BOLTON Mets rugby league club will start the new campaign with only 12 players unless they can make some urgent recruitments.

Their pre-season campaign has already been cut short and may be scrapped altogether as they cannot even field a full starting line-up.

The summer scramble for players is an annual event for Bolton's only major rugby league club, who face a constant battle to compete for attention in a heavily football orientated region. But with props Stuart Rogers, retired, and Stephen Rogers, working away, Mets are as desperate as ever.

"We are only three or four weeks off the start of the season and we are really struggling to get a team together," said the club's head coach Chris Brown.

"With only 12 players, I can't even arrange a pre-season friendly. It's only at times like this that you realise how desperate you are.

"We are even trying to talk Stuart (Rogers) out of retirement because we have no props left. We could also do with a recognised stand off because I had to play there last year and I'm only a winger.

"If we don't get these players in time for the new season, we will just have to play with 12 men and battle on."

Bolton Mets train at Withins School on Thursdays from 7-9pm.

Anyone interested in playing for them this season should contact Chris Brown on 383070.