Sporting Digest: Rugby League

THE Sydney club, Eastern Suburbs, have denied using last summer's loan of the Widnes prop, Harvey Howard, to try to 'poach' the player. Easts' chief executive, Brian Anderson, said that Howard has not been offered a two-year deal, as Widnes have suggested.

LEEDS, with only one win in their last nine games, will be without their half-backs, Graham Holroyd and Gareth Stephens, for tonight's match at Widnes. Both were named in the Great Britain Under-21 side to play France at Warrington tomorrow and are thus unavailable for their club.