Disgraced Dwain goes on trial again

The disgraced athlete, who turns 30 next month, said he was still optimistic that he would be cleared to run in the Beijing Olympics despite serving a two-year ban for doping offences.

He insisted that he was serious about making a go of a career in rugby league despite his only experience of team sports being when he had a trial for the Hamburg Sea Devils American Football team a year ago.

"I'm go to take it one day at a time," he said. "I am here to learn and see if I can grasp a different sport.

"I'm optimistic about what I can achieve. I'm competitive at heart and want to go out and do the best I can."

Castleford are currently bottom of Super League, they were thumped 50-4 by Bradford Bulls yesterday, and have left themselves open to ridicule by suggesting there was a "50-50" chance he would face St Helens at home on Sunday.

Their Australian coach Terry Matterson had already stated that it was not his idea to recruit Chambers and his team have lost eight out of nine matches this season. But they only have 17 fit players and may need the sprinter to make up the numbers.

Chambers said: "It is going to be a tough ask, no doubt about that, but nothing ventured, nothing gained."

One crunching tackle may be all it takes to scupper his Beijing hopes completely and there will be no shortage of opposition players who want to bring him down to size.

Chambers also showed his lack of knowledge about the importance of running straight in order to gain ground in rugby league when he said: "Instead of running in a straight line I will be running left and right."

Chambers will not be paid for the month he is on trial, according to Castleford club manager Michael Robinson.

"It was never mentioned as a publicity stunt," said Robinson. "It was made clear from day one there is no money changing hands."

While Chambers hopes to make the most of this new opening he is still focussed on athletics and suggested he is likely to go ahead with a legal challenge to the ban imposed on him by the British Olympic Association.

"We remain optimistic, we can't afford negative thoughts," Chambers added.

"There will be a decision on that in the next couple of weeks, if we want to go forward with a legal case."

Chambers's solicitor, Nick Collins, added: "It's always been a very realistic aim we will be going there [Beijing]. There's been some very encouraging comments from people outside the BOA saying they have no problem with Dwain.

"We wouldn't take it [an appeal] on if we didn't think there would be a reasonable chance of success."