FORMER Leigh skipper John Pendlebury is doing his bit to help his old club.

Pendlebury, now coach of Super League club Halifax Blue Sox, has recommended two of his young forwards to his Hilton Park opposite number Keith Latham.

Second rower Paul Highton and goal-kicking prop Adam James are out of contract and would be allowed to leave Thrum Hall on extended loan.

Highton has considerable Super League experience while James made four first team appearances last season.

"I've had a good long chat with John Pendlebury who says he will do everything he can to help us out," revealed Leigh chairman Mick Higgins.

"John rang us to say both players were being released and if we fancied them he would try to 'sell' Leigh to the players. It's a tremendous gesture."

Meanwhile Higgins is still waiting to learn if his plea to the League for extra News Corporation money has been successful.

"I understand the RL Board of Directors discussed the applications from ourselves and Widnes yesterday. So far nobody at Red Hall has had the courtesy to let us know the outcome."

As it stands Leigh and Widnes would only receive allocations of £90,000 while all other Division One clubs will each get £390,000.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.