Weak Bulls face fine

The Super League title-chasers Bradford Bulls are risking a heavy fine by fielding a weakened team for their final league game of the season at Hull tomorrow.

The Super League title-chasers Bradford Bulls are risking a heavy fine by fielding a weakened team for their final league game of the season at Hull tomorrow.

The Bulls coach, Matthew Elliott, has one eye on next Friday's play-off opener at either Wigan or St Helens and has decided to rest 10 first-team players for a game that cannot affect the club's third-place finish.

Elliott includes the Alliance trio of Gareth Stanley, Chris Birchall and Craig McDowell in his senior squad for the first time while four other youngsters - Paul Sykes, Rob Parker, Gareth Handford and Alex Wilkinson - have just 13 Super League appearances between them.

Yesterday the Rugby Football League director of rugby, Greg McCallum, said: "Section three of by-law 23 states that clubs must field full-strength teams in all games unless they provide a satisfactory explanation."

Leeds were the last club to be punished for fielding a weakened team. They were handed the then record fines of £8,000 and £12,000 (half suspended) for putting out virtual reserve sides against St Helens and Bradford in the run-up to their appearance in the 1994 Challenge Cup final.