BLACKBURN Hawks manager Mike Cockayne has reacted with amazement to Solihull Barons' announcement that they have re-signed sharp-shooter Steve Chartrand.

Barons, the club Chartrand left to join Hawks last July, issued a statement announcing that French-Canadian Chartrand, who lives in the Black Country, had rejoined them on a three-year contract.

But Cockayne was today planning to contact the BIHA to inquire whether the Midlands outfit have lodged any official paperwork.

"This is the first I have heard about the matter," said the astonished Hawks boss.

"We were aware that Steve may well be talking to Solihull, but there hasn't been so much as a phone call to request permission to do that.

"I shall be onto the BIHA immediately because Solihull have obviously not gone through the right channels.

"You cannot conduct transfer business without involving the club the player is registered with and paid by."

Chartrand could well be tempted by the fact that his former club are to play in Super League at the NEC as Birmingham after the coming season.

And his loss would be a huge blow for Hawks fans already devastated by the departure of player-coach Ryan Kummu.

Chartrand topped the British Division One scoring charts last season with 110 goals and 141 assists as Hawks finished runners-up and made the promotion play-offs.

Meanwhile, club representatives meet in Whitley Bay this weekend to fine-tune the two-conference structure for the coming season, with Hawks almost certainly in the lower-wage-cap Wharry Conference.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.