Iestyn Harris today becomes a Bradford Bull and will make his debut in the home match against Wakefield on Sunday week.

The contract binding the former Leeds Rhinos star to the Headingley club in the event that he quit rugby union is believed to be unenforceable, clearing the way for the stand off to join the Bulls, who will not have to pay the Rhinos compensation.

Harris is believed to have signed a three-year deal worth £200,000 a year. The club have removed injured players Toa Kohe-Love and Tevita Vaikona from the 20-20 register - meaning their salaries no longer count - to accommodate Harris' salary under the £1.4m cap.

That move is only a temporary measure and it is not yet clear whether the club will pension off the players or part with another high-profile player next season. With Leon Pryce likely to be moved to centre on a permanent basis, Kohe-Love looks the most vulnerable, even though he is in the first year of a three-year deal.

However, Kohe-Love, who is recovering from a serious knee injury, said yesterday the club had not spoken to him about the matter.

"I don't know what's going on with Iestyn. That's got nothing to do with me. I'm just trying to get myself fit," he said.

Harris' signing will provide a timely boost for the Bulls, who will be missing star Australian full back Mick Withers for up to ten weeks after a scan revealed damage to his left knee was more serious than first believed.

Withers strained his medial

collateral knee ligament - the same injury that sidelined Logan Swann for eight weeks at the beginning of the season - against Huddersfield a fortnight ago. He has been granted leave to return to Australia for treatment and to recharge his batteries.

Losing Withers was a major blow but coach Brian Noble was confident he would be back in plenty of time for the play-offs.

"We will miss him badly," said Noble. "We are disappointed and Mick is disappointed because we felt he was having his best game of the season against Huddersfield. But we crack on.

"It is just another bit of adversity that we are going to have to put up with. The reality is that we can't open up a new can of Mick Withers, so we have to get on with what we've got - and I'm confident in what we've got."

The Bulls are fortunate to have a tailor-made replacement in Stuart Reardon, who put in a man-of-match performance in last year's Grand Final triumph.