MICKEY Higham has left the Centurions - not for Halifax Blue Sox but for Super League Grand Final winners St Helens.

He has signed a three-year contract and will make his debut in the Boxing Day friendly against Wigan.

Saints came up on the rails for the 19-year-old hooking star after a Rugby League arbitration panel ruled he was a free agent.

Higham has linked up with his former Hilton Park coach Ian Millward while Leigh will receive a 'significant' fee and two players in return.

Meanwhile full-back Stuart Donlan has joined the Blue Sox to bring to a close a messy transfer tug-of-war that's dragged on since last summer.

Higham has signed a three-year deal at Knowsley Road while Donlan has put pen to paper on a one year contract with a one year option. But Leigh will only receive £2000 for Donlan - and that only if he takes up the second year of his contract. "The two players were separate issues really and it was only because of the Halifax interest that things became a single deal in some people's eyes," says Leigh's head coach Paul Terzis.

"Stuart made it quite clear his preferred option was Halifax, and that was his choice. Michael was unsure which road to go down and when Saints declared their interest he felt that was the best way to go.

"The Leigh club's main concern was the well-being of the players and getting the right deal for the club. There's nothing we can do about the Stuart situation but we did have some control over Michael going to St Helens.

"We've got a transfer fee that better reflects Michael's true value and we've got two good young players as well.

"We know that Michael will be well coached and well-looked after at St Helens. It's a great career move for him where he can continue to learn his trade under one of the best hookers in the business, Keiron Cunningham."

In the exchange deal Leigh have taken 21-year-old reserve team hooker John Hamilton and 22-year-old utility back Jason Johnson. "In many ways I'm glad to get the whole thing concluded so that we can now concentrate on the new season," Terzis adds.

"The whole saga leaves all parties with plenty of lessons to learn."

Furious Halifax officials are threatening to call in the Rugby League to probe Mickey Higham's move from the Centurions to Saints.

The Blue Sox thought Higham was their man but the teenage hooker has opted to switch to Knowsley Road.

Halifax chief executive Nigel Wood says: "As far as we are concerned Higham was our player provided he gained his release from Leigh, which he did last week.

"We want the RFL to examine whether he's been induced to break his agreement with us."

Eric Hughes, the St Helens football manager, responded. "We've conducted negotiations with Leigh in good faith and we're quite happy to let the RFL investigate if that's what Halifax want."