Goulding suspended for three matches

Bobbie Goulding, the St Helens captain, has been suspended for three matches for a head-high tackle in the match against Halifax last Sunday.

Thanks to one Alliance team game counting towards his ban, Goulding will be available for Saints' Regal Trophy semi-final against Warrington but will miss the Boxing Day derby at Wigan.

Goulding, also fined pounds 200, was cited on video evidence after an incident which Halifax allege left their prop, John Fieldhouse, with a broken jaw.

"The committee could not be certain the jaw was broken in that tackle, but obviously any high tackle has the potential of causing injury," the League's spokeman, Paul Harrison, said.

Craig Innes of Leeds has been found not guilty of a dangerous tackle in their Regal Trophy tie against Carlisle.

Halifax's Great Britain forward, Paul Moriarty, wants to return to South Wales, but his club has warned it will cost pounds 65,000 to take him back to rugby union. Moriarty, who joined Widnes from Swansea in 1989 and is currently out of action with a knee injury, has a clause in his contract that means Halifax cannot stand in his way if they are offered what they paid for him.

Thanks to a recent increment, that now amounts to pounds 65,000. "We have heard all the rumours, but we have had no formal approach from anyone," the Halifax chief executive, Nigel Wood, said. "Paul remains a valuable member of our first team."

Halifax and Sheffield Eagles have proposed a new structure for the Challenge Cup, in which the first round would be played in eight groups of five before the Super League season, from 1997.

Warrington's Australian scrum-half, Greg Mackey, will make his final appearance as a substitute against Castleford tonight before flying home on Sunday. Mackey has spoken about the possiblity of rejoining them, and was also linked with the coaching job at the Super League club in Paris.

Warrington have signed the 20-year-old second-row forward, Paul Barrow, from Swinton for a substantial but undisclosed fee.