Rugby League: Morgan Snub Leaves Leeds Searching for New Coach

Justin Morgan gave Hull Kingston Rovers a major boost yesterday by signing a two-year extension to his contract, which would seem to rule him out of the running to succeed Tony Smith at Leeds.

Morgan, a 31-year-old Australian who joined Rovers from Toulouse in 2005 and led them to the Super League for the first time, had been linked with the Rhinos since Smith announced that he would leave Headingley at the end of the season to become Great Britain's full-time coach. But now he has committed to Hull KR until the end of the 2010 season, insisting that the deal "has no get-out clauses".

"I'm very happy where I am and I have no intention to move on," Morgan said. "There were rumours about me and Leeds but they haven't approached me and I don't think I need to leave this club because I hope by 2010 Hull KR will reach the heights of Leeds and the other top clubs in the league."

The extension comes before crucial home fixtures against Salford on Sunday and Huddersfield tomorrow week, with Rovers desperate to end a six-match losing run. Their captain, James Webster, returns from injury against Salford and Morgan also confirmed that he hopes shortly to sign Mark Lennon, a former Wales team-mate who has played for Castleford.

Another coach who has been linked to the Leeds job, Terry Matterson, said this week that he would shortly open talks to extend his stay at Castleford beyond the end of this season.

The future of Workington's coach, Ged Stokes, remains unclear even after the New Zealander was cleared of improper conduct by the Rugby Football League's disciplinary commissioner yesterday. Stokes, the subject of a complaint by a Barrow fan after a Northern Rail Cup match between the Cumbrian clubs in February, has now been summoned to appear at a club disciplinary hearing next Monday.