Storm warning offers little hope

Manchester Storm, who need an injection of £150,000 to stay afloat, have failed to persuade Superleague that their survival chances are anything other than slim.

The Superleague board will meet today to discuss a rescue plan put forward by the Storm's owner Gary Cowan, who is only two thirds of the way towards finding the money he needs. Brian Storey, the league's administration officer, said: "I'm hoping something will happen and haven't given up all hope, but it's not looking good." The Storm have postponed their past five matches, five players left the club last week, and three more will fly back to North America today to look for new jobs. "I was optimistic on Friday but nothing happened over the weekend to make me think there was a solution," Storey said.

"It's not quite the 12th hour but it's one minute to midnight. As time wears on I get more and more deflated. At times like this someone sometimes crawls out of the woodwork with a rescue plan, but it would take two weeks to form a new company and we don't have that long." The Storm have two home games scheduled this week, against the Scottish Eagles on Thursday and London Knights on Sunday, but the patience of the unpaid players has been tested to breaking point and there is little chance that the games will take place.

Cowan is believed to have asked the remaining players to stay loyal on the promise that the takings from the London match would be paid to them via the players' association. But the offer was rejected by the majority of players, some of whom requested and were granted immediate release.

The Storm had been an instant success when formed in 1995, and a crowd of the 17,245 against Sheffield in 1999 was a European record. But they finished bottom last season and crowds dropped. Only 2,500 watched their last match at the MEN Arena and only half paid as free tickets were handed out in a desperate attempt to generate a crowd.