WIGAN Warriors believe a massive new sponsorship deal will help them get under the salary cap.

The RL giants have been fuming after having part of their Murdock money payments withheld after failing to meet the salary cap.

But they now expect a new sponsorship deal with Tesco will take them within the necessary 50 per cent of gross earnings. If they don't get their own way Wigan have threated the Rugby League with legal action.

"We agree with the idea of the salary cap but we are left with huge contracts which are a legacy of the feud with the ARL. The cap should be phased in over a couple of years," said club official John Martin.

In an effort to ease the wage bill Lee Hansen has been released on loan to Featherstone and coach John Monie admitted: "I have another dozen senior players who are available as they are not in my first team plans. This is partly due to the fact that next season the Alliance will change to an U21s competition and we have to concentrate on the younger players." Supermarket giants Tesco made their first move into the world of sports sponsorship with a £3.25million five-year deal with the Riversiders. It takes their total investment in the club to £12.5million, having already bought Central Park.

As part of the deal, they will back Wigan's community education programme with the appointment of a full-time education officer, and subsidise junior admission charges.

Fans will also be offered money-off tokens in the matchday programme.

Finance director Andrew Higginson said: "We are the first major food retailer to get into any kind of commercial sponsorship of sport.

"Success here may well lead to other partnerships of this kind in the sporting world."

Wigan chairman Mike Nolan said: "This is a momentous occasion for Wigan and for rugby league.

"There are other big companies out there and we must join together with them to take rugby league forward to the year 2000."

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