Rangi Chase, the former England international and man of steel winner, has been suspended by Widnes after testing positive for cocaine.
Before their opening Qualifiers game against Warrington , Widnes confirmed the scrum-half, who joined the club only this year following a controversial exit from Castleford, had been suspended with immediate effect.
The 31-year-old failed a drug test following the home game against Wakefield Trinity on 14 July, a match that looks to have been his final appearance for Widnes in a career blighted by controversy.
A statement from the club read: “Widnes Vikings received notification from UK Anti-Doping and the Rugby Football League that Rangi Chase tested positively for cocaine in a drugs test, following the recent fixture against Wakefield Trinity.
“As a consequence, under Rugby Football League anti-doping regulations, he has been suspended from all training and playing activity.”
Chase, named Super League’s best player in 2011, a year in which he would later go on to represent England, agreed a permanent deal with Widnes after joining them following his release from Castleford.
St Helens topple Castleford
St Helens produced a defensive masterclass to inflict a first home defeat in more than a year on the Super League leaders, Castleford, moving into the play-off places in the process on the opening night of the 2017 Super 8s with a 26-12 win.
Justin Holbrook’s side have now won five of their past six games and sit level on points with the third-placed Hull following this impressive victory, in which they were never behind throughout and were deserved winners.
Holbrook arrived on these shores with a reputation for fast, off-the-cuff attacking play - but it was defensive grit aplenty here which laid the platform for a victory in which they outscored the typically freescoring Tigers four tries to two.
Having been written off by many critics when they sacked Keiron Cunningham earlier in the year while languishing in mid-table, they now look to be one of the most credible threats to the title favourites.
This was Castleford’s first defeat at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle since July of last year, ending a run of 12 consecutive victories in the process.
Castleford have averaged well in excess of 30 points at home this season and were expected to do the same again here - but it took them 45 minutes to go over for the first of the two tries they scored on the night against a defensively magnificent Saints.
By the time Adam Milner had barged over for that try, Castleford had thrown everything at the Saints, yet they held firm. They had earlier forged an 8-0 lead via a try for Zeb Taia and two goals from the boot of Mark Percival - and they would finish much the stronger of the two sides, too.
Joel Monaghan gave Castleford hope in the final moments with a well-taken try but by then, Jonny Lomax and James Roby had secured victory for the visitors - with Roby’s second producing a punch of the air from Holbrook. History has shown it is foolish to ever write off St Helens: it would be wise to avoid doing so again this year, it seems.
Castleford Hardaker; Monaghan, Minikin, Shenton, Hitchcox; Roberts, Gale; Millington, McShane, Sene-Lefao, Foster, McMeeken, Massey. Interchange Holmes, Milner, Cook, Patrick.
Tries Milner, Monaghan. Goals Gale 2.
St Helens Lomax; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Fages, Richardson; McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Peyroux, Wilkin. Interchange Smith, Walmsley, Amor, Knowles.
Tries Taia, Roby 2, Lomax. Goals Percival 5.
Referee R Hicks. Attendance 6,849.
