IF Blackburn Rugby Club's players think they are going to be pampered under new coach Steve Kerry they'd better think again.

The 32-year-old might have been christened 'Pampers' by his old Salford buddies, writes ANDY NEILD.

But it was for over-egging the pudding in a tequila session on an end-of-season trip to Magaluf (draw your own conclusions) rather than mollycoddling his team mates.

"I think it's suffice to say Adrian Hadley had to carry me home on his back that night after finding me in the gutter," said the scrum half.

"Let's just say tequila slammers are now on my banned list."

His new charges can forget the red carpet treatment.

Kerry and his assistant Phil Crayston - nicknamed Julian Clary and Larry Grayson thanks to Blackburn's Mick McHugh - mean business in their new roles.

Their mandate is to transform a side which struggled against relegation last season into genuine promotion contenders.

"I'm a professional person and you have to have a goal in life. Our goal is promotion, it's as simple as that," said Kerry, matter-of-factly.

Fools won't be suffered gladly.

Discipline, fine systems and dress codes are the new buzz words as the ex-Preston Grasshoppers focus on instilling professionalism to the amateur ranks.

"It is important to establish a framework for amateurs to work in.

"If you give a group of players parameters they respond to it.

"They like to be disciplined.

"I am trying to make training intense and disciplined and hopefully interesting as well," said the Thwaites regional sales manager.

If anyone can fashion Blackburn into a genuine title force then Kerry certainly has all the right credentials.

He broke into the Grasshoppers side at the end of the 80s and smashed the first team points scoring record in 1988.

But it was in Rugby League where he really made a name for himself following his move to Salford a year later. "I wasn't really interested to begin with. I had rejected several offers but I think it was one cold December afternoon and we were playing a team from some far off region in Scotland.

"The final score was about 3-3 and I had got soaked wet through on a cold, windy, miserable, horrible day. "I just thought to myself I might be able to do a bit better than this."

1990 turned out to be his golden year under ex-Lancashire Lynx coach Kevin Tamati.

A Kerry-inspired Salford side won the Second Division Championship, losing just one game all season.

And in the Premiership final in front of 50,000 at Old Trafford, Kerry scored 17 points in a thrilling man-of-the-match performance to help the Red Devils beat Halifax 27-20.

They also made the final of the Lancashire Cup.

His points total of 423 for the season made him the top scorer in Rugby League ahead of Jonathan Davies.

And he won the golden boot for being the top goal kicker with 177 ahead of Frano Botica, earning him the Second Division player-of-the-year award.

Spells at Oldham, Huddersfield and Whitehaven followed.

"They were very happy days for me. I've got them all on video and it's great to look back on," said Kerry.

"It's just nice to play at a high standard and find out how good you are.

"I had to prove myself when I changed codes.

"Rugby League is a tough sport and I had to take some bangs and win a few people over.

"Coming up from the amateur ranks of union it was no secret that players got more money to convert.

"So you've got to convince the hard core that you are good enough to warrant that."

The current sporting climate is dominated by column inches on the possible effects Murdoch's millions could have on football.

Kerry has seen first hand what it did for his game with the invention of the Super League.

A game which grew up in the back streets of northern towns suddenly became a summer sport played by teams adopting strange names.

The sharp suits muscled out the cloth caps.

"It had to happen. Clubs were paying exhorbitant wages and they couldn't keep supporting that.

"Sky coming in has been a lifeline, if you like.

"I think we've got a higher standard of Rugby League as a result with better quality players.

"But it's how long that backing will go on which is the problem.

"And I'm not convinced about them going into Europe.

"It's a northern sport because people are very set in their ways in this country. That's why it has never taken off in the Midlands or the South East."

When rugby union turned professional in 1996, Kerry returned to his roots at Preston Grasshoppers.

In his first season back the club narrowly missed out on promotion.

But a magnificent run took the unfancied Hoppers to the fifth round of the Pilkington Cup - the furthest the club had gone in it's history - before they succumbed to Northampton in front of a bumper crowd at Lightfoot Green.

And Kerry smashed the first team points scoring record again.

Last season he was offered a coaching role, a move which was later denied by the club.

"It was a bit naughty in a way," said Kerry, who opted to join Blackburn when they came in with an offer despite having a year left on his contract as a player.

That represented something of a gamble considering he dropped two divisions to take up the player-coach position.

So why do it?

"John Parker came in with an attractive offer and I was impressed with what he had to say.

"He's a very forthright person and that's the type of attitude I am looking for.

"He is prepared to back me 100 per cent and in return for that I will give it my very best shot. I'm not a man who messes around myself."

So far the signs are good with three wins from three games.

If they can sustain that kind of form throughout the season then he might just be able to afford to pamper himself come the end of the season.

But it won't be on tequila slammers.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.