Tri-Series event may be moved to Britain

Great Britain's trip to the southern hemisphere next summer is under threat. Britain were due to play Australia and New Zealand in the first leg of a Tri-Series tournament involving the leading three countries in the game, but a meeting of the International Federation in Sydney later this month will discuss restructuring it so that all matches are played in Britain.

That would mean the three nations playing each other twice next autumn, with the possibility of a final to decide what will effectively be the world championship. It is understood that this is the package which the Rugby League will offer to the BBC as it tries to secure terrestrial television coverage for internationals.

It does, however, represent another change in the international calendar, which has never truly settled down since the Super League war of the mid-Nineties.

Leeds' Australian half-back, Andrew Dunemann, has agreed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the Rhinos until the end of the 2005 season. The club paid Halifax a £20,000 fee for Dunemann's release last year and he has been a major influence on their success this season.

The Salford forward, Simon Baldwin, could face a charge of racial abuse over an incident in the National League One match against Whitehaven on Sunday. Whitehaven's prop, David Fatialofa, made the complaint after a skirmish and the incident has been included in the referee's report. A spokesman for the League said that it was awaiting the report and would then decide whether to report the matter to its disciplinary committee.

That committee will deal today with the cases of two Super League players. Lee Finnerty, of Halifax, was placed on report for one incident in the match against London and cited by the executive committee over another case of striking. Warrington's Nick Fozzard will also face a striking charge after being placed on report in the match against Huddersfield.