Rugby League: Edwards feels pull of north

Dave Hadfield
Thursday 18 September 1997 23:02 BST
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Homesickness for the North is pulling Shaun Edwards away from London in the direction of the Super League champions, Bradford Bulls. Edwards' manager, John Fitzpatrick, said yesterday that "there is interest on both sides" in taking the former Wigan and Great Britain scrum-half to Odsal.

Edwards, at almost 31 the most honoured player in the game, moved from Wigan to London at the start of the season, in order to be with his then girlfriend, the singer Heather Small.

"But circumstances change and London have said that they will be good enough to release him," Fitzpatrick said.

London are not yet confirming that they have had an approach from the Bulls, who are hoping to link Edwards with Robbie Paul in an intriguing half-back partnership, but they are increasingly resigned to his leaving.

"I'm interested in the prospect, because I am pretty homesick," said Edwards, who helped the Broncos to finish second in Super League this season. "If Bradford are interested in me, it's flattering."

Edwards, who was named this week in the Great Britain squad to prepare for the Test series against Australia in November, is in the process of having a knee injury assessed, in the hope that he will be fit to play for London in their World Club Championship match against Cronulla next month, if he has not moved on by then.

St Helens could be forced to add Apollo Perelini to their list of absentees for their Premiership semi-final against Castleford tonight. The prop is suffering from a knee injury, while Vila Matautia has broken his arm and will join Saints' other long-term victims and the suspended Bobbie Goulding on the sidelines.

Castleford have added their prop, Dean Sampson, who has been recovering from ankle ligament damage, to their squad.

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