Cadle cool on rule change

The fans who watch this weekend's Budweiser League play-offs at Wembley Arena when London Towers play Manchester Giants and Sheffield Sharks face Birmingham Bullets, may be seeing English players such as Steve Bucknall, Martin Henlan, Trevor Gordon and Roger Huggins for the last time, writes Duncan Hooper.

The league's decision to allow five foreigners per team next season instead of two, could force the better English players to join Continental clubs as English teams spend their money on imports. At least two clubs, London Leopards and Chester Jets are lining up five Americans each for next season.

This is a route that Towers' coach, Kevin Cadle, will not be following. Cadle, whose players are poised to complete a clean sweep of all four domestic trophies, said: "Most English clubs can't recruit two good Americans, so how do they think they'll suddenly find five?"