Bradford Bulls hope to have new Aussie recruit Phil Howlett on board at Odsal within a fortnight.

The club have forwarded a work permit application on behalf of the former Parramatta and South Sydney speedster and are hopeful that the all-clear will be given quickly.

Bulls chairman Chris Caisley said: "We don't foresee any problems. Phil meets all the criteria because of his experience Down Under and he is standing by to get on a plane as soon as the paperwork is completed.

"He is very keen to get started and, following Danny Peacock's retirement, Phil's arrival will be a big boost for the squad."

Meanwhile, recent injury absentee Bernard Dywer is included in the Alliance squad to face Sheffield at Odsal tonight (7.30).

Tickets for Saturday afternoon's clash with Sheffield Eagles at Chesterfield Football Club's Saltergate ground will also be available until 8.30 tonight and during office hours on Friday. The match is not all- ticket.

Opponents Sheffield suffered a major blow to their top-five hopes when scrum half Mark Aston joined the casualty list in the 28-0 defeat at Wigan last night.

Aston, who aggravated a groin injury, now almost certainly faces surgery and a long lay-off. "It looks like an operation now. It's gone completely," said Sheffield Eagles coach John Kear.

The Eagles boss was full of praise for the Warriors, saying: "I thought that was the most complete defensive performance I've seen for a long time. Wigan were also outstanding with the ball in their hands.

"So rather than be filthy to my players I'm taking my hat off to applaud their performance. It resembled the Wigan of old."

As for the Eagles being forced to face the Warriors just three days after their defeat at Gateshead while Wigan had had a five- day break, he added: "If Super League do want games in midweek they should schedule a full round so that everybody plays and we are all on the same level playing field.

"We have to play Bradford next and they have just had a week off and we've just had a really tough game. You're behind the black ball straight away."

Wes Davies grabbed a brace of tries as the sorry Eagles faltered to an inspired six-try performance from the Warriors, who climb to third behind the Bulls. Mick Cassidy, Danny Moore, Kris Radlinski and Mark Reber also crossed for John Monie's men.

Troubled Hull Sharks have cancelled the contracts of experienced duo Martin Hall and former Bulls three-quarter Matt Calland. Hall, 30, is the current Welsh international hooker, while 27-year-old Calland has been severely restricted by back problems which blighted his career at Odsal.

Doctors eventually advised Calland to quit after making only a couple of experiences at The Boulevard following his close-season move to the Sharks. The release of the pair will be seen as a cost-cutting exercise by the Sharks, who are £1.6 million in debt.

Bulls A: Sykes; Johnson, Zisti, Brown, Harper; Langley, Horne; Birchall, Pickles, Julian, R Parker, Dwyer, Radford. Subs: Banks, Thomas, Walker, Murray.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.