Millward calls for crackdown

Ian Millward, the St Helens coach, has called on the game's disciplinary committee to take a tougher line on head-high tackles. Millward says he has lost three players in recent weeks, two with teeth knocked out and one with a suspected broken jaw, and that none of the perpetrators has been punished.

"It's very worrying for the players concerned that they weren't protected by the League and it isn't good for the game," he said. "We need to make sure that players are punished if they are in the wrong."

Millward says that head-high tackling has been coming back into the game because of its speed and the increasing skill of the ball-carrier. He is sending the club's own videos of the incidents to the League.

One of his players who lost teeth, Martin Gleeson, will be back in Saints' team against Wakefield tomorrow after missing last weekend's victory over Warrington.

The Leeds prop, Barrie McDermott, has failed in his appeal against a four-match suspension imposed after his dismissal for punching Bradford's Stuart Fielden. Craig Greenhill of Hull has also failed in his appeal against a one-game ban. Mitch Healey, of Castleford, has had his ban reduced from two matches to one.

Leeds have taken the Cumbrian stand-off, Peter Lupton, on a month's loan from the London Broncos.

The Chorley prop, Tim Street, has been suspended for three matches for abuse. Street was sent off six minutes from the end of the NFP match at Hull KR.