* Says held talks with JSW, can't rule out counter-bid
* Prefers JSW merger over New World Resources
* Says Q3 net profit down 6 pct to $31 mln, tops forecast
* Reiterates full-year guidance
* Shares rise 1.44 pct to 106 zloty vs 100.75 zloty NWR bid
(Releads, adds quotes, analyst, shares)
By Patryk Wasilewski and Agnieszka Barteczko
WARSAW, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Poland's sole listed miner Bogdanka sees state-controlled Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa as a potential white knight, saving it from a $1.2 billion hostile bid from Dutch-based New World Resources.
"From the point of view of operating management we're very close (to JSW). This kind of merger would be a great idea. It would be a better idea than merging with NWR," Bogdanka Chief Executive Miroslaw Taras told reporters.
JSW's head told Reuters management boards of both companies met on Monday and that a counter-bid could not be ruled out.
Bogdanka shares rose 1.44 percent to 106 zlotys on better-than-expected third-quarter results released earlier on Monday, trading above the 100.75 zlotys per share offered by NWR, which mainly operates in the Czech Republic.
Last week NWR management said it would not sweeten its move for Bogdanka, playing tough in the face of reluctance among the bid target's shareholders to accept the offer.
The emergence of a potential white knight is another defence against NWR after the Polish company said last week it could pay a first-ever dividend out of 2010 earnings.
BZ WBK analyst Pawel Puchalski agrees a Bogdanka-JSW tie-up makes sense, but a merger might require a massive share issue that would be difficult to place because both have significant capital spending plans aimed at increasing production.
Third-quarter net profit at Bogdanka fell by 6 percent year on year to 85.5 million zlotys ($31 million), beating market expectations thanks to a rise in coal production.
The miner upheld its full-year guidance of a bottom line at 201 million zlotys, despite booking 193 million in nine months.
(Additional reporting by Wojciech Zurawski in Krakow; Editing by David Hulmes)