Leigh face cash crisis

Leigh, just one game away from winning promotion to Super League at the end of the season, are facing a financial crisis that could see the club going into administration. The club's chairman, Mike Nolan, is returning from holiday, but says that there have already been consultations with a potential administrator.

"I had a group of people ready to invest in the club, but others on the board didn't want that," he said. "The result is that there isn't the money there to meet our costs."

Nolan denies that Leigh's plight has been caused by over-spending in pursuit of promotion and added: "The debt now is around £500,000, the same as it was when I came here two years ago."

The Hull coach, Shaun McRae, says that he is shocked by Ryan Sheridan's decision to join Widnes rather than his club. He had hoped to bring in Sheridan at number seven, but says that he has no plans to recruit an alternative halfback.

Jon Wilkin, the back-rower signed from Hull KR by St Helens, will play on his new home ground for the first time on Sunday in the Great Britain Under 18 Academy side against the Combined Australian Schools.

The newly formed York City Knights have continued their recruitment for their admission to National League Two next season by signing the winger, Alex Godfrey, from Hull KR. He joins Rich Hayes and Mark Cain, who have come from the same club.