Bulls skipper Graeme Bradley is to receive a written warning from the Rugby Football League after a scathing attack on refereeing standards in his exclusive Yorkshire Sports column.

Officials at Red Lane were angered by his remarks last Saturday, and the matter was referred to Monday's meeting of the game's Operational Board by Referees' Director Geoff Berry.

Now Bradley is to be warned as to his future conduct in a letter from RFL chief executive Neil Tunnicliffe.

"We are all for players expressing opinions and writing columns," said RFL media manager Peter Rowe. "But we feel they should try and help give the game a better profile, as they will benefit from that in the long run."

Bradley had been particularly critical of referees' attitudes, writing: "It annoys me when they adopt a schoolteacher mentality, refusing to be addressed and talking down to players, instead of seeking their co-operation.

"Against Rochdale we were reduced to 12 men because a player asked 'how was that a knock-on?' Surely if the referee has the conviction to make a decision, he can explain his reasoning.

"But no, our Mr Untouchables have divine right, and we (whom the public play to watch play) must bow to their almighty power."

Meanwhile, Castleford are hoping for their biggest crowd for four years when the Bulls visit Wheldon Road for Satur-day's televised Challenge Cup fifth round tie.

Tigers officials hope to get near the 11,091 that watched the tour match against Australia in 1994, although Saturday's tie is not all-ticket. The ground capacity is 11,750.

The Bulls - the game's best supported club in 1997 - expect to take up to 5,000 fans as they seek a hat-trick of Wembley appearances.

Tickets remain on sale at Odsal until 5.30 tonight and Friday and until 8.30pm tomorrow.

First Division Dewsbury are preparing to fly Australian forward David O'Donnell to Amsterdam and back in an effort to play him against Wigan in the cup on Sunday.

The Rams have been refused a work permit for the former captain of Paris St Germain, but are hopeful of winning an appeal to the Department for Education and Employment this week.

If that comes through, Dewsbury will book him on an early morning return flight to the Dutch capital on Friday.

Dewsbury official Bob McDermott explains: "You can't obtain a work permit for an overseas player while he is in the country so we have made provisional arrangements to fly him to Amsterdam and back on the same plane.

"We have made inquiries and we know we can get him on a flight early on Friday morning so he would be back for lunch-time."

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