Bradford bolster squad by signing Burke and Sutcliffe

Burke, 21, will train with his new team-mates for the first time today and comes straight into contention for Friday’s trip to Hull FC.

Although still learning his trade, the second-row played 17 times for Wigan last season as they went on to win a Super League and Challenge Cup double.

He featured in their 36-6 win at Odsal last April and came off the bench in their 46-24 win over Wakefield on Sunday.

Bradford coach Francis Cummins is delighted to be able to enhance his squad further as the troubled West Yorkshire club – still in administration and looking for a new owner – strive to continue their positive start on the pitch.

“Greg is a player I have known for a long time and is an impressive young forward,” he said.

“He is someone I have, in the past, looked to bring here on loan and I’m very excited about what he might produce over the next few weeks or so. We believe he’ll prove a real handful for the opposition and he certainly adds a huge amount to our pack.”

Sutcliffe, 19, will debut at the KC Stadium after completing his timely switch from Headingley.

Cummins said: “Liam is a hugely-talented player. He offers us another dimension and we expect him to improve our team. Liam is just a little unfortunate that some of the game’s greatest halves are in front of him at Rhinos.”

Chris Tuson will debut for Hull after returning from injury along with Liam Watts, but Hull KR prop Jonathan Walker is out for eight weeks after injuring knee ligaments. Team-mate Kris Welham is, though, free to play St Helens on Friday after accepting an early guilty plea for head-butting Luke Dorn.

Keighley Cougars’ player-coach Paul March has been banned for four games for ‘questioning the integrity of a match official’ against Doncaster.

Ex-Huddersfield Giants coach Phil Veivers is the new Workington Town chief.

Leeds-born England hooker Michael McIlorum has signed a new four-year contract at Wigan.