Widnes lure Warrington's Forster

Mark Forster, the veteran Warrington winger who played for Ireland in the World Cup, has joined Widnes. Warrington released Forster at the end of the last Super League season and he has now joined their neighbours, who are ambitious for promotion from the Northern Ford Premiership and have also signed Joe Faimalo from Salford.

Mark Forster, the veteran Warrington winger who played for Ireland in the World Cup, has joined Widnes. Warrington released Forster at the end of the last Super League season and he has now joined their neighbours, who are ambitious for promotion from the Northern Ford Premiership and have also signed Joe Faimalo from Salford.

Another Warrington player, Alan Hunte, is joining Pontypridd on a short-term contract with a view to a permanent move.

Castleford have stepped up their team strengthening with the addition of the experienced Warrington centre Jon Roper and the 20-year-old Australian utility back Mark Lennon.

The 24-year-old Roper, a Great Britain tourist in 1996, had spells on loan with London Broncos and Salford last season and was poised to join Whitehaven, of the Northern Ford Premiership, until the Tigers coach, Stuart Raper, stepped in.

Lennon, who has a British passport, can play half-back, hooker or full-back and has been playing reserve grade in Australia with Cronulla and St George-Illawarra.

A Rugby League tribunal has ruled that the Leigh players Stuart Donlan and Mick Higham are free to join Halifax. Leigh have until today to negotiate a fee from Halifax, but otherwise the two players can join the Super League club as free agents.

The former London, Hull KR and Sheffield Eagles forward Nick Halafihi has been confirmed as the Rugby League's performance director.