Wales coach Iestyn Harris takes charge of Super League's Crusaders

Iestyn Harris has been confirmed as the new Crusaders coach. He said that the Welsh club would emerge from its latest financial crisis and maintain the progress made under Brian Noble in 2010. Harris, a former league and union international who was one of Noble's assistants last season and who also coaches Wales, has been reassured by the Crusaders directors that he will be able to add to his squad if their application to enter administration is accepted later this week. The Crusaders may start the 2011 season with a deduction of up to six points, under conditions laid down by the Rugby Football League after consultation with the other Super League clubs. "The Wrexham people who own the club are good people and they want the club to succeed," said Harris, 34. "My sole responsibility is getting the team prepared for our first game of next season against Salford at the Millennium Stadium in February. "We've still got a bit of recruitment to do and I'll be aiming to bring in another two or three players. But at this time the off-field stuff isn't affecting us, and hopefully the club can have a bright future." Harris is expected to sign Andy Bracek, a regular in his Wales pack who has spent the last two seasons in the Championship with Barrow. He may also dig up some of his old rugby union contacts in an effort to repeat the publicity generated by the Crusaders' move for Gareth Thomas. However, the club's attempt to persuade Jon Sharp to stay in a managerial role is highly unlikely to succeed. Sharp, a former Huddersfield coach who was on Noble's back-room staff last year, is keen to become a head coach again and has confirmed his interest in the vacancy at Harlequins. "They seem to be at the same sort of stage Huddersfield were when I took over there and that can be an exciting time," he said. Denis Betts, the former Wigan forward and coach who has also been linked with Harlequins since he started looking for a return to rugby league after three years in union with Gloucester, will instead join Widnes ahead of their expected return to the Super League in 2012. His move is set to be confirmed when Paul Cullen, the current Widnes coach, returns from New Zealand to take up a more strategic role at the club. Castleford's preparations for next season have been hit by the retirement of James Evans, an Australian centre who struggled through last season with a hip problem. But the Tigers have ruled out a move for Joel Monaghan, whose future with Canberra remains in major doubt after he was disgraced in the latest off-field scandal to shock the Australian game last week.