BRADFORD BULLS struggled yesterday to quash mounting reports captain Paul Deacon is in line for a shock move to Wigan Warriors – and the Odsal club are set to replace their scrum-half with Australian star Matt Orford.
Bulls spokesman Stuart Duffy described them as "all rumour and speculation" but Wigan are believed to have agreed a deal to take the former Great Britain international, who still has one year to run on his contract.
Reports in Sydney suggest Orfor
d, 31, is poised to quit reigning world club champions Manly Sea Eagles for the lure of Super League.
Manly chairman Scott Penn has insisted Orford was part of the club's plans for 2010 and described the reports as "hearsay" but the former Melbourne Storm half-back is out of contract and has yet to agree a new deal.
Wigan-born Deacon, 30, still lives in the town and has often been linked with the Warriors in the past, most notably since his Bulls coach Brian Noble joined them in another major shock three years ago.
However, while Bradford prop Stuart Fielden did switch in a world record £440,000 deal, the club's record points-scorer remained at Odsal where he has won every honour in the game since joining from Oldham in 1998.
Now heading towards the twilight of his career, Deacon is unlikely to be first-choice scrum-half at Wigan due to the presence of New Zealand World Cup winner Thomas Leuluai.
However, it is believed a switch to the DW Stadium would include a coaching role with the club's juniors while also providing half-back cover and a mentoring role with 20-year-old England international stand-off Sam Tomkins.
Deacon has been dogged by injuries over the last couple of seasons and has struggled to consistently recapture the form which saw him integral to the Bulls' five-year stretch of consecutive Grand Final appearances, ending in their last title in 2005.
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan maintained his stance of not commenting on speculation while the Bulls will already have three of Orford's former Manly team-mates at Odsal next season, with prop Glenn Hall receiving his visa yesterday to link up again with Steve Menzies and Heath L'Estrange.
Bradford were thought to have agreed a deal with Gold Coast Titans winger Chris Walker for 2010 but there has been no announcement, prompting further speculation their last overseas spot could be for Orford.
Huddersfield Giants' New Zealand international Paul Whatuira is set to report for pre-season training on Monday after being released from a specialist mental health unit.
