Union 'to leave Johns alone'

"Enough is enough. The ARU has absolutely no intention of pursuing a raft of high-profile league players. We don't have room for them and we can't afford them." With that the chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union, John O'Neill yesterday appeared to pour cold water on suggestions the Newcastle Knights captain Andrew Johns was being lined up for a lucrative cross-code switch to union.

With the planning process for next year's union World Cup very much advanced, the trend to conduct poaching raids might be finally coming to an end.

Johns is acclaimed by many league fans as the best player in the world and is expected to captain Australia against Great Britain next Friday.

The news that the ARU had been interested in him was construed in League circles as another shot in the war between the two codes in Queensland and New South Wales. Johns has another two years to run on his deal with the Knights, but the Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Jeff Miller had admitted that he wants him to play for the Reds and the Wallabies after next year's World Cup in October and November.

"I am very interested in speaking to Andrew Johns. I make no secret of that," said the ARU's contract negotiator, who thrashed out the deals that brought Sailor and Rogers into Union.

"Andrew will have achieved everything he wants in rugby league and we have a number of senior players coming to the end of their contracts after the World Cup.

"Daniel Herbert, Chris Latham, Ben Tune, Toutai Kefu and Matt Cockbain are among them and we are concerned that quite a few of our guys will be looking to go overseas or retire.

"Even though Andrew's age might be an issue for some, I think he would be terrific. It would be a great challenge for him and an opportunity to play on another stage."

However, O'Neill went out of his way to put a stop to that proposed move, and league can rest a little easier.

Closer to home, the Halifax forward Johnny Lawless has signed a two-year extension to his contract to stay with his hometown club until 2004.

The 27-year-old, who is in his second spell at the club after moves to Sheffield and then Huddersfield, had been on a one-year deal. The Ireland international has played mostly at hooker but has also impressed in the second row.

"I was looking for something like this. I'm Halifax born and bred and it looks like I might be here for the rest of my life," said Lawless.