Rugby League: Hull sign up Hunte, Prescott and Booth

Super League newcomers Hull last night signed the Great Britain threequarter Alan Hunte and two other St Helens players. The Sharks paid pounds 350,000 for Hunte, Steve Prescott and Simon Booth.

Hunte, 27, one of the successes of the recent Test series defeat by Australia, was Saints' longest-serving player, having signed for them nearly nine years ago. But he recently fell out with the club and last night he signed a two-year contract. Hull have also signed Australian half-back Craig Kimmorley, brother of Test scrum-half Brett, from Hunter Mariners.

St Helens, meanwhile, were expected to discuss a transfer request from the Great Britain winger Anthony Sullivan.

The Great Britain forward Steve Molloy has failed in his second attempt to have himself declared a free agent. A Rugby League tribunal has ruled that Featherstone Rovers' delays in paying Molloy do not constitute a breach of contract.

In a similar case York have been told that they must pay their forward Craig Wright what he is owed by the end of the week if he is not to become a free agent.

The new Oldham club, which has lost all the players from the now defunct Oldham Bears to free agency, will announce where it will play and what it will be called at a public meeting in the town tonight.

The club has been negotiating with both Rochdale and Oldham football clubs about using their grounds, and there is local pressure for the reclaiming of the traditional nickname, the Roughyeds. One certainty is that the Bears title will not be readopted.

Recruitment for the new club has started from scratch, with the Rochdale half-back Neil Flanagan and the Warrington hooker John Hough, both in negotiation.

Wigan have signed the Hunter Mariners hooker and captain, Robbie McCormack, on a one-season contract.

London have confirmed the signing of the New Zealand prop, Grant Young, as a replacement for Tony Mestrov, who will pack down alongside McCormack at Wigan.