Bridgend hoping to join Super League

Professional rugby league could return to South Wales following Bridgend's application to join Super League. The Welsh club wants to run a side at the Brewery Field in the summer to complement its union activities, its chief executive, Adrian Hadley, has revealed.

"With the state of rugby union in Wales, rugby league could be just the tonic the Welsh people are looking for," said Hadley, who played league for Widnes, Salford and Wales. "We have got such good facilities that we want to use them all year round."

League was played at Bridgend in the 1984-5 season, when the Cardiff Blue Dragons moved to the town before the club finally folded. The last effort in the Principality was the South Wales club which played in Cardiff in 1996.

The spokesman for the Rugby League, John Huxley, confirmed that an application had been received and would be evaluated. "It is a serious bid," he said.

St Helens are exploring legal routes outside the game to try to overturn the £25,000 fine imposed on them for fielding a weakened team.

"As a trained lawyer, I can't get my head around the verdict. I find it quite perverse," said the Saints chairman, Eamonn McManus. "There are courses of action open to us within the civil law."

Saints are unhappy that neither their doctor not their coach, Ian Millward, was called to give evidence and that the Rugby League only allows an appeal against the size of the fine.

Bradford's Paul Sykes is to embark on a second loan stint with the London Broncos. Sykes, who spent a successful spell with the club last season, is to return initially on a one-month deal. He played nine times for the Broncos last season, mainly at full-back, but has started just one match since returning to the Bulls.

"He showed last season that he is a very talented young player and his contribution was significant," said the London coach, Tony Rea. "He enjoyed his time with us and that says a lot about the club."

Castleford had been trying to sign Sykes on a permanent deal, but can now be expected to step up their efforts to recruit Halifax's transfer-listed Daryl Cardiss.

Wigan's Gary Connolly is out of Lancashire's side to play Yorkshire next month because he needs exploratory knee surgery.