Rugby League: Cook the latest to join Giants

Huddersfield have continued their drive for Super League status by signing the utility back Paul Cook from Bradford for pounds 70,000.

Cook, a 20-year-old winger or full-back who played for England in the 1995 World Cup, is the fourth player with Super League experience to join the Giants in the last two weeks. He follows the London Broncos winger Ikram Butt, forward Paul Dixon from Sheffield and Leeds' Great Britain Academy prop, Nick Fozzard.

"Fozzard and Cook in particular are players we have identified as wanting to bring here for a long time," Les Coulter, the Huddersfield chief executive, said.

"Our chairman, Ken Davy, has put down another marker for our ambitions, as these are the sort of players who can not only get us into Super League but keep us there."

Huddersfield, three points behind Hull at the top of the First Division, are clearly stocking up with Super League in mind, which raises suspicions that they believe more than the proposed one club will be promoted at the end of this season. Coulter said he had heard rumours of an expansion to 14 clubs. "Our aim is to win promotion as champions," he said. "Failing that, if there is going to be an expansion, we want to be in the best possible place to be considered."

St Helens, will be without their stand-off, Tommy Martyn, for the rest of the season, following the news that he needs a second knee reconstruction in two years.

The winding-up order brought against Halifax by the Inland Revenue was withdrawn when it came before the High Court yesterday. The club have satisfied the Inland Revenue with a plan to pay off pounds 100,000 in back tax.