The RFL

Catalans Dragons full-back Clint Greenshields is aiming to end the cameo engage Super League career of his one-time idol when Wigan Warriors visit Perpignan this weekend.

The Dragons’ Australian full-back was a team-mate of Wigan stand-off Trent Barrett at St George Illawarra before they both embarked on stints in Europe.

Their paths will cross at the Gilbert Brutus Stadium on Saturday night when the Catalans take on the Warriors for a place in the engage Super League final qualifier against Leeds Rhinos or St Helens.

“I played alongside Trent for three years in first grade,” said Greenshields. “Before I went there, he was a bit of an idol for me.

“He was playing State of Origin when I was still at school. It was great to play alongside him. He’s always been a great player and still is now.”

Barrett, who missed Wigan’s 16-16 draw with the Dragons in Perpignan last month through injury, is cutting short his stay in England because his pregnant wife is homesick.

The former international has secured a move to Cronulla for 2009 but is hoping to end his Wigan spell on a high with a Grand Final appearance on October 4.

“I’m taking it week by week,” he said. “I’m not ready to go home yet. I’ve got a flight booked for October 6 and I’d like to be busy until then.”

Catalans’ former Brisbane Broncos half-back or hooker Casey McGuire admits Barrett could hold the key to the outcome of Saturday’s match and also pinpoints the threat from scrum-half Thomas Leuluai, who was man of the match in Wigan’s 30-14 win over Bradford last Friday.

McGuire said: “Trent is a champion player and he’ll be wanting to go out with a bang.

“We know what a brilliant side they are. Trent and Thomas Leuluai are fantastic players and their forwards are very tough.

“We don’t get many chances to be in a semi-final. We all realise how big it is as well and we’re all fired up for this week.”

Meanwhile, Leuluai breathed a huge sigh of relief after a new passport arrived on his doorstep.

The New Zealand international feared he would have to miss Saturday’s play-off clash after accidentally putting the document through the washing machine - but he has now received a replacement.

“It arrived last Saturday morning and I can’t tell you what a relief it was,” Leuluai told the Wigan Observer.

“I was pretty confident it would come in time, but the longer it went on the more worried I got! But now it’s here I can smile about it.”

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