Catalans to Thwart Saints' Potter Bid

St Helens' hopes of appointing Mick Potter as a replacement coach for Daniel Anderson could be thwarted by Catalans Dragons.

Potter, 43, is St Helens' top target to replace Anderson, who is returning to Australia for family reasons at the end of the season after four glory years in charge.

Potter has led Catalans, the Perpignan-based club, to their best run of six unbeaten matches as they have climbed to third place in the Engage Super League. He also steered Catalans to a Carnegie Challenge Cup final last year, when they were beaten by St Helens, and the French club have made rapid strides since he succeeded Steve Deakin, who is now at Oldham, two years ago.

Potter is out of contract at the end of the season and has also been linked with a move to National Rugby League strugglers Canterbury Bulldogs in Australia.

The quietly-spoken and deep-thinking Potter has the credentials to make him an obvious choice for St Helens.

However, Catalans have now offered the former full-back a new contract and their chairman, Bernard Guasch, is confident they can persuade him to stay in the south of France.

Guasch, whose side visit Featherstone Rovers in the Challenge Cup fourth round on Sunday, said: "We expect Mick to re-sign within the next week. We have made him an offer, there is still a lot of work to be done in Perpignan and I believe Mick will stay another two years.

"His first choice would be to return to Australia, because he has two children in Sydney, but the offers he is likely to receive I think mean he will stay with us."

Ian Millward, the North Queensland Cowboys assistant coach, could be set for a surprise return to his old club, Leigh, but any move to St Helens can be ruled out.

The Super League hopefuls are looking for a new coach after the resignation of Darren Shaw last week.

Millward, who took charge at St Helens and Wigan after leaving Leigh, would prefer a move to a Super League outfit but an approach from his first club in this country could be tempting.

Hull are linked with a move for Tony Puletua, the New Zealand Test forward who will be allowed to leave Penrith Panthers despite having 18 months of his contract to run.

Clint Newton, man of the match in Hull Kingston Rovers' 20-18 victory over Bradford Bulls on Sunday, has been ordered to appear before the Rugby Football League disciplinary committee tonight charged with making a dangerous tackle.

Daily Telegraph