RUGBY LEAGUE:DWAIN CHAMBERS will benefit financially from his latest unlikely sporting adventure with Castleford Tigers only if he impresses sufficiently during a one-month trial to earn a Super League contract.
Mick Robinson, Castleford's Australian football manager who has been the driving force behind the deal, stressed yesterday that the 29-year-old professional athlete will be playing initially as an amateur, raising fresh questions about the motives for the move.
Chambers admitted in a Sunday newspaper interview that he was looking to rugby league for the money which he needs both to repay around €150,000 to the International Association of Athletics Federations and to fund an appeal against his lifetime ban by the British Olympic Association, which Chambers's Leeds-based solicitor Nick Collins said yesterday remains "highly likely".
"It was made clear from day one that the pursestrings are tight and that Dwain would have to come and earn a contract," said Robinson. "No money has changed hands (between) the club and Dwain in the first month."
He also denied that the deal had been funded by a private sponsor.
"When I first went and met him about 10 weeks ago I thought he might be arrogant and full of himself and want a bucket load of money," Robinson added. "But I went out thinking 'What a gentleman'. It was never ever mentioned as a publicity stunt. It's just coincidence that the applications for the new Super League licences are due in today."
Castleford's position at the bottom of the table with one win from nine matches has fuelled doubts as to whether the club will be granted one of the three-year licences that will determine Superleague membership from next year.
Chambers met Castleford's squad for the first time yesterday. Awen Guttenbeil, the club captain, said: "The players are very excited to have an athlete of Dwain's calibre at the club," before adding: "It's going to be a big ask for Dwain to be involved but I'm sure he can contribute."
He will train with them in the gym today, with the next clue about his possible involvement due on Friday when Tigers coach Terry Matterson is required to name a 19-man squad for the game against St Helens on Sunday.
Matterson unexpectedly raised the possibility of Chambers being thrown straight in at the deep end. But the Yorkshire club can see that even playing him in the reserve team curtain-raiser would put at least a couple of thousand on the gate.
When pressed on the viability of combining the early stages of a rugby league career with preparation for the Olympics, Chambers said: "It's something that crossed my mind in the early stages. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm here to face the music and dance. It's not going to be easy, I'm aware of that. But I went to American football and got knocked around. I'm a tough nut. I'm willing to go out and try it and do the best I can."
