Cowie back in favour at Wigan

Rugby League

Wigan have settled their quarrel with their prop forward Neil Cowie, who was sent home in disgrace from Australia after skipping a training session.

Cowie, who has played for Wales and Great Britain, was expected to be put on the transfer list but the Wigan coach, Eric Hughes, said yesterday he had served a club suspension and was now back in full training. The club fined three other players last week for their behaviour on the flight home.

Wigan still face allegations of vote-rigging at the shareholders' meeting in May that kept its chairman, Jack Robinson, in power. The board has already agreed to a new vote in September but a Wigan fan has made specific accusations over the rigging of proxy votes.

The Wigan referee Robert Connolly has complained over remarks by the Salford coach, Andy Gregory, after his side's defeat at Leeds on Sunday. Gregory slammed Connolly's performance and called for full-time referees. The has launched an investigation.

The more wide-ranging investigation into what is wrong with the game in Britain has co-opted the Great Britain coach, Phil Larder, on to the think-tank headed by Joe Lydon.

Larder's former club, Sheffield Eagles, have signed the North- ampton rugby union centre Neil Law, who has agreed terms with the club after impressing in a number of Alliance games.

Oldham could lose centre Vince Fawcett for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.