THE appointment of Lee Crooks as Yorkshire coach this week showed rare foresight and courage by Rugby League chiefs.

It could be seen as a strange move in some quarters, given Lee's lack of coaching experience and record to date.

However, there is no doubt he has been a victim of circumstance rather than lack of ability, and it is refreshing that RL bosses have not held that against him.

It also is refreshing that young British coaches, particularly those who gave so much to the game during their playing days, are being given every opportunity to climb the ladder.

That has not always happened in the past, as Lee pointed out: "For the game to survive we need to be pushing for our own coaches.

"If you're a former player in Australia and you've got some ability there's always a job somewhere along the line.

"Over here that doesn't seem to be the case. We have Australian coaches that have shown they've got some ability coming over to England to fulfil their apprenticeship at a higher level then going back over there to get better jobs.

"So we're struggling to put British coaches in there. Now we've got Brian Noble at Bradford and Karl Harrison underneath him. Graham Steadman at Castleford may get the opportunity to coach when Stuart Raper goes back to Australia so British coaches are starting to get opportunities at the higher levels.

"There's no reason why others can't do the same."

It's interesting that the men who seem to be reinforcing the 'British is best' philosophy - new GB head coach David Waite and the RFL's director of rugby Greg McCallum - are Australians.

Did it really need Aussies to tell us we should be looking after our own rather than importing?

There are plenty of up-and-coming British coaches out there - in addition to the aforementioned, there are plenty in the NFP such as Neil Kelly, Mark Aston, Peter Roe, Mike Ford plus new Lancashire boss Andy Gregory.

Then there are the likes of Garry Schofield who has quit his coaching role with Redcar RU and could well consider a return to League if opportunities start to arise.

They, along with Crooks, can all have a part to play in ensuring a brighter future for British rugby league. And a truly British future at that.

On the subject of Mr Crooks, the ex-Hull, Leeds and Castleford star has the same coaching aspirations which drove his playing career.

He said: "I want to get into Super League at some time. I'm not nave enough to think I know enough to jump straight into a head coach's role but I would like to be involved within the structure of a Super League club, probably as an assistant, to get myself back on track," he said.

However, it has become clear those big ambitions do not sit comfortably with his predicament at York.

He has again spoken of his frustration this week, saying: "Coaching a team that's getting beat 70-0 every week is not doing my CV any good. I'm looking to improve as a coach but it's difficult to do that because I'm having to do the basics every week."

Alan Pallister would have good reason to be a little angry this week following the suspension handed out to Barrie McDermott this week.

The Leeds prop was given just four matches for his blatant punch to the face of St Helens forward Peter Shiels during the Challenge Cup semi-final.

Pallister this week returns from a seven-match ban imposed for fracturing Featherstone scrum-half Jamie Rooney's jaw with his elbow.

There is no condoning Pallister's tackle but anybody who saw the McDermott incident on TV would have been horrified. Shiels was lying on the ground, having already been tackled when McDermott - not known for his exemplary record - swung his fist at his face. Shiels needed eight stitches in a face wound and suffered damage to his eye.

It will be interesting to see what punishment is meted out to Doncaster winger Neil Bennett for his allegedly appalling challenge on Whitehaven's Chris Campbell.

Campbell suffered a double fracture of the jaw and, according to Whitehaven coach Paul Cullen, "looked like he'd been in a car crash."

Bennett has been charged with reckless conduct after raising an elbow while making a tackle. It's a similar charge to Pallister's, but the injuries are far more severe. We wait to see if the suspension reflects the gravity of the offence.

Any hopes of a French sojourn for the Wasps appear to be over.

Plans for France to host a European Championship, which was rumoured to include the Wasps, Oldham and Keighley, have allegedly fallen through because organiser Paul Faires could not get the backing he had been hoping for.