The final venue might have changed but rugby league's Challenge Cup still retains its allure as the big clubs enter this weekend.

With Wembley set for redevelopment, Scottish rugby union's home of Murrayfield in Edinburgh is to host the final of this year's competition.

The stage at which the big clubs entered this competition was always a big day in the rugby league calendar.

But since the start of Super League and summer rugby, this weekend has become even more important as the effective start of the domestic season.

Add to that the first series of big domestic fixtures this millennium, and that new club Huddersfield-Sheffield are involved in the tie of the round, and it should be an exciting two days of knockout action.

Bradford v Huddersfield-Sheffield

The weekend gets underway live on BBC One television on Saturday with an all-Super League clash between the highly-fancied Bradford side and their newly-merged Yorkshire rivals.

The fourth-round tie at Odsal may well hinge on the battle between two Kiwi stand-offs, with the Giants' Gene Ngamu aiming to get one over on Bradford's Henry Paul.

"Obviously, Henry is the guy with the Kiwi jumper in his hand, and Gene's the one who has had to come off the bench," said Giants coach John Kear.

"It would do Gene's credentials a great deal of good if he could come up with a great performance, but I know Henry Paul is very proud of his Kiwi shirt and will be looking to keep up his massively high standard."

Paul will be keeping a close eye on his fellow countryman.

"Gene is a player that I admire a lot," he said. "He is a quality player who has had a rough couple of years and he is looking to the Giants to re-launch his career.

"He has worked under some of the best coaches in the game and is a model professional. It will be a tough test for us to stop him."

The Bulls have new forward recruits Hudson Smith and Brad Mackay in their side but are without scrum-half Paul Deacon, winger Tevita Vaikona and new signing Justin Brooker through injury.

Full-back Stuart Spruce has recovered from the shoulder injury that forced him to miss Sunday's friendly with Wakefield.

Coach Matthew Elliott brings in Nathan McAvoy for Vaikona.

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Sunday action

Leeds begin the defence of their trophy at Featherstone, with the Super League giants' new coach Dean Lance determined not to take the BBC-televised tie lightly.

"We'll prepare for this game as if it were Wigan or St Helens," he said.

"It could be Collingham under-nines, we'll prepare with the same intensity."

Lance concedes that the Premiership sides will have the edge in match fitness, having started their league campaign eight weeks ago and entered the Cup at the third-round stage.

"They probably will have an advantage in that respect," he admitted. "They've played together and they're in a routine."

The Rhinos are one of 10 top-flight clubs facing the threat of giant-killing heroics.

Damage limitation will undoubtedly be the chief concern of the amateurs of Oldham St Annes and Wath Brow Hornets when they go to Castleford and London Broncos respectively.

Meanwhile Premiership outfits Whitehaven, Lancashire Lynx and Hull KR face difficult, if not daunting, trips to Wigan, Hull and Halifax.

But Featherstone, Swinton, Barrow, Hunslet and Leigh all have home advantage against Super League clubs and all will harbour outside hopes of pulling off an upset.

Fixtures

Saturday: Bradford v Huddersfield-Sheffield

Sunday:

Hunslet v Warrington
Rochdale v Oldham or Wigan St Judes
Doncaster v Workington
London Broncos v Wath Brow
Featherstone v Leeds
Swinton or Waterhead v St Helens
Wigan v Whitehaven
Leigh v Wakefield
Barrow v Salford
Dewsbury v Widnes
Villeneuve v Keighley (at Keighley)
Hull v Lancashire Lynx
York v Thornhill Trojans
Halifax v Hull KR
Oldham St Annes v Castleford