Broncos deny Moran release claims

The London Broncos will not release Dennis Moran to play for South Sydney next season unless the Australian club pay compensation for the remaining year of his contract.

The scrum-half is currently training with South Sydney, his original club, who have just been readmitted to the National Rugby League. Their coach, Craig Coleman, claims the financially-troubled Broncos have said that they will let him go.

"We have been led to believe that Tony Rea told Moran he could have a release," he said, but the London coach denies making any such promise.

"All I ever said was that we would not stand in his way, but there is a protocol to go through," Rea insisted. "If they are not prepared to do that and pay us compensation, we will not give him his international clearance. No one has been in touch with us yet." With their other scrum-half, Glen Air, already having left, London could be badly exposed in a key position next season. "But there is no panic," Rea added. "I still believe that Dennis will be back with us next year."

Castleford have gone back to the North Queensland Cowboys for a replacement for their captain, Adrian Vowles, who has joined Leeds. The Tigers have signed Kyle Warren, a versatile player whose favoured position is loose forward, on a two-year contract.

A decision over whether Adrian Morley can play in the Test series against Australia later this month has been delayed. Morley, who is training with the rest of the Great Britain squad in Spain, had hoped for an answer by now, but X-rays taken last Thursday following an arm injury only arrived at his club, Sydney City, yesterday.

The Wigan-based referee Bob Connolly has leap-frogged Britain's recognised top two of Russell Smith and Stuart Cummings to take charge of the first Test at Huddersfield on 11 November. Australia's Bill Harrigan will referee the second Test six days later, with the third game still to be decided.

The young centres, Jamie Lyon and Mark Gasnier, are in competition for one place in an Australian line-up which their coach, Chris Anderson, plans to finalise before flying to England.