Matthew Elliott is fixing all his attentions on Sunday's top five showdown at St Helens and refusing to be distracted by continued speculation over the future of his overseas contingent.

Despite no official confirmation from Odsal there are strong indications that Cronulla three-quarter Nick Zisti has agreed a three year deal with the Bulls raising further question marks over the futures of skipper Graeme Bradley and fellow Aussie Jeremy Donougher whose deals run out at the end of the season.

Balmain centre Michael Withers has also gone public on his alleged deal with the Bulls while Newcastle Knights forward Wayne Richards has been suggested as another target.

But Elliott said: "All my efforts at the moment are concerned with getting the most out of the current season.

"I do not intend to be distracted by speculation about what might be happening next year

"Tevita Vaikona coming off the quota next season gives us some breathing space. But we have important business to do this weekend and that is the only thing on my mind."

Saints forward Vila Matautia will miss Sunday night's match after being banned for one match for throwing a punch in a reserve game at Huddersfield.

Meanwhile Leeds coach Graham Murray has tipped London Broncos to make the top five but tonight will be doing his best to stop them achieving their goal.

A run of three successive wins put the Broncos back on course for the Super League play-offs.

But an agonising 18-15 defeat by Wigan last week pushed them back to seventh spot, four points adrift of the fifth-placed Bulls.

"I think London will make the top five," said Murray. "But it is up to us to try and stop them and we will be looking at our own form as we aim to maintain our position in the top three.

"They have won three out of their last four and I think they were unlucky against Wigan so they are in reasonable form.

"They will come to Headingley with a new-found confidence, so we can expect a tough match."

After their close shave against Wigan, and a heart-breaking last-gasp 14-13 defeat by the Rhinos at the Stoop in May, Broncos boss Tony Currie is adamant that his side are due for a change in fortune.

Currie, who scored 35 tries in 65 appearances for Leeds in the mid-Eighties, said: "We were very unlucky to lose to Leeds down here, it was very similar to what happened against Wigan.

"We are hoping for a change of luck because it's going to be tough. We're playing one and two in consecutive weeks but I like to play Leeds, their style of game suits us. They play a power game in the forwards and have speed and finesse among the backs. It could go right down to the wire again. We are due for a bit of luck."

London are still without winger Martin Offiah and influential forward Terry Matterson sits out the match with a chronic calf problem.

Leeds are virtually at full strength, with Iestyn Harris continuing in the stand-off role in the absence of knee injury victim Tony Kemp.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.