Bradford Bulls today laughed off reports of a £250,000 offer for Wigan starlet Lee Gilmour.

The report in a national newspaper said the champions had already had a £200,000 offer turned down.

But Bulls chairman Chris Caisley: "We have enquired about the player but the figures being talked about are way off the mark. We would not pay anything like that for a 20-year-old."

The Bulls search for new talent seems unlikely to bear fruit in time to ease their chronic selection problems for Sunday's visit to Salford.

Coach Matthew Elliott has made extensive enquiries with First Division clubs over the last five days but admitted today: "There is no progress to report. At one point I was hopeful but the clubs concerned had a change of heart."

I understand one target was Keighley prop Adam Fogerty who recently signed until the end of the season at Cougar Park.

Elliott would not confirm a move for the former heavyweight boxer but confessed: "The physical demands on players are so much greater in Super League than in the First Division it makes entering the market outside the top flight very difficult.

To Page 35I understand one target was Keighley prop Adam Fogerty who recently signed until the end of the season at Cougar Park after spells with Halifax, St Helens and Warrington.

Elliott would not confirm a move for the former heavyweight boxer but confessed: "The physical demands on players are so much greater in Super League than in the First Division it makes entering the market outside the top flight very difficult.

"We will keep plugging away but at the moment I don't see any more options open to us.

"I had been saying for a few months that we needed one more player but that is now two due to the recent injury problems."

The players were reporting back for training today and Elliott is anxiously awaiting news on scrum-half Shaun Edwards who missed the Wigan defeat with a sternum injury.

Teenager Paul Deacon is on stand-by to make his debut if the former Great Britain ace is ruled out again. Matt Calland, another absentee last week, is given a less than 50-50 chance of recovering from a hamstring injury.

Elliott also awaits tonight's verdict from the disciplinary committee on hooker James Lowes following his dismissal against the Warriors for dissent.

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