Goulding named as Rochdale coach

Bobbie Goulding has taken over as the player-coach at Rochdale Hornets - on a voluntary basis. The former Great Britain scrum-half has agreed a 12-month contract with the National League One club and could start work this week.

Goulding is showing his commitment by doing the job without a salary, and Ray Taylor, the club's chairman, said: "I'm absolutely delighted. I can see the way forward for this club now, because he will ignite interest in the town. Bobbie has had a minor ankle operation, but he is keen to play as well."

Goulding has not played professionally since the end of the 2002 season at Leigh, but he has been coaching his local club, Widnes St Maries. He takes over from Martin Hall, who resigned last week and is favourite to become Hull KR's new coach.

The Wigan chairman, Maurice Lindsay, has written to the Rugby League urging radical changes in the way that Super League's salary cap is administered. Wigan this week released two of their young players, Sean Briscoe and Paul Johnson, who is set to join Bradford today, in order to comply with their £1.8m limit.

But Lindsay has suggested to the RFL's executive chairman, Richard Lewis, that an allowance should be made for home-grown players who progress through the ranks to play representative rugby. He also believes that imported players, who do not qualify for Great Britain, should count on the salary cap for more than the value of their contracts.

"This is not for Wigan's benefit. It is for the good of the game," said Lindsay, who has denied any plans to sign St Helens' Test centre, Martin Gleeson. "We are not clearing the decks to bring in other players. We are letting players go because we have no choice."

The former Wigan coach Stuart Raper has agreed a two-year contract to replace the sacked Chris Anderson as the coach of Cronulla.

Featherstone have re-signed Richard Newlove from Wakefield. Swinton are to announce that they will play at home next season at Sedgeley Park's rugby union ground.

The Bradford side West Bowling will host the Moscow club Dinamo in the second round of the Challenge Cup.