Rugby League: Goodway favoured for job at Paris

Rugby League

Andy Goodway is the favourite to become the new coach of Paris St-Germain later this week after John Monie's ruled himself out of contention for the job.

Monie, sacked as coach of Auckland Warriors two weeks ago, was sounded out over his availability for the Paris role, but has said that he does not want it.

"It is not quite true to say that he was offered the job," a Rugby League spokesman said. "He was one of a number of people sounded out to see whether they might be available.''

It is understood that Goodway, another recent coaching casualty at Oldham, is ready to tackle the challenge. Paris have won just two matches this season - the second at Castleford on Sunday - and their coach, Peter Mulholland, was dismissed last week.

The Wigan prop, Terry O'Connor, is out of the Ireland side to play France in Paris tonight. O'Connor injured his ankle in Wigan's victory over London Broncos on Friday night and is likely to be replaced by Leo Casey of Swinton.

The French side includes six players from Super League - four from Paris, plus Wigan's Gael Tallec and Jean-Marc Garcia of Sheffield.

Castleford, bottom of Super League, without a point from their 10 games, are completing the signing of the Great Britain tour winger, Jason Critchley, from Keighley. Adrian Flynn, the Great Britain Under-21 centre, is to move in the opposite direction in part exchange.

Warrington have told St Helens that they have no intention of selling their international back-rower, Paul Sculthorpe.

The game in South Wales is being relaunched with the establishment of a rugby league academy in Cardiff as the focus of a development programme in the Principality.

The code there has been badly hit by the collapse of the professional club in Cardiff after they were denied a place in Super League, but the League's development executive, Tom O'Donovan, said: "We still regard South Wales as having massive potential for both rugby league and Super League.''