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Sadly for Matterson, the surgeons could not re-attach the finger, but that did not stop him playing table tennis with his players just a few hours later.

Matterson's nasty accident not only grabbed its fair share of headlines, it also saved his livewire Maori half-back Rangi Chase from ridicule - well, until now. Chase missed the entire trip to France after discovering that .

Cas kick off the their season at champions Leeds next week. The Rhinos begin their defence at the Crusaders on Friday.

"There's not much pressure on us this season," insisted Matterson. "Reading the papers and judging by the odds at the bookies, no-one is expecting us to do well."

If the Tigers are to succeed in 2010, then must continue the bulldozing displays he turned in last season. He may have softened up, though, having become a dad for the first time.

Mitchell Sargent in action for Castleford

He describes the experience - including 24 hours in the delivery room with his wife - as life-changing. The no-nonsense forward reckons his son can follow in his footsteps but may opt to groom him for another sport.

"He was measured as one of the top 10% in size for his age at four weeks," said Sargent. "He's gonna be a big boy, but I'd rather get him into football than rugby league as it pays much more."

Now I don't know if pet dogs are all the rage at Cas, given Chase's misfortunes, but Sargent, it seems, is an even bigger fan of man's best friend. My former colleague at , James Deighton, coaxed more than he bargained for out of Sargent in a recent chat about fatherhood.

"My lad's name is London," Sargent told Deighton, who became a father for the first time himself recently. "Me and the missus met a bloke in London when we were down there last season and he had a really nice dog. A little .

"We asked him what it was called and he said 'London'. I can't believe I'm telling you this, but that is where we got the name from. Everyone asks if my lad was conceived there, and we say 'yeah' because we don't wanna say the real reason. That was the name we both liked."

Deighton and the Radio Leeds team, by the way, broadcast 219 games last season, including 81 commentaries, more than any other radio station in the world. They are off and running again from this Friday for Crusaders v Leeds. You'll be able .

As far as the Crusaders are concerned, coach Brian Noble has taken on a challenge akin to the one he accepted when becoming coach of crisis-hit Wigan during their worst season of the modern era.

If he can perform a similar rescue job in Wales, then his already huge standing in the game will grow still further. With Iestyn Harris and Jon Sharp in tow, a weak squad is in the best possible hands.

At least the thanks to Aston Villa. A good pal of Noble, Villa boss Martin O'Neill invited Crusaders to use their plush training facilities for a week. Noble reckons his squad may have eaten their way through the best part of £25,000 of food while they were there.

In contrast, Leeds, their opponents on Friday, headed to Whitehaven for some pre-season work, sleeping eight to a room at a hostel and cooking for themselves.

On the subject of Leeds - the city not the club - a big thumbs-up for those taking part in the to raise money for Try Assist, the Rugby League Benevolent Fund. The CRC is a 42,195m indoor rowing marathon at Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie Research Institute on Thursday, 15 April.

Paul Sculthorpe lifts the World Club Challenge after Saints beat Brisbane in 2007

The event will be filmed by the Ö÷²¥´óÐã and will feature St Helens and Wigan legends Paul Sculthorpe and Kris Radlinski, Ö÷²¥´óÐã colleague Dave Woods, a team of rugby league writers, a Steve Prescott All-Star selection and a team managed by Wakefield coach John Kear.

Several of the competitors have already begun their fundraising efforts and welcome sponsorship and donations, which can be given at www.justgiving.com/carnegierowingchallenge

And if you are interested in taking part in the CRC, either as an individual competitor or as part of a team, please request an application form by emailing carnegierugbyleague@leedsmet.ac.uk or by ringing Jane McKeown on 0113 812 9248.

Back on the field, I'll be at the Twickenham Stoop this weekend to see John Kear and Brian McDermott, two of the best English coaches, go toe-to-toe .

Talking of Kear, who some feel should be the next England coach, my understanding is that the Rugby Football League will make an announcement very soon on the question of Tony Smith's successor.

As far as I'm aware, there has been no approach to Kear, nor McDermott, about the job. may well have hamstrung their search for a top quality home name, with both Kear and McDermott fiercely passionate about their club sides.

Former Aussie boss Wayne Bennett and South Sydney coach John Lang are the leading foreign candidates while the availability of former St Helens coach Daniel Anderson is also likely to have been sounded out.

Shaun McRae is keen, but if an overseas coach is appointed, I hope a young English assistant is named alongside him, in the mould of a Francis Cummins or a Steve McNamara.

Personally, I would do all I could to agree a deal with Kear or McDermott to lead England part-time. It doesn't have to be a full-time job - there is not enough day-to-day involvement for that - and that is what drove Smith back into the club game.