THE £375,000 deal that finally took Iestyn Harris away from Wilderspool yesterday was easily a record for Warrington Wolves.

Warrington will be allowing new coach Darryl Van de Velde to asssess the squad before deciding on how part of the money can be spent on team strengthening.

Chairman Peter Higham says: "Some of the money was spent last November on Tony Tatupu and Nigel Vagana as we were expecting a Harris deal to go through then."

But a prop forward is a priority and Warrington hope to be making one signing as well as using the money for work on the ground and the leisure centre bordering the ground.

It was a case of Leeds' chief executive Gary Hetherington finally getting his man as he had also been trying to sign Harris for his previous club, Sheffield Eagles.

The Rhinos beat Wigan to the Great Britain international's capture, after favourites St. Helens pulled out of the chase for financial reasons.

The package also brings Paul Sculthorpe's 17-year-old brother, Danny, a prop, to Warrington from Headingley.

He has shown good form this season and is even bigger than Warrington's other promising young prop, Warren Stevens.

Harris's departure puts an end to eight months of bitter wrangling between the player and club. He was on the transfer-list at £1.35million and refused to switch to Rugby Union when Llanelli offered £800,000 for him.

Harris' non-departure was helping to drag down morale at Wilderspool and the final straw was Harris' appearance in a works' football team before pulling out of a Wolves game through injury.

Chief executive at Warrington, John Smith, said: "We're happy with the deal.

"It has been a terrible affair with Saints promising him the earth and then leading him down the garden path for nine months.

"It has been a shame for the lad. Saints failed to offer us anything like a realistic package."

Warrington were threatening to sue Harris for a breach of contract when he played a soccer match without permission prior to Warrington's opening Super League game at Bradford Bulls.

Now Smith says: "Part of the package with Leeds is to draw a line to that whole mess. It is not good for Rugby League to have all that going on."

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