Wolves deny drink slur but start testing

Warrington are to begin testing their players for alcohol, despite the club's denial that some of them took to the pitch for a recent game still hung over.

The Wolves' 84-10 defeat by Bradford in their penultimate match of the Super League season earlier this month has brought accusations in the town that the players were partying until the early hours the night before.

"We have investigated this, but we are confident there is nothing in it," said a club spokesman. Their version of events is that one of their senior players, Tawera Nikau, held a hangi, the Maori equivalent of a barbecue – for team-mates and their families in the afternoon the day before the Bradford game.

"Other members of staff who were there say that there were no players there after 9pm,'' the spokesman added.

Although adamant that boozing was not a factor in Warrington's poor performance that day, the club's performance director, Steve Anderson, is to introduce regular testing for alcohol and blood sugar next season.

The club does not believe it has a problem with pre-match drinking, but admits that there has been a drinking culture after games – and that is what the new regime is intended to address. Although unusual in this country, such programmes of testing are common in Anderson's native Australia.

Warrington have also denied that they have got Anderson, who replaced their former coach, Darryl Van de Velde, towards the end of the season, into his position under false pretences.

The forward's Rugby League Coaches Association, which is part of the GMB trade union, has complained to the Department of Employment that Anderson should not be allowed to work as a coach in this country.

Under agreed criteria, Anderson would not now qualify, because he has not coached at first grade level in Australia – a restriction which, had it been in place at the time, would have eliminated the likes of St Helens' Ian Millward and Wigan's Stuart Raper.

Warrington's argument is that Anderson is employed not as a coach, but as performance director – the same title he carried at Leeds – and that they have a work permit for him in that capacity, with David Plange designated as first team coach.

The St Helens captain, Chris Joynt, has signed a new three-year contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2004 season. A delighted Millward said: "Chris is an icon here. He brings a great work ethic to the club and is a real role model."

Another player important to his club in this weekend's play-offs, Bradford's Michael Withers, has agreed a new two-year deal.

St Helens are to explore other possible sites after their planning application for a new ground and supermarket near the town centre was turned down.

Wigan will have Neil Cowie available against Bradford after he was found guilty of a careless high tackle but escaped suspension.