Saints' Prescott seeks better deal

Rugby League

The Great Britain tour full-back, Steve Prescott, has threatened to leave St Helens unless his contract is upgraded.

Prescott, who also played for England last season, still has two years of his current deal to run, but feels that he deserves a pay rise in recognition of his progress in the game.

He has previously been mentioned as a possible bargaining counter in a bid to bring Warrington's Iestyn Harris to Knowsley Road, but Saints said yesterday that they were willing to review his contract.

The game's governing Council could meet for the last time in its present form at Salford today. The Council is likely to appoint a working party to look at ways of streamlining the administration of the code. Shelving the Council and changing the make-up of the game's board of directors are among the possible reforms that could emerge.

Salford will today welcome two vastly experienced new forwards to the club, the Australian Test second-row from Penrith, John Cartwright, and the Great Britain prop, Andy Platt, signed from the Auckland Warriors.

Meanwhile, Halifax have promised what they describe as a major signing this afternoon. The club has denied that the player in question is the Great Britain and Featherstone Rovers front-row forward, Steve Molloy, who is on the transfer list at pounds 100,000.

Second Division Leigh have re-signed the prop-forward, Tim Street, from Hull.

Featherstone Rovers have agreed a one-year deal with the Oldham and former Castleford centre Sean Irwin, who moves to Post Office Road for an undisclosed fee.