Goulding pays a special penalty

Rugby League

The St Helens and Great Britain scrum-half Bobbie Goulding has almost certainly played his last match for the club this season after being given a unique two-tiered suspension.

Goulding was sent off for a high tackle on Jamie Matthiou during the Super League match against Leeds on 25 August. He has been banned for four matches, or until 20 October, whichever is the sooner.

That means that, even if Saints go all the way to the Premiership final at Old Trafford, Goulding will be ruled out of their World Club Championship quarter-final at Brisbane.

If, on the other hand, they are knocked out in the next round of both competitions, Goulding will still be free to play - if selected - for Great Britain in the three-Test series against Australia in November, despite having served only a two-match ban.

It is an ingenious - and rather slippery - way of avoiding damaging British prospects in that series. The St Helens chief executive, David Howes, said: "We are grateful to the committee for taking an hour to consider the case and for taking into account both club and country."

Even though it is lighter than expected, the ban completes a miserable season for Goulding. He was suspended for eight matches, reduced on appeal to six, for a high tackle on Wigan's Neil Cowie in a Challenge Cup tie; he has been stripped of the St Helens captaincy after developing an increasingly stormy relationship with his coach, Shaun McRae, and some of his team- mates; most seriously of all, his newborn daughter has been critically ill in hospital.

Matthiou is still out of Leeds' side to play Oldham on Monday because of the after-effects of his concussion. He was unconscious for five minutes after the tackle.

Castleford have transfer-listed the winger Jason Roach and hooker Lee St Hilaire, who were both signed last November, and have released another winger, Diccon Edwards, who has rejoined Leeds rugby union club.

Carl Metcalfe has resigned as chairman of Keighley, citing poor health and threats to himself and his family. Metcalfe, who has been in charge during a year of financial turmoil which has seen the club in administration, has also quit as a director.