Millward planning top-flight return with Salford after applying to assist McRae

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Ian Millward could be on his way back to Super League with Salford. The former St Helens and Wigan coach, now in his second spell with the Championship club, Leigh, has applied for the job of assistant to Shaun McRae.

Millward was highly successful at Saints but less so during a short stint with Wigan, before returning to his native Australia for jobs at North Queensland and Canberra. He is under contract at Leigh, but they now have no prospect of Super League status until 2015 at the earliest and would be unlikely to be able to keep him.

McRae likewise has another year left on his contract at Salford, but it would be hard to avoid the impression that Millward would be a head coach in waiting. The City Reds, desperate to make an impact in their last season at The Willows, have already recruited heavily in the player market for next year.

Leeds' appeal against Danny Buderus' one-match suspension for a dangerous tackle in the play-off win at Wigan at the weekend has succeeded. A hearing supported the original guilty verdict, but lifted the ban after viewing the incident from a different angle.

The Hull KR coach, Justin Morgan, has expressed surprise that Wigan's Joel Tomkins is free to play against them tomorrow night after appearing to kick an opponent during the game against Leeds. Tomkins was placed on report but not charged with an offence.

The Australian club Penrith have admitted an interest in Gareth Hock, the Wigan forward who is serving a two-year ban for taking cocaine. Hock has nine months of his suspension to serve and is widely expected to be offered a new contract by his home-town club, but Penrith's hand could be strengthened when Hock's former coach at Wigan, Brian Noble, joins them.

The Catalan Dragons have continued their recruitment for next season by signing the Manly full-back or centre, Ben Farrar.

Sheffield Eagles could take out an injunction to prevent their former player Sam Barlow playing against them for Halifax in the Championship Final Eliminator. Sheffield claim that there is an agreement between the clubs that he will not play.

Stanley Gene is the new coach of Papua New Guinea for this autumn's Four Nations following the resignation of Adrian Lam. He is unlikely to play in the tournament, however, after his season at Halifax was ruined by injury.