Rugby League: Salford Court Mcrae to Take Over As Coach

Shaun McRae will have a first chance to assess the scale of the challenge he would face as Salford's new coach when the Super League's form side Huddersfield visit the Willows tonight.

McRae, who arrived from Australia yesterday for three months' media work, has been invited to the game by Salford's football director and caretaker coach Steve Simms. "Shaun is a mate of mine, and if he feels up to it, he may come to the game," said Simms, who insisted that McRae was not aware of the vacancy left by Karl Harrison's dismissal when he left Sydney on Tuesday. But Simms said he would ask the former St Helens, Hull and South Sydney coach to join a shortlist today.

"He was coming back to do some work with Sky," Simms continued. "He doesn't even know the job's available. I'd be surprised if he didn't look at it. It may not be what he is looking for but I would imagine he is going to think about it." Simms said that Harrison's former assistant James Lowes will also be on the shortlist, despite speculation that he will join an exodus from the coaching staff that began with Scott Naylor's dismissal on Monday.

Salford are four points adrift at the bottom of the table after conceding 166 points in their last three league matches, either side of a 36-10 home Challenge Cup defeat by Huddersfield - one of nine consecutive victories for the Giants which have lifted them from the bottom into the top four.

Huddersfield are poised to strengthen their squad by confirming the arrival of the utility Rod Jensen from the North Queensland Cowboys next week, but their coach Jon Sharp is expecting a backlash from Salford tonight following Harrison's exit.

"Last year we came up against three teams that had changed their coach and we came unstuck on all three occasions," he said, referring to three straight defeats by Hull following the dismissal of John Kear, by Bradford in Brian Noble's last game in charge, and by Wigan in their first game under Noble. "Their players will be very motivated for the game, and may have a new coach in the stands to impress."