Rugby League Coaching Manuals

One of the League's biggest spenders, the Wolves have consistently failed to live up to expectations and last week turned to the England boss in their latest bid to turn around their fortunes.

However, rumours of a party culture at the club resurfaced in the wake of a 60-8 rout at Harlequins in their latest match, which left Warrington rooted to the foot of the table, and Smith is determined to get to the bottom of the speculation.

"What you do off the field affects what you do on the field but I haven't seen anything too untoward," he said.

"You hear rumours and speculation, which are probably hangovers from things that have gone on in the past that give people a perception.

"I don't know if they are necessarily still true, I need to find out if they are."

Smith, who takes charge of his third match when Warrington host Hull KR on Sunday, has dismissed calls for a clearout at the Halliwell Jones Stadium but admits it will not be easy to transform the fortunes of a team in freefall.

"I knew things weren't quite right," he said. "I think anybody who has watched Warrington for the last 10 years knows they have been good on their day but not consistent.

"There are a lot of things right - it's not all doom and gloom, they are not far off in certain areas.

"But there needs to be a change in the overall culture to change those 10 years of not quite living up to potential.

"Those sort of things are not going to change overnight."