Sir Rodney Walker, the chairman of the Rugby Football League, has indicated he might be prepared to seek a government intervention to prevent the loss of the sport's star players to Rugby Union.

Speaking as chairman of the RFL Sir Rodney said: "While we are quite prepared to concede that Rugby Union clubs have the right to approach our players once their contracts have expired and vice versa what is fundamentally different from previous years is that the one governing body is now making funds available to acquire players from another governing body's sport.

"What you have to bear in mind is that the RFU is a governing body now attacking the sport of another governing body and effectively damaging their ability to compete on the international stage. As late as April this year I had meeting with high-level officials of the Rugby Football Union who assured us that they had no intention of damaging our sport and events during the last few days would suggest that we were being misled.

"The RFU are in receipt of considerable government funding and I believe that as chairman of the RFL it is my duty to place matter before the Minister for Sport the Right Honourable Richard Caborn MP. It is regrettable we have to consider such drastic action but we have to defend our position".

Kris Radlinski and Keiron Cunningham are widely known to have been approached by the RFU about a switch of codes, the latter having already been in discussions with the WRU and Swansea as he continues to pledge his international loyalty to Wales.

However, the deal announced this week that signals an end to the bitter feuding between the clubs and the RFU has sparked renewed bids to lure league personnel. Today former Great Britain coach Andy Goodway accepted a position with Northampton.

Earlier this year league officials bitterly condemned the RFU for approaching not just players but development staff and even physiotherapists pointing to former RFL employee Joe Lydon as the man they felt was using his old contacts in his new job.

Then they approached the government as both sports receive finding through Sport England saying it was "morally wrong" that one sport supported by public money should seek to undermine another sport also supported by public money.

Since, a group of politicians have taken up the cause raising the issue in Parliament.