St Helens one of two clubs not to strengthen squad for 2008

Aug 23 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

MICK POTTER will have just two new players at his disposal when he takes over as St Helens coach in 2009, the club have revealed.

Saints, one of two clubs not to strengthen their squad for 2008, have recruited second rower Tony Puletua from Penrith Panthers for next season but will make only one more signing as they struggle to keep within the salary cap.

The Super League leaders are not renewing the contract of club captain Paul Sculthorpe and front rower Nick Fozzard and say they will be releasing three other players in addition to possibly loaning out four others.

The club say they will continue their policy of recruiting from their successful junior set-up.

“In the long term, this will benefit not just the club, but is essential for the future success of the game at international level,” said a St Helens spokesman.

One player whose future had been in doubt, former Wigan prop Bryn Hargreaves, signed a two-year contract yesterday that will see him remain at Saints at least until the end of the 2010 season.

The 22-year-old Hargreaves joined Saints two years ago after being a victim of the salary cap at Wigan and feared a repeat experience.

But he has missed only three matches this year and was invaluable to coach Daniel Anderson during the absence through injury of experienced props Jason Cayless and Fozzard.

Meanwhile, St Helens have been fined £8,456 after narrowly breaching the salary cap for the third successive year.

The fine is equal to the amount of money by which the club exceeded the finite cap last season and St Helens say they have accepted their punishment.

“The miniscule breach of the 2007 cap is based on a simple historical formula calculation error which was in place before the start of the 2007 season. This has now, under the current administration, been rectified.”

St Helens were fined £22,000 12 months ago for overspending by 0.8% in their title-winning year of 2006. The fine included £4,000 suspended 12 months earlier for a minor breach in 2005.

Meanwhile, Wakefield have dropped their interest in Saints’ Paul Sculthorpe.

The Wildcats were considered favourites to sign one of the most decorated players of the Super League era and pair him up with brother Danny – but they have pulled out of negotiations because of their salary cap. It follows a decision by Salford to halt talks and the 30-year-old’s manager David Howes: “We are at the back end of the big spend, but there is another month before we start pressing the panic buttons.”

Sculthorpe has been recalled along with Sean Long for tomorrow’s trip to Huddersfield but Matt Gidley, Leon Pryce and Jon Wilkin rest minor knocks ahead of the Challenge Cup final. With Maurie Fa’asavalu still on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, Anderson has drafted youngsters Gary Wheeler, Dean McGilvray and Sam Thompson into his 19-man squad.