THE opportunity for Tetley’s Super League clubs to talk to players coming out of contract at other clubs presents itself at midnight tonight and will lead to a flurry of transfer activity tomorrow. One players’ agent described it as “Mad Wednesday”, with particular interest in the destinations of the Bradford Bulls pair of Paul Anderson, the Great Britain prop, and Logan Swann, the New Zealand loose forward.
Anderson is reportedly a target for St Helens, while Swann is looking at a move to Warrington Wolves. There is certain to be widespread interest in Francis Cummins, the long-serving Leeds Rhinos wing, who is likely to be released because of the salary-cap rule that allows only 20 players at each club to earn more than £20,000 a season.
Widnes Vikings, their Super League future looking more secure after the victory against Wigan Warriors on Saturday, have only seven players on contract for next season. If they avoid relegation, they are likely to sign Terry O’Connor and Mick Cassidy, the former Great Britain pair, two of six players out of contract at Wigan. Gary Connolly, the Wigan centre, is due to link up again over the winter with Orrell rugby union club.
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are looking to sign Toa Kohe-Love, the threequarter who is a free agent after his release by Bradford because of injury, especially after confirmation yesterday that Michael Wainwright, the wing, had broken his arm in the 24-16 defeat of London Broncos on Sunday. Kohe-Love has been training with Warrington, who have six players out of contract, since recovering from shoulder and knee injuries.
Hull will have two of their youngsters off contract, but Danny Hill and Liam Higgins are both expected to remain beyond this season. At St Helens, only Chris Joynt is still without a new deal.
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Castleford Tigers, needing to win all three of their remaining games to avoid relegation for the first time in the club’s history, are in no position to agree deals with their players.
FREE AGENTS
PLAYERS OUT OF CONTRACT
Bradford Bulls: Paul Anderson, Logan Swann.
Castleford Tigers: Damian Gibson, Francis Maloney, Darren Rogers, Craig Greenhill, Nathan Sykes, Paul Jackson, Lee Harland, Mark Tookey, Steven Crouch, Brad Davis, Motu Tony.
Hull: Danny Hill, Liam Higgins.
Leeds Rhinos: Francis Cummins, David Furner, Tommy Gallagher.
London Broncos: Paul Sampson, Rob Jackson, Steve Thomas, Jim Dymock (retiring), Andrew Hart, Mal Kaufusi, Steele Retchless, Zebastian Luisi, Mark Cox, Tommy Haughey.
St Helens: Chris Joynt.
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: Colum Halpenny, Matthew Blake, Justin Ryder, Albert Talipeau, Paul Handforth. New deals have been offered but not yet accepted by David Wrench, Jamie Field and Michael Wainwright.
Warrington Wolves: Darren Burns, Gary Hulse, Nick Owen, Richard Varkulis, Mike Forshaw (retiring), Jerome Guisset.
Widnes Vikings: Paul Atcheson, Paul Devlin, Aaron Moule, Chris Giles, Jules O’Neill, Steve McCurrie, Willie Peters, Andy Hay, Deon Bird, Troy Wozniak, David Mills, Nicky Royle, Craig Weston, John Robinson, Justin Murphy, Steve Hall, Stephen Rowlands, Craig Weston.
Wigan Warriors: Mick Cassidy, Gary Connolly, Adrian Lam (retiring), Terry O’Connor, Craig Smith (retiring), Desi Williams.
* Huddersfield Giants and Salford City Reds not willing to supply information.