Sale's Hanley set to swap codes

Steve Hanley, the British wing who comes nearest to matching gargantuan Jonah Lomu for size, is to swap codes for the summer and join St Helens with England's blessing.

The 21-year- old Cumbrian will be loaned to the Super League champions at the end of the union season, a move initiated by Sale Sharks to complete his rugby education with a term in the most demanding finishing school of all.

Hanley will make the switch after England return from their American tour in June, assuming he is selected.

England manager Clive Woodward, the first national union figure to tap into league expertise by putting former Great Britain Test coach Phil Larder in charge of defensive strategy, has given the initiative his approval.

'I have talked to Clive about it and he is fully in favour,' said Sale owner Brian Kennedy. 'We have a very good relationship with St Helens and our coaches are sure this will do a lot for Steve's game.'

Hanley's loan deal is another example of the recent spirit of co- operation between the codes after almost a century at daggers- drawn. Once the 15-a-side variety finally ended their charade of 'shamateurism', England's newly-professional union clubs have gone beyond importing league talent such as Ellery Hanley and Jason Robinson.

Just as Leicester have formed an alliance with Bradford Bulls, so Sale are discussing a similar deal with St Helens. That will include Saints' Australian coach Ian Millward working with Sale on defensive strategy in the way Larder does for England and Leicester.

Sale have dismissed fears of St Helens making Hanley's move permanent, however.

'He is a Sale player and will remain so,' said chief executive Peter Deakin. 'Ian Millward will do a fine job in looking after him for six-to-eight weeks.

'This is purely an off-season arrangement. There's no question of him staying there any longer than that, we want him to come back a far better player knowing that his long-term future is with us.'

Hanley, as tall as New Zealand's Lomu at 6ft 4in but considerably lighter at 16-and-a-half stone, played league for home-town Whitehaven as a schoolboy before reaching the Premiership via Aspatria.

He made his international debut in 1999 in the final game of the old Five Nations, scoring at Wembley on the day Wales ruined England's Grand Slam dream, diverting the title to Scotland instead.

He has not played for England since, due to a shoulder operation, plus the emergence of Dan Luger and Ben Cohen.