Collision with hoarding forces Turley out of Origin Match

Neil Turley, the only player from the Northern Ford Premiership to play in last year's Origin Match, is out of contention for this season's Lancashire team after colliding with an advertising hoarding. The full-back suffered knee ligament damage in the collision during Leigh's match against Swinton on Sunday and will be out for four to six weeks.

Turley, who has recently turned down the chance to step up to Super League with Warrington, was the second player to be injured in similar circumstances over the weekend. The Wigan second-row, Simon Haughton, cut his head and was concussed after sliding into the perimeter advertising at Bradford last Friday night and is out of the squad to face London tomorrow.

The Rugby League is sufficiently concerned to have written to all clubs warning them of the potential dangers of signs placed too close to the field of play.

Chorley's Sarfraz Patel has been banned for four games after being found guilty of stamping on the head of an opponent during the NFP match against Hunslet. Patel had been due to captain a specially formed South Asia Bulls side in the York Golden Jubilee Festival on Monday.

Warrington have offered professional terms to three members of their Academy team ­ Damien Simms, Craig Farimond and Craig Johnson.

Their coach, David Plange, has urged Lancashire to include his half-back, Lee Briers, in the side to face Yorkshire in the two matches at Wigan and Headingley. "On current form, Lee should certainly be in the origin squad," he said.

Briers will get a chance to show his worth against the other obvious contender for the Lancashire scrum-half spot, Paul Deacon, when Warrington play Bradford on Sunday.

Salford have denied they are about to sell their scrum-half, Bobbie Goulding, to the Wolves and they hope to announce their new coach tomorrow.

Queensland say they will have to install extra security now that they have failed in their quest to have the referee, Bill Harrigan, removed from the second State of Origin match in Brisbane on Wednesday. Harrigan stirred controversy in the first match of the series last week when he sent the Queensland captain, Gorden Tallis, to the sin-bin.

"People are pretty irate," said the general manager of the QRL, Ross Livermore. "We don't want some idiot jumping the fence, so we are definitely going to have to put on extra security."