LIVERPOOL St Helens, who begin their season at Preston Grasshoppers in North Division 1 on Saturday, have appointed Danny Collins as club captain for the new campaign.

Collins, who replaces Steve Cook who has retired with a persistent back injury, began his career at Moss Lane when just aged 11.

He made his first team debut at 17 and captained the Lancashire Colts side at under-19. While at Bradford University he had a full season with Bradford and Bingley and has been a virtual ever-present with LSH for the last three seasons, mostly at full-back.

Coach Paul Woodward sees his new skipper as more of a threat in his original position of centre which is where the 27-year-old Rainford man is expected to start.

Collins will have Dave Hale, also 27, as his vice-captain with the big back-row man also operating as pack leader. Hale made an immediate and significant impact in his first season at LSH often switching, when required, to the second row.

Collins and Hale will spearhead a well-prepared LSH squad weakened by the inevitable loss of some key players but strengthened by the arrival of Richie Bailey, Chris Brand, Phil Cairns and Chris Houlton from Orrell. They also received a timely boost this week with the reappearance of experienced centre Mike Hitchen now fully recovered from the cruciate ligament injury which forced him to miss the whole of last season.

West Park 38 Wigton 3

PARK used this Powergen Cup qualifying round to concentrate on perfecting their forward tactics.

An early exchange of penalties by Park's Andy Soutar and Wigton's Paul Braithwaite set the game in motion, before a speculative chip kick ahead by the visitors' full-back was snatched from the air by Park's big second-row Dave Westhead who ran 40 metres to touch down. Soutar added the conversion.

Not surprisingly, Park's youthful pack was taking time to settle and ball-retention was not always of the highest order. One of their more experienced forwards, Carl Newman, drove over for Park's second try, and once again Soutar converted make it 17-3 at half-time.

Scrum-half Darren Wilson darted over from a five-metre scrum, and Soutar added another conversion.

The home backs then came more into the action, and after centre Adam Glover was held up short after a powerful run, Mark Williams was on hand to drive over, Soutar once again converting.

With victory assured Park rang the changes and after persistent pressure replacement scrum-half Phil Webster scored, with Soutar adding his fifth conversion.

In a game which saw the Park forwards outshine their backs, Kiwi Mattie Henwood, Carl Newman and Mark Williams were the pick of the pack, with scrum-half Darren Wilson and full-back Mark Turner giving their usual assured display.

This Saturday Park will play fellow NW Premiership Division 1 contenders, Vale of Lune in the Powergen Cup preliminary round at Red Rocks, kick-off 3pm.