It would, though, push us further in the direction of summer rugby, so that the two seasons coincide.But if, on the other hand, Super League develops as a one-ring circus based in Australia, with or without some European clubs, then the Australian clubs in it will not be constrained by the transfer ban agreed between the governing bodies of the two countries. It will be open season.The Rugby League here is tracking developments, and assessing their implications as well as it can from this distance."There is potential for a schism in Australia, and, if that were to occur, we would be fools if we thought it would not find its way to the UK," the League's chairman, Rodney Walker, said. "In the event that Murdoch does create a schism, it is inevitable that he will want to talk to us. If we simply sit back and allow him to cherry-pick, there would be the lite and the rest - and we would not control the lite."The choice of the phrase "cherry-pick" is apposite.

The one flash of colour that Britain could add to Murdoch's spectrum is the cherry and white of Wigan. Losing them to an independent, world-wide competition would be one way out of their unhealthy domination of the British game. It is not, however, the most unthinkable consequence of a turbulent immediate future in a game whose drama and action on the field is, for once, being made to look tame by events off it.. Keighley, a Second Division club struggling along on gates in the hundreds a few years ago, yesterday made spectacular provision for life in the First by signing the England captain, Daryl Powell, for £100,000, writes Dave Hadfield. Powell, the first player signed by Sheffield Eagles 11 years ago, has agreed a contract for the rest of this season and another three. "It's a marvellous signing for us," the Keighley coach, Phil Larder, said. "He is one of the most skilled, committed and courageous of players, as he has proved playing for Great Britain at the highest level." The 29-year-old Powell, who will make his debut at home to Swinton on Sunday, admitted that it was a wrench to leave Sheffield.

Financial security and the opportunity to play a key role at another developing club were the deciding factors, he said."It will be very strange not to have him at Sheffield," the Eagles manager, Gary Hetherington, admitted. "But Keighley have been able to give Daryl the long-term security he was seeking and meet our valuation of him."Powell still had a year of his contract to run at Sheffield, but Hetherington's policy would have been against offering him an extension to match Keighley's three-year deal.Keighley, who raised £70,000 towards the Powell fee from new sponsors in three days last week, plan three more signings - two of them internationals - in readiness for the First Division. Despite recent fluctuations of form, they will be assured of promotion if they win two of their four remaining matches.Other deals to beat the deadline yesterday included Dewsbury's recruitment of Robert Turner from Doncaster and the Kenyan winger, Eric Kibe, from Hunslet.. The Premier Division champions, Sheffield Steelers, could miss out on the end-of-term party at Wembley, when four of the top eight teams contest the championship title. The team who lost just five of 35 league matches have lost two out of three play-off games, first to Nottingham Panthers mid-week and then, more importantly, to Fife Flyers on Saturday. Fife are equal on points with Panthers, who faced a Humberside Hawks side rising from eighth in the league to challenge the second-placed side. A frenetic finish saw Panthers have a goal disallowed for kicking the puck in, before Scott Morrison tucked in the winner for Hawks.Edinburgh Racers lead the other qualifying league, with Cardiff Devils a point behind..

Making up with Paul Hull is hard to do after his omission from England's World Cup squad but the England selectors are trying their best by making him captain of the tour party who will play seven matches in Australia and Fiji at the same time as the great tournament in South Africa. Hull was the unluckiest, and therefore most contentious, of the non-selections for the World Cup and in truth this is very minor consolation. On the other hand, perhaps he should take heart because the choice of the 30- strong tour party has been made with the 1999 tournament specifically in view. So much so that none of the senior players - in particular Steve Bates, Nigel Redman and John Hall - who did not make the World Cup squad is being taken to Australia, in contrast to the England B party who went to New Zealand in 1992 when it was deemed essential to have a backbone of experience."I am still disappointed about being omitted from the World Cup squad, but I am delighted to be able to captain this young squad," Hull said. "I had geared myself to the World Cup, which was obviously first prize so I had to consider whether I wanted the continuing commitment."As it happens, Hall told the selectors that, even if they were interested in him, he was not interested in their tour, having already resolved to retire after the World Cup if he had been picked for that. Instead, the farewell appearance of an outstanding career will come when he leads Bath in the Pilkington Cup final against Wasps on 6 May.Without Bates, Redman and Hall, this England squad are restricted to two full internationals.