OLEG Sinkov could be staying with Blackburn Hawks...but player-coach Ryan Kummu will not be returning.

Hawks have revealed that they are prepared to "fight all the way" to keep hold of Russian superstar Sinkov for next season. Arena officials claim that talk of his departure - to Humberside - is premature. While Sinkov is understood to have given a "verbal yes" to the Super League outfit, no contract has been signed.

Hawks manager Mike Cockayne, who has seen his squad ripped apart through the outgoing moves of John Haig (Humberside) and Steve Chartrand (Solihull), says: "I am currently trying to make contact with Oleg over in Kiev and we certainly haven't given up hope.

"Oleg was not only very popular here last season, he also enjoyed being with us. His family liked living in the Ribble Valley and, I believe, he could yet return to play with Blackburn Hawks."

As in most sports these cash-conscious days, it could come down to which club is prepared to stack up the biggest pile of pennies.

"Obviously we have a strict budget, but, within that structure, we will be doing our level best to retain Oleg and attract other top players."

Sinkov scored more than 200 points last season, forging a particularly fruitful partnership with Chartrand after arriving at the Arena following the collapse of Trafford.

But while hope remains over Sinkov, the prospects of Kummu returning to the Arena are minimal.

The big Canadian, so influential last season, is looking for a contract as a player only and he is likely to find Cardiff more than prepared to meet him on his own terms.

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