Brian Noble's future in doubt while Crusaders target play-offs

It is appropriate that the Crusaders approach their most significant game of a memorable Super League season with uncertainty continuing to swirl around them. The Welsh club have polarised opinion and flirted with extinction almost since their foundation as the Celtic Crusaders five years ago, and even as they stand on the brink of an unlikely place in the top eight play-offs if they can beat St Helens tomorrowtoday, major questions remain over the future of their coach, the highest-profile player, and even of the club itself. Brian Noble, the manmost responsible for assembling a squad virtually from scratch, seems more than likely to leave at the end of the year. Gareth Thomas is still out with a groin injury and yet to sign a new contract, although the indications are the former Wales rugby union captain is keen to extend his crack at crossing codes into he is keen to extend for a second year. While, behind the scenes, the Wrexham directors who rescued the club after the Celtic Crusaders endured a disastrous debut Super League season in Bridgend are still struggling to clear up the mess. Yet Ian Roberts, who took over as the chairman of both the Crusaders and Wrexham FC when Geoff Moss resigned earlier this year, argues persuasively that the club have exceeded most expectations merely by completing the season, never mind going into their last game against Saints hoping for an 8,000 crowd at the Racecourse and a play-off place. "We're more than happy with the way the year has gone," he said. "When you think they arrived up in Wrexham a few weeks before the start of the season with a couple of post protectors, a couple of tackle bags and maybe a dog. From those beginnings to have got to where we are has surprised everyone in rugby league, I think. "There are still issues to address. I don't want to go into the financial stuff too much but it's fair to say that some of the creditors' figures we were given when we took over were not very accurate. But we've gone a long way towards dealing with the debts we inherited, with the help of the Rugby Football League, who have given assistance where they can. If we could have drawn a line under that from day one it would have been a huge success. As it is we're going to take a couple of years to get over the legacy of the South Wales club. But we're working towards getting the ship steady, and we're still afloat and sailing full steam ahead." Roberts admits there is no guarantee that Noble will stay. "We remain in negotiations and we're still hopeful of keeping him, but he's an ambitious guy and there are things he wants to achieve," he added, hinting that a long-term goal of coaching in Australia may be more likely than the move into rugby union that has been rumoured in recent weeks. "But we're very lucky that he brought Iestyn Harris with him as one of his assistants. Iestyn is hugely respected by all the players, he's Welsh, he played both codes, so whatever happens we'd be in safe hands." Roberts says negotiations with Thomas are "in the final stages", and the player himself has set his sights on returning in the Crusaders' last league game of the season, at home to Hull KR in a fortnight, which would give them a second chance to seal a play-off spot if they don't pull off a shock against Saints. The latter possibility should not be ruled out. The Crusaders competed gamely before going down 37-30 at Knowsley Road earlier in the season, and are boosted for the return match by the return of Vince Mellars at centre. Castleford, who are two points behind in the battle to finish eighth but have to go to St Helens in the last round of Super League matches, are at home on Sunday to a Harlequins team determined to finish the season in style following the confirmation that their coach Brian McDermott will join Leeds next year.