The Rugby Football League is Braced for the Publication of Sean Long's Autobiography Which is to Be Serialised This Week

Sean Long will stir up another storm of controversy before St Helens' Super League play-off against Wigan on Saturday, which coincides neatly with the publication of his autobiography.

The title – Booze, Brawls, Sex and Scandal – is a fair summary of Long's career, which has included an early departure from Great Britain's Tri-Nations tour in 2006 after a boorish flight across the Tasman and a four-month suspension two years earlier when he was found guilty of betting against his own St Helens team.

The Rugby Football League is braced for further revelations about both episodes when the book is serialized in a national newspaper this week, although the Saints chairman, Eamonn McManus, remains surprisingly relaxed. "We're going to stock it in our club shop and help him promote it," McManus said. "I've read the book and there are some amusing anecdotes. He's got a few things completely wrong, which it would have been nice to correct before publication, but there is nothing in there that we are too worried about."

The St Helens coach, Mick Potter, was equally phlegmatic when informed that Long has arranged a signing session in a town-center book shop on Saturday lunchtime, even though it is due to finish only three hours before the kick-off against Wigan – which will be the 33-year-old's last appearance at Knowsley Road as a Saints player before he moves to Hull next season.

"I guess he might arrive with a tired finger but if he wasn't signing books he'd only be washing his car or having a cup of coffee," said Potter. "I'm sure the book would make a good read. He's had an interesting history in rugby league, hasn't he? He wants to finish with us on the best note possible and for both him and Lee Gilmour, who's also leaving us, it would be nice for them to mark their last game at Knowsley Road by making another grand final."

Saints are set to be at full strength as they aim to reach Old Trafford for the fourth consecutive year, with their Australian center Matt Gidley expected to recover sufficiently from his groin problem, and Keiron Cunningham ready to play with an injection in the hand injury he aggravated in the 15-2 play-off win against Huddersfield two weeks ago.s itself courted controversy by appointing Steve Ganson from St Helens to referee the game. He is accepted as one of the game's leading officials but this will be easily the most intense Saints fixture he has controlled since the League lifted the bar on referees taking charge of matches involving their local clubs two years ago.