Hulme brothers freed by Widnes

Widnes have cancelled the contracts of their two most experienced players in the same week that the pair were due to take them before a League tribunal for falling behind with their payments, writes Dave Hadfield.

The brothers David and Paul Hulme are now free agents after 16 and 13 years with the club respectively.

Widnes' action in freeing them has only pre-empted the likely ruling by the League, which had already told the players that it supported their claim that the club was in breach of its contracts with them.