Rugby League: Northern buy pounds 140,000 Fox

DERYCK FOX has become the game's most expensive scrum-half with a pounds 140,000 transfer from Featherstone Rovers to Bradford Northern. A Great Britain tourist this summer, Fox has been sidelined since returning and declaring he would no longer play for Rovers, but will return to action in Bradford's Yorkshire Cup tie against Bramley on Sunday.

Fox spent nine seasons with Featherstone but felt that he could not go down into the Second Division with them this year. A proposed move to Leeds fell through, and Fox turned down a transfer to Halifax, before Bradford and Hull fought out the final battle for his signature.

His return to the game will be a relief for the Great Britain coach, Malcolm Reilly, with the World Cup final against Australia only six weeks away. Fox was in fine form on tour and with Andy Gregory, whose pounds 130,000 move from Warrington to Wigan six years ago was the previous record, out for a month after knee surgery, he still has a chance of fulfilling his ambition by playing in the final.

Darren Appleby, the former Illawarra player, is to fill the gap at Featherstone. He made his debut against Swinton on Sunday and is being retained on week-by-week terms while Rovers also explore the transfer market.

The club will discuss its vacant coaching job this week, following John Dorahy's decision to stay with his Australian club, Newcastle, longer than Featherstone were prepared to wait. Terry Hudson remains in temporary charge for Sunday's Yorkshire Cup tie against Dewsbury.