Great Britain coach Andy Goodway is ready to give Bulls new recruit Harvey Howard a belated chances to force his way into Test reckoning.

Goodway is close to naming his squad for the three-match series against New Zealand - now less than nine weeks away - but will keep his options open long enough for the 'forgotten man' of rugby league to press his claims for inclusion.

"I'm just about there, but people like Harvey and Lee Jackson could come into the reckoning," said Goodway.

Howard, who played in three successive Challenge Cup finals with Widnes and Leeds in the mid-Eighties, has spent the last two seasons with Wests while Leeds-bound Jackson, the former Hull and Sheffield hooker, quit the British game for first Souths in 1994 before joining Newcastle Knights.

Howard is keen to supplement his solitary England cap gained against Wales in 1995 and is hoping a short-term stint with the Bulls will be enough to catch the eye of Goodway.

The blockbusting prop made an encouraging debut for the Bulls - just 48 hours after stepping off the plane - in Monday's 24-8 Super League win over Castleford and has his eyes set on a Grand Final appearance in addition to that Test series.

Goodway wanted to include Howard in last year's Super League Test series against Australia but was thwarted by red tape.

"Andy was keen on having me in the Tests but I didn't want to cause any friction with my club," he said. "They are the ones paying my wages so I had to sit on the fence and hope for the best. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, so I shrugged my shoulders and went fishing."

When he played for Easts in 1993, Reilly offered him the chance to come back and play in the Test series against the Kiwis, but he missed out because of dispute with Widnes.

Then, chosen in the 1995 World Cup squad, he made the last 18 only to pick up an injury in training.

Goodway is happy that Howard has created something of a selection dilemma for the forthcoming series.

He said: "I was disappointed about last year, and so it's good that Howard is making himself available.

"He has played in Sydney for the last two years, and that can only be a plus for us. He understands what's required with regards to preparation.

"He is also only the equivalent of two-thirds of the way through his season because of the injury he had at the start, and that means he will be fresh.

"Last year we were struggling for numbers. We're lucky this time with people like Broadbent and Molloy and Neil Cowie finding some form but this adds to the list. It gives us another problem which is what we're after."

THE BULLS have re-calculated Monday's gate for the Castleford clash to 10,946. It has been previously announced as 10,599.

ST HELENS' new boss Ellery Hanley has named Australian Nigel Ashley-Jones as his assistant at Knowsley Road seemingly ending speculation that Bulls' assistant Brian Noble may team up with his former Odsal playing colleague.

Ashley-Jones has been fitness conditioner at St Helens since leaving Wigan Warriors at the start of the season.

FORMER LONDON Broncos captain Terry Matterson today announced his retirement from the game.

The former Brisbane Broncos loose forward has struggled with form and fitness in his fourth season in the British game and, although he hopes to play at least one more game for the Broncos, he will return home to Australia at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Aussie, whose contract runs out next month, gave up the captaincy in mid-season to concentrate on his game but he has been dogged by a calf injury for the last month.

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