Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley today explained why their World Club Championship clash against the Newcastle Knights will not be played at Valley Parade.

The contest has instead been pencilled in for the McAlpine Stadium, which has undersoil heating, on Sunday, January 27.

"We couldn't really ask a team to travel 12,000 miles around the world and not guarantee them that the match will be on," Caisley explained.

"The World Club Championship is a product that belongs to Super League Europe and the National Rugby League, and if Valley Parade had had undersoil heating the match could have been held there with more certainty.

"But with it being switched to the McAlpine, there is now a 99 per cent certainty that it will go ahead.

"Both grounds have covered terracing, however, so we wouldn't have the problem that we have had at Odsal in the past where the pitch is fit but the game had to be called off because the open terraces couldn't be cleared."

The Bulls' new signing Brandon Costin is a direct replacement for Aussie Shane Rigon, who is quitting the club halfway through a two-year contract.

The 29-year-old Costin played 136 first-grade games for St George, Souths, Western Suburbs, Sydney Roosters and Canberra.

Rigon, who was in the Bulls squad that beat Wigan 37-6 in the Grand Final a fortnight ago tomorrow, is returning to Australia to play for the re-formed South Sydney club.

Costin, who achieved notoriety earlier this year for the tackle that ended the season prematurely for St Helens half-back Sean Long, has joined Bradford on a one-year contract.

He was handed a three-match ban for the tackle that badly injured Long's knee.

Costin becomes the Bulls' second recruit for 2002 following the signing of Canberra's New Zealand Test winger Lesley Vainikolo.

l Australia have decided against adding an extra name to their squad for their three-Test Ashes tour of Britain, despite the withdrawals of three players.

The Australians are without Nathan Hindmarsh, who has pulled out because of a wrist injury. His exit follows the loss of hooker Craig Gower (knee) and prop Shane Webcke.

But Kangaroos coach Chris Anderson and ARL Chairman Colin Love have decided to retain the current player number of 21.

ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said: "Ultimately, Chris and Colin both feel that it was perhaps being over-cautious to add an extra player."