PAUL Cullen thinks Stuart Reardon's expected return to action at full back in Sunday's match against Catalans Dragons will lift the whole team after a shoulder injury that threatened the Great Britain international's career.

Reardon needed a shoulder reconstruction six months ago following an injury sustained at Hull's KC Stadium, which left the 26-year-old in serious distress and Cullen says was 'a sickening body blow to the entire team'.

The severity of the injury led to initial doubts about whether he would return at all but Reardon impressed for the under 21s at Hull Kingston Rovers on Saturday and is likely to start against the Catalans at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, kick-off 3pm.

Paul Wood is also set to return on the bench after an only marginally less serious shoulder injury, which was sustained just three weeks after the Reardon incident.

Cullen said: "Their injuries originally were that serious that they were career-threatening injuries.

"Paul Wood had his third reconstruction on the same shoulder and Stuart Reardon actually had four tears in the same shoulder. It was a complete shoulder blow-out.

"The dressing room after that game were absolutely sickened.

"It was a sickening body blow to the entire team, to the players, the coaching staff and medical staff - he was in that much distress.

"We're going to be pleased on a personal level when Stuart actually gets back on the field.

"We travelled over to watch the under 21s at Hull Kingston Rovers and it's really pleasing to see Stuart Reardon back in a Warrington kit and back playing."

Cullen says it is best that Reardon returns at full back - the position he is most comfortable in - so Chris Hicks will move back to the right wing and re-ignite his partnership with Martin Gleeson.

The Wolves boss is really hopeful' that Matt King (calf) will return, so Vinnie Anderson should revert to loose forward in the absence of Simon Grix (concussion and ankle) and Paul Johnson is likely to come off the bench to play in the second row.

Steve Pickersgill is available again after suspension but may not figure, with Wolves expected to select from squad numbers one to 17.

Expected team: Stuart Reardon; Chris Hicks, Martin Gleeson, Matt King, Kevin Penny; Lee Briers, Michael Monaghan; Adrian Morley, Jon Clarke, Paul Rauhihi, Ben Westwood, Louis Anderson, Vinnie Anderson. Subs: Rob Parker, Paul Wood, Mark Gleeson, Paul Johnson.

* The RFL have offered no comment about reports that a former Warrington player may have failed a drugs test.