Dismissed Anderson may turn to Britain

Chris Anderson, who led Australia to their 3-0 Ashes series win over Great Britain last month, has been sacked by his club. The Kangaroos coach returned home to a showdown with Cronulla, who had already set the wheels in motion for his dismissal after a strife-torn season.

"I'm bitterly disappointed," Anderson said. The question now is whether he will hang on to his job with Australia for next season's Tri-Nations tournament in Britain. The Queensland faction at the Australian Rugby League is in favour of ditching him, and he himself has hinted that he might not stay on without a role at club level.

Anderson, 50, who had great success with Halifax in the mid-80s, could opt to revive his club career in England. He is expected to be replaced at the Sharks by Stuart Raper, who left Wigan midway through last season, and has already been supervising pre-season training at Cronulla.

At Raper's old club, two members of the first-team squad are for sale as Wigan try to get within their salary cap. They have told the promising full-back Sean Briscoe and Paul Johnson, a centre whose versatility has already seen him capped by Great Britain, that they are being sacrificed. Briscoe has already been the target of keen interest from Hull, while Bradford have emerged as favourites to sign Johnson.