Farrell determined to make Wigan side after broken nose

The Wigan captain, Andy Farrell, wants to play against Wakefield on Friday, despite a badly broken nose that he has been told should keep him out for the best part of a month. Farrell led his side to an epic victory over Leeds after suffering the injury, which usually means a three- to four-week lay-off.

The Wigan captain, Andy Farrell, wants to play against Wakefield on Friday, despite a badly broken nose that he has been told should keep him out for the best part of a month. Farrell led his side to an epic victory over Leeds after suffering the injury, which usually means a three- to four-week lay-off.

"It's very swollen, but he's running around like there's nothing wrong," said Wigan's acting coach, Denis Betts, yesterday. "He's a possibility for Wakefield. Telling him he's not playing will be a lot harder than telling him he is."

The St Helens coach, Ian Millward, has denied the club is ready to bring in Chris Thorman on a short-term contract to cover for the absence of Sean Long. Thorman joined the Australian club, Parramatta, from London this year, but is thought to be ready to return home.

Saints will be without Long until the last round of the regular season after he and Martin Gleeson were suspended for illicit betting, but Millward says he will manage without reinforcements.

"Unless we have a lot of injuries, I wouldn't envisage bringing anyone in," Millward said.

Millward is working on individual training regimes for Long and Gleeson, so that they can be ready for Great Britain duty in the Tri-Nations and, in Long's case, for the Super League play-offs.

"It's harder mentally for Martin, because his season with us is over," he said.

UTC Perpignan, the French club earmarked for Super League in 2006, have re-signed their English coach, Steve Deakin, for another two years.

"I'm delighted, because that takes me through the first year of Super League," he said.

Canberra have announced that the Hull captain, Jason Smith, is joining them next season. Hull are close to unveiling the New Zealand Test scrum-half, Stacey Jones, as their major signing for 2005.

Newcastle Knights and the Australian Rugby League are worried about losing their highest-profile player, Andrew Johns, to rugby union. Johns yesterday described the issue of which code he will be playing next season as "too hot to handle."

The Rugby League is to take no action over allegations from Wakefield supporters that a hooter was sounded from the area of the stand near the Salford directors when Trinity were lining up goal-kicks on Sunday.