Dymock sets the tone for London's good-news week

Both London and Warrington go into this afternoon's match - one which should have a big bearing on their play-off prospects - already feeling that this is a week in which they have made progress.

The Broncos have lined up a new Australian prop in Steve Trindall, but they have also struck three deals which look a good deal more fundamental to them than that.

First, there was the announcement that the club, who have been so nomadic over the last two decades, are to stay at their current home of Brentford's Griffin Park for another five years. That is news which will be much welcomed by the majority of their long-suffering supporters. The ground has its faults, but it is generally congenial for rugby league and the sort of crowds the Broncos can realistically hope to attract.

The fear was that the football club would move elsewhere, selling Griffin Park and leaving their tenants in the lurch, but Brentford are now committed to staying put and spending some money on upgrading the stadium.

If that was a relief to all those who wish the London outfit well, then the same can be said of the decision of Jim Dymock to re-sign for another year. The Australian loose forward might be 31 years old, but he has shown this season that he is not only maintaining his form but is also of huge importance to the team as their natural leader. London hoped that more players would follow his lead by re-signing and, the following day, the prolific scorer Dennis Moran did just that.

It has not been a bad week for Warrington, either. Following an impressive win at Castleford, which could have knocked one of their rivals for a play-off place out of the race, they too have made an important signing.

Daryl Cardiss is too good a player to drop out of Super League with Halifax, and his recruitment gives Paul Cullen some valuable extra options in the backs. He could be needed as soon as today, because Ian Sibbit is struggling with a hamstring injury, and the back line could be reshuffled to accommodate Cardiss at full-back or wing.

Beyond that, Cullen has some difficult decisions to make. Although next season's new recruit, Chris Leikvoll, does not count as an overseas player, the reduction of the import quota from five to four next year means that one of his current crop of Australians will have to be jettisoned.

Brent Grose, Graham Appo, Nat Wood, Darren Burns and Sid Domic are all out of contract, and each of them is entitled to believe that he has done enough to be kept on next season. It is a tough choice for the coach, but one which perhaps gives a clue as to why Warrington have done so well this year.