Injury threatens Cunningham's plans

Keiron Cunningham's attempt to play against New Zealand on five consecutive weekends is under threat from a hand injury when St Helens face the Kiwis on Friday night.

Cunningham is also due to captain Wales against the tourists on 2 November as well as being automatic first choice as Great Britain hooker, but the fracture which he has successfully ignored in recent matches is likely to keep him out this week.

Paul Sculthorpe will also be missing with a leg injury, while it is feared that Paul Wellens could be out for two months with a fractured cheekbone, his momento of the grand final.

Saints will be captained by Sean Hoppe, playing against his fellow countrymen in his last match before retirement. The club have appointed a lifelong supporter, Sean McGuire, as their new chief executive.

Hull have signed Dwayne West from Saints. He has agreed a 12-month deal.

The Rugby League's technical executive, Stuart Cummings, who is in charge of referees, has said that the video referee was wrong to deny Bradford a try in the Grand Final. The touchdown by Paul Deacon, which would have put the Bulls 12 points ahead, was disallowed for a knock-on, but Cummings said yesterday: "I have watched the tape repeatedly and I can't find any knock-on there from the Bradford Bulls. The video referee should not have disallowed the try.''

Gerry Kershaw, the experienced official who was the video referee last Saturday, has defended himself. "Although the technology is superb, you don't get half an hour to debate the issue and there's a lot of pressure,'' he said.

Bradford's former Great Britain prop, Brian McDermott, has told the club that he is retiring. The Widnes forward, Anthony Farrell, has withdrawn from the Welsh squad to play New Zealand in Cardiff because he is recovering from a pelvic fracture.

His Widnes team-mates, David Mills and Adam Hughes, are among the newcomers in the squad, which was reduced to 19 yesterday. Rob Roberts, who has agreed a new one-year contract with promoted Huddersfield, is also in line for his Welsh debut.

The York International Nine Tournament, successfully held for the first time this June, is to be expanded to include 26 teams, including invitees from Russia, Lebanon, Morocco and the United States, next year. There will be a similar tournament held in Middlesex.

The Rugby League is being reassured that TXU Energi's sponsorship of the Challenge Cup, due to start next season, is not in danger despite the company selling its British energy distribution business.

Salford City Reds are launching a fans action group to try to raise funds to help the relegated club back into the Super League at the first attempt.

WALES TRAINING SQUAD: P Atcheson (Widnes), L Briers (Warrington), D Busby (Warrington), G Carvell (Hull), K Cunningham (St Helens, capt), G Dean (London), D Gibson (Halifax), P Highton (Salford), A Hughes (Widnes), M Lennon (Castleford), K Mason (Melbourne), D Mills (Widnes), H O'Hare (Huddersfield), J Morgan (Auckland), R Roberts (Huddersfield), C Smith (Hull), K Tassell (Salford), I Watson (Salford), D Whittle (Leigh).