Durban couple of races, it will be hard for Nico,” said the was named as the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. — AFP Mercedes team’s non-executive chairman. A dramatic, high-speed blowout in practice at Durban named as ‘historic’ Spa, coupled with a similar one on race day for Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, did little for Rosberg’s first African host of Games peace of mind ahead of the birth of his daughter last Sunday. Any sleepless nights since then will AUCKLAND: Durban was officially named ball, cricket and rugby union World Cups. have been more to do with his home life, howev- as host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Asked if the Durban Games could be a pre- er, with Pirelli’s post-Belgium enquiry expected yesterday, making it the first African city cursor to an Olympic bid, South African to exonerate their tyres from any structural fail- ever to stage the sporting spectacular, officials in Auckland said “we’re ready” to ure. sparking big celebrations. host the world biggest sporting event but Safety will still be a prime concern at the South Africa’s third largest city was the would concentrate for the next seven years fastest track on the calendar, with the paddock only candidate for the 2022 hosting rights on making 2022 a success. community mourning the death in America last after Canada’s Edmonton withdrew in “We are very confident that in years to week of British IndyCar driver and former F1 rac- February, citing cost concerns. But the vote come we will bid (for the Olympics),” South er Justin Wilson. Vettel, furious after his scare at still sparked joy in Durban, where television African Olympic chief Gideon Sam told Spa, will be setting his sights on coming back pictures showed large crowds waving the reporters. South African’s government said with a different kind of bang in his first race at South African flag. last week that the Durban Games would Monza in Ferrari’s red overalls. “I’m excited, the city is excited!” Durban use infrastructure from the 2010 football A victory in front of the passionate home 2022 bid chairman Mark Alexander said World Cup, including the 85,000-seat fans, at the circuit where he took his first F1 vic- Lewis Hamilton celebrates in this file photo. from Auckland, where the official Moses Mabhida Stadium, to keep costs tory with Toro Rosso in 2008, would make Vettel six of the last seven races and take his second supremo Bernie Ecclestone sure to take place announcement was made at the 71-nation down. The Games will open on July 18, the first since Stirling Moss in the 1950s to win title. This time, he arrives on the back of 10 poles over the weekend. Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) 2022, a national holiday marking the birth- the Italian Grand Prix with three different teams. in 11 races and six wins to Rosberg’s three. If he For Hamilton, as much as any Formula One general assembly. Newly elected CGF presi- day of South African icon Nelson Mandela, The four times champion cannot be ruled wins at Monza on Sunday for the third time in his fan, a calendar without Monza would be dent Louise Martin, who led a commission who died in 2013 aged 95. The Games will out, with Ferrari likely to be Mercedes’ closest career, Hamilton will become the first driver to unthinkable. “It’s an awesome track-so fast and that backed Durban’s bid after examining it run for 12 days. rivals given that Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and take successive Italian Grand Prix victories since with some of the most passionate fans you’ll see in fine detail, expressed delight the Games They will be a watershed not only for Daniil Kvyat are expected to take engine penal- his compatriot Damon Hill with Williams in 1994. anywhere in the world,” said the Mercedes driver. would finally be held in Africa after 85 South African sport but also for the Games ties, but Hamilton remains the clear favourite. Monza’s own future will also be in the spot- “Racing in Italy brings back a lot of good memo- years. “A historic decision for all of us and themselves, after CGF delegates voted to Last year he won from pole position and set light, with the circuit still to agree a new contract ries for me and I’d love to add to those this week- one that my commission completely overhaul an event critics say has been slid- the fastest lap at Monza before going on to win after 2016 and more talks with commercial end.” — Reuters endorses,” she said. ing into irrelevancy. An ambitious plan, Organisers, campaigning under the slo- called “Transformation 2022” involves gan “Ready to Inspire”, said 90 percent of increasing the number of compulsory the facilities were already in place, with sports from 10 to 16 and setting a maxi- most of them within two kilometres (1.2 mum quota of 4,500 athletes. miles) of the city centre. The idea is to give greater stability to the They have described the event as a Games programme to attract more host “game-changer” that is expected to boost city bids.

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