Great Britain's hopes rise as Morley improves

Great Britain are growing increasingly confident that Adrian Morley will recover from a mystery virus to play against New Zealand in the third Test at Wigan on Saturday. Morley missed the second Test when he was laid low by the illness and has not been able to resume training.

"The chances are a bit better than they were," Great Britain's assistant coach, Brian Noble, said yesterday. "He's in rehab and has been doing a bit in the swimming pool. We will give him as long as possible, because we want him there. There is a bit of fear in their [New Zealand's] minds when they see 'Mozza'."

Noble does not expect Robbie Paul, the captain of his Bradford Bulls side, to play for the Kiwis after gashing his knee in the Huddersfield Test. "That will be a blow for them, because he has been very dangerous from full-back, but David Vaealiki, who will come in to replace him, is a very accomplished player," he said. "It will not weaken them very much."

Another of Noble's Bradford players, James Lowes, has declined to join Gary Connolly, Terry O'Connor and Mike Forshaw in declaring that this will be his last Test. Lowes is the oldest player in the squad at the age of 33, but already has half an eye on next autumn's series against Australia. "You always want to play against the best, so I'm not ruling it out," he said.

The Super League champions, St Helens, are to play Australia's best, Morley's Sydney Roosters, in the World Club Challenge at Bolton's Reebok Stadium on 14 February.

Wakefield have signed the versatile back Matt Seers from the Australian club Wests-Tigers, to complete their overseas quota for next season.

Oldham are to return to their home town after their exile outside the borough. The club spent last season at Ashton United's ground, following a similar arrangement at Spotland in Rochdale.

Now they have secured a two-year agreement to share Boundary Park with the football club Oldham Athletic and the Blue Sox chairman, Chris Hamilton, said: "We have made no secret of the fact that playing outside the borough has cost the club a lot of money. With this new agreement in place, we have got the security we need to move the club forward."

The Wigan scrum-half, Adrian Lam, has been named as player of the year by the Rugby League Writers' Association.

* Britain will adopt international rules over substitutions from next season. From the start of the TXU Energi Challenge Cup later this month, sides will be able to make a maximum of 12 interchanges from a substitutes' bench of four players. The increase from the current permitted maximum of six will bring the domestic game into line with the system operated in internationals.