Offiah set to join Reds

Martin Offiah, the most prolific try-scoring Englishman in rugby league history, is poised to join Super League club Salford City Reds.

Martin Offiah, the most prolific try-scoring Englishman in rugby league history, is poised to join Super League club Salford City Reds.

The veteran former Widnes, Wigan and Great Britain winger is thought to have been offered a two-year contract by Salford, who have called a news conference at a fitness centre in Wilmslow tomorrow afternoon.

Offiah is ending a four-year stint at London Broncos after failing to gain a new contract. He was targeted by his old club Widnes towards the end of last season and was also linked with Warrington.

A move to Salford would suit 33-year-old Offiah, who has begun a career in the media in neighbouring Manchester.

Offiah made 33 appearances for Great Britain from 1988-94, putting him fifth in the all-time list, and is the third-highest scorer in Tests with 26.

Signed from Wigan in 1996, he smashed the London record by scoring five tries in a match last season and became the top try-scoring Englishman in the history of the game when he touched down for the 447th time in the opening Super League game.

He added to his tally in the Broncos' Challenge Cup final defeat by Leeds at Wembley, where injury brought a premature end to his fifth Cup final appearance, and he was unable to secure a regular place in the starting line-up towards the end of the season.

He said at the time: "The way I was playing at the start of the season and hopefully the way I finish the season, I hope to carry on for perhaps another two years."