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Heading north Ainscough to leave NRL for England's Wigan
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- St.George-Illawarra will release winger Jamie Ainscough to English Super League club Wigan at the end of this year, Dragons' chief executive Peter Doust said Thursday. "He's contracted for 2002 but he requested early in the year a release if he was able to secure a long-term contract in England," Doust told Reuters. "He has relatives over there." Doust admitted that the Dragons, who are currently eighth in the Australian National Rugby League, had "mixed emotions" about losing the 28-year-old considering his excellent form. He scored a wonderful individual try for New South Wales in its 26-8 win against Queensland in game two of the State of Origin series in Sydney on Sunday night. But Doust said Ainscough would leave with the club's best wishes. He also dismissed speculation that winger Nathan Blacklock, controversially left out of the New South Wales team in favour of Ainscough despite being the league's leading try-scorer, was considering switching to rugby union. "I've just been speaking with Nathan at training. Nathan's contracted until the end of 2004," Doust said. "Nothing's changed as far as we're concerned or as far as Nathan's concerned. He's obviously been disappointed by the Origin selection process. "He's a rugby league player and I think he'll get that (Origin) breakthrough. "It's a bit of a publicity storm. We're not fussed by that." Australian World Cup final players Mat Rogers from the Sharks and Brisbane's Wendell Sailor, both wingers, have signed to play Super 12 rugby union in Australia next year.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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