Higham tipped for Great Britain call-up

Keiron Cunningham today looked ahead to his home comeback and tipped his St Helens’ understudy Mickey Higham to go on to play for Great Britain.

Cunningham, out for six months with a career-threatening elbow injury, made a surprise return in Saints’ 38-0 Tetley’s Super League win at Halifax last Friday when Higham pulled out through illness.

The Wales and Great Britain hooker played 40 minutes in two spells and, after coming through the game with no adverse reaction, is likely to start against Wakefield at Knowsley Road on Friday, although he faces competition for his place.

Saints coach Ian Millward said: “Both Keiron Cunningham and Mickey Higham will play. It should be an exciting night for the fans as I reckon they are the best two hookers in the UK at the moment.”

During Cunningham’s absence, Higham has taken the opportunity stake a claim for a regular first-team place and was an ever-present up to the Halifax game.

“Mickey and me are close,” said Cunningham. “We spend a lot of time together in training and are learning from each other all the time.

“Mickey has been in great form this season and is getting stronger every week. He’ll definitely go on to be a Great Britain player.”

Cunningham admitted he faced an uncertain future after badly dislocating his elbow in the first Test against New Zealand last November.

He said: “It was touch and go at first but after about a month when the specialist looked at it again he was really impressed with the way it had healed and that was the turning point really.

“It was just tremendous to be back. When Ian came to me on Friday morning last week and offered me the chance to play, I just jumped at it.

“I’d been through some frustrating times in the past few months. It’s certainly the longest time I’ve been out with an injury and there were a lot of pent-up emotions there when I got out onto the field. I think some of that came out in the first bust I made.

“But I was pleased with the way my arm held up to the contact and I haven’t felt any reaction since the game either.”