WIDNES Vikings will travel to 'derby' rivals Warrington Wolves in the play-offs.

Tony Smith's Warrington side have finished the season in fifth place as a result of being leaped by Huddersfield Giants courtesy of their Super League Round 27 win at home to St Helens, 17-16.

They therefore entertain the eighth-place finishers, who are Widnes Vikings as a consequence of their 36-6 loss at Salford Red Devils on Friday night.

It is Vikings' first appearance in the play-offs and rested a number of key men against Salford in preparation, with Rhys Hanbury, Kevin Brown, Jon Clarke, Chris Gerrard and Danny Tickle all expected to return against Wolves when they visit The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

For clubs finishing outside of the top four, there are no second chances and the losers bow out of the competition while the winners will go on to visit one of the losing top-four teams in week two, when the tie will take place on the Thursday or Friday night.

It is Warrington's lowest finishing position since 2009, when they missed out on the play-offs altogether, and will be hoping for some good news on the injury and suspension front in the next couple of days.

With Simon Grix's season definitely over and Ben Westwood also expected to be sidelined with a calf pull, Wolves have further injury concerns over Chris Bridge ( ankle) and Ben Harrison (knee) along with a possible suspension looming for Paul Wood.

James Laithewaite, stretchered off in the loss at Wigan that cost Wolves a top three finish, is expected to be available.

The destination of the League Leaders' Shield is yet to be resolved and is in the hands of Castleford Tigers.

A win for them in France against Catalan Dragons on Saturday night will see them finish top for the first time in their history courtesy of a better points difference than St Helens.

Win, lose or draw, Catalans' position does not change and they already know they have finished seventh on the ladder and will travel to sixth-place Leeds Rhinos next weekend.

Castleford could yet finish in any of the top four positions depending on the result, Wigan will finish second or third and Huddersfield will end up third or fourth.