Broncos call up trio of reinforcements

Rugby League

The London Broncos have been able to call up a high calibre of reinforcement for the match at Warrington tonight that could consolidate their squatters' rights in the top four of Super League, writes Dave Hadfield.

The Broncos' coach, Tony Currie, is able to bring back Terry Matterson from suspension, and Gavin Allen and Evan Cochrane after injury for the meeting with a side level with them on points.

"It was a tough decision whether to go with all three," Currie said. "But they have all come through training with flying colours."

The Queensland prop Allen is undoubtedly the biggest risk. He broke his arm before he had even begun to settle into a London shirt and has not been in regular match practice for nine months.

"I'm only expecting to get 40 minutes from him, but I expect them to be quality minutes," said Currie, who also expects this to be the most difficult of the Broncos' sequence of away games.

Duncan McRae, who played a prominent role in last week's victory at Castleford, is confined to a place on the bench. That is a sure sign of London's increasing depth of talent, improved further this week by the arrival of Allen's younger brother, Ray, from Brisbane and the release of one of the club's still small colony of English players, Ikram Butt, from prison.

Warrington will be without Lee Penny, who has been suspended for four matches after being sent off for a high tackle against St Helens last week, with Chris Rudd moving to full-back in his place.

In tomorrow's Super League match, Oldham will have Martin Crompton available against the bottom club, Workington, after yesterday's successful appeal against a one-match ban.

Paris St-Germain hope to sign Danny Smith, one of the three players sacked by Currie last month for missing training, in time for their game against Halifax on Monday.

St Helens, still unbeaten under Shaun McRae, will give their winger, Anthony Sullivan, a fitness test on his calf injury before their match against Castleford on Monday night.

Tim Street, the Leigh Centurions prop, has been suspended for two matches and fined pounds 50 after being sent off in their 15-14 defeat by bottom-of- the-table Chorley Magpies last Sunday.

The former under-21 international, who had just been made captain by Leigh, was dismissed for dissent after the final whistle.