Millward's new attack angers Huddersfield

Huddersfield have hit back at the St Helens coach Ian Millward after he reopened the controversy over the late tackle almost two years ago that put Sean Long out for the rest of the season. Brandon Costin was suspended for three matches for the late challenge that led to Long wrecking knee ligaments in a bad landing and Millward launched a new attack on him yesterday.

"Still to this day I'm disappointed with the actions of that player, who didn't have the honesty to admit that he got it wrong," he said. "We all knew it was illegal. We had footage which we should have produced to the League but didn't, showing how late and deliberate it was."

Costin, now back with the Giants after a year at Bradford, will face Saints and Long on Sunday, but Huddersfield's chief executive, Ralph Rimmer, criticised Millward for raising the issue again.

"His comments are laughable," he said. "He spends his time trying to influence the officials of every game he's involved in and I'm bored with it. He goes around winding people up, but our coach and players are too professional to get involved."

In an unrelated decision, the Great Britain coach, David Waite, says that he will not appoint Millward, his fellow-Australian, to coach Lancashire in this year's Origin Games. Millward took charge successfully last year, beating Yorkshire in both games, but Waite believes the time is now right for a local coach to take the job.

"It worked well last year, but I'll be looking to give it to a British coach this time," said Waite, who will also be appointing home-grown coaches to take charge of the National Leagues 1 and 2 representative sides to play New Zealand A this autumn.

"There are opportunities coming up for a lot of people," he said.

Waite also welcomed the chance for his Great Britain team to play the Kiwi tourists before their Test series against Australia. It will be their only warm-up game and he believes it will be ideal preparation.

Wigan expect to have all their injured players, with the exception of their captain, Andy Farrell, fit to return for their game against the London Broncos on Friday night. Terry O'Connor, Mick Cassidy, Terry Newton and Brian Carney should be available, but Farrell is taking longer than expected to get match-fit after minor knee surgery.