brian noble

Brian Noble has made his first signing as Crusaders boss by snapping up Matt Utai. The flying Kiwi-born winger, 28, scored 71 tries in 127 games for the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL and will move to Wales after seven years in Sydney. Utai, who now plays for Samoa, bagged a brace in the Bulldogs' Grand Final victory over the Sydney Roosters in 2004. And he will make his debut in the Crusaders' 2010 Super League opener against Leeds Rhinos in Wrexham on January 29.  

 

THE Crusaders kick off their Super League campaign at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on Friday, January 29, rather than Newport's Rodney Parade, against reigning champions Leeds. Opening matches don't come much – if any – harder with new coach Brian Noble having his work cut out to start his tenure with a win. In the corresponding fixture last season, played at Rodney Parade in August, the Rhinos crushed the Crusaders 68-0.  

New Crusaders coach Brian Noble will be reunited with one of his former clubs in Bradford at next season's engage Super League Magic Weekend in Edinburgh. Noble was handed an early-season return to Wigan - the club he left just last month - when the majority of the regular season fixtures were published on Wednesday. And when the programme was completed with a draw for the seven Murrayfield fixtures on Wednesday afternoon, the 48-year-old learned he would pit his new side against the one he coached fr  

New Crusaders coach Brian Noble will be reunited with one of his former clubs in Bradford at next season's engage Super League Magic Weekend in Edinburgh. Noble was handed an early-season return to Wigan - the club he left just last month - when the majority of the regular season fixtures were published on Wednesday. And when the programme was completed with a draw for the seven Murrayfield fixtures on Wednesday afternoon, the 48-year-old learned he would pit his new side against the one he coached fr  

New Crusaders coach Brian Noble will be reunited with one of his former clubs in Bradford at next season's engage Super League Magic Weekend in Edinburgh. Noble was handed an early-season return to Wigan - the club he left just last month - when the majority of the regular season fixtures were published on Wednesday. And when the programme was completed with a draw for the seven Murrayfield fixtures on Wednesday afternoon, the 48-year-old learned he would pit his new side against the one he coached fr  

Wigan and St Helens will launch their 2010 engage Super League campaigns by welcoming back familiar faces. Round one of next year's competition will see Wigan host former coach Brian Noble's Crusaders side while St Helens legend Sean Long returns to his old club with Hull FC. The games are among the standout fixtures on the opening weekend of February 5-7, although by then Crusaders and three other clubs will actually already have played.  

Noble then faces former club Wigan in horror schedule The former Wigan coach Brian Noble joined the relaunched Crusaders with hopes of turning around their fortunes for their second Super League season. Photograph: John Clifton/Action Images Michael Maguire will face his predecessor Brian Noble in his first competitive game as the coach of against the Crusaders next February. However, the Crusaders, who have lost their Celtic prefix in a relaunch of the club that has also included the appointment of Noble  

Maguire, the former Melbourne Storm assistant coach, says Bradford scrum-half Paul Deacon is likely to be the only addition to the squad as he looks to the Warriors' youngsters, led by Tomkins, 20, to do the business.  

A new era begins at Wigan as the club officially unveils new coach Michael Maguire.