Farrell discounts operation rumours

The Great Britain captain Andy Farrell is adamant that he will be fit to face New Zealand this autumn, despite suggestions that he will need an operation that could rule him out.

Farrell missed several games for Wigan after aggravating a groin injury in the defeat to Australia in Sydney in July and has still not resumed goal-kicking duties for his club.

The former Great Britain captain, Garry Schofield, alleged on television last weekend that Farrell was still not fit and would miss the Kiwi series to have surgery, but Farrell has dismissed his opinion. "He's just talking rubbish again,'' he said. "Julian O'Neill is kicking really well so why take the kicking away from him? I've no problem with my running and there's no need for any operation.''

Farrell, who like the rest of the Wigan squad was called in for extra training on Sunday after the defeat at Hull, has also come out in favour of a mid-season break for an annual international series involving Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. "That would be the way to do it,'' he said. "It's something we need to do after the way we lost in Sydney. What we need is not to shy away from it but to play against them more often.''

A mid-season break would involve suspending Super League and scrapping the extra fixtures that give each club a 28-match programme. "The fixtures in midsummer are the worst supported, so it makes sense to have the break then,'' Farrell added.

Warrington have been fined £1,000, £500 of it suspended for a year, for making an illegal approach to Batley's Dean Lawford. The club has been found not guilty of a similar charge relating to the signing of Nathan Wood from Wakefield.

London have re-signed their second-row forward, Steele Rethcless, for another year, but have failed in a bid to recruit Willie Talau from Canterbury.

The New Zealand Test hooker, Richard Swain, is lined up to join Hull in 2004. Swain has been released by the Melbourne Storm and will join the Brisbane Broncos next year on a one-season contract.

Bradford, who had been interested in Swain, are talking to their hooker, James Lowes, about delaying his retirement for another season.

The Halifax full-back Stuart Donlan, who is in the England A squad for the end-of-season Pacific tour, will be out for six weeks after suffering a cracked cheekbone in Sunday's 19-16 home defeat to Warrington.

The National Conference League is looking into the circumstances under which Dewsbury Moor were beaten 134-4 by Castleford Panthers on Saturday – a record score at this level of competition. The Dewsbury side arrived with nine men for the Second Division fixture.