Crusaders have confirmed their interest in signing Andy Powell, the Wales rugby union forward who has been sacked by London Wasps for fighting in a pub. The Welsh Super League club recognise they have no chance of persuading Powell to follow his friend Gareth Thomas by switching codes before the rugby union World Cup this autumn, but they have already spoken with his agent about the possibility of the 29-year-old joining them in 2012.

"We're already looking at our squad for next season, and Andy Powell is a player who would definitely be of interest to us," Rod Findlay, the Crusaders chief executive, said. "He's been up to watch us a couple of times and as it happened we had a meeting with his agent this week anyway because he represents a couple of our other players. We appreciate that this is a rugby union World Cup year, but as for the future, I wouldn't rule it out."

Powell spoke of the appeal of league, which he has always followed and played briefly as a teenager in Cardiff, when he was dropped by Wales last year after driving a golf buggy down the M4 when over the drink-drive limit. "I would love to go and play league," he said, after watching one of Thomas's early appearances for the Crusaders in Wrexham. "It would suit my game."

Elliot Kear, a 22-year-old full-back who, like Powell, received his first taste of league with the Cardiff Demons amateur club, is set for his first appearance of the season at Headingley as the Crusaders face Leeds in the only all-Super League tie in the fourth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

Kear has been recalled from a loan spell with the Championship One club Hunslet, and the Crusaders coach, Iestyn Harris, has Vince Mellars and Peter Lupton available after injury, and Richard Moore back from suspension, for the game against the club with whom he was a cup winner at Wembley in 1999.

Halifax have raised the stakes ahead of their televised tie at home to Bradford by confirming that they have approached the former Bulls coach Brian Noble to join them in a consultancy role. Noble has been in no rush to return to coaching since leaving the Crusaders at the end of last season, working in the media and as an adviser to Mickey Rourke in his planned film about the life of Thomas.

Halifax hope that he may be tempted back to advise Matt Calland, a former Bradford centre who has been under growing pressure this season as the Yorkshire club have managed a single win from seven matches in their defence of the Co-operative Championship title.

"An offer has been made to Brian Noble," said the Halifax director Ian Croad. "It's based on Brian coming in, acting as a consultant on the coaching front, probably until the end of this season, and providing a fresh pair of eyes to help Matt. Nothing is signed yet, but we are aiming to resolve things before Sunday's game."

Wigan, who have a home tie against Barrow , have agreed a new two-year contract with Pat Richards, the Australian wing who is the reigning Super League Man of Steel and had been linked with possible moves to Sydney or rugby union.

Billy Slater scored two tries as Australia beat New Zealand 20-10 on the Gold Coast in their annual international fixture, gaining some revenge for the defeat they suffered against the Kiwis in the Four Nations final last November.