WORCESTER Warriors look set to battle it out with Newcastle Falcons for Matt Burke.

The Sixways club held talks with the Australian legend earlier in the week before the 31-year-old jetted off to the North East yesterday to meet Rob Andrew.

Burke, though, is understood to have been impressed with the Sixways set up and the squad being put together by coaches John Brain and Andy Keast.

Brain revealed that Worcester have now put a financial package to Burke. "We've put forward an offer to Matt so it's now a decision for him," said Brain.

"As I understand, Newcastle are the only other English team interested. He's come to Worcester, seen the facilities, met our chairman Cecil Duckworth and I think he was impressed.

"Certainly he was surprised just how far forward we were with our recruitment. I think he thought that the uncertainty over promotion may have affected us but, if Matt signs, he'll probably be the final signing.

"He knows Tom Bowman and Drew Hickey from his New South Wales days and I think he'll be talking to them about Worcester. I also think, however, that he will be consulting a number of people about what is, after all, a big career decision."

Capped 76 times by the Wallabies, and with 119 appearances for the New South Wales Waratahs under his belt, the full back has scored 866 Test points and was in the 1999 Australian World Cup-winning side.