Why Rugby League Can Be Proud Of Its Record Against Drugs
Few other sports in the world can claim to have the same high drug testing numbers that Rugby League has.
Over the years we have seen players testing positive to Performance Enhancing Drugs as well as other street drugs, and while it is almost impossible to get everyone, Rugby League authorities on both sides of the world have given their best in getting as many as they possibly can.
This was brought into light recently with Terry Newton becoming the first athlete ever to test positive to Human Growth Hormone, a fact that has been given world wide press attention.
While some see positive drug tests in Rugby League as a major blight on the game, I honestly believe it is good news when someone gets caught. It shows the drug users that the clock is ticking, that its just a matter of time before it is their name in the news.
Most importantly though, the bans Rugby League hands out for testing positive to banned drugs are as long as any other sport in the world.
Terry Newton received a two year ban for testing positive to HGH. Gareth Hock also received a two year ban for testing positive to Cocaine.
In Rugby Union Australia's Justin Harrison was give an 8 month ban for three charges, one of which included missing a club drug test and yelling to younger players at his English club at the time "Class A, its OK".
Under World Anti Doping Association rules (By which the NRL and RLF work by) Harrison should have received a 2 year ban. The RFU however deemed it would have been an out of competition test, so Harrison basically got the off season and two extra months as a suspension.
These type of weak bans and loop holes are used by a number of sporting organizations around the world.
In the AFL, you have to test positive to an illegal drug three times before you get suspended. You just about have to be a drug addict who no longer cares about the consequences of your actions before they even lift a finger.
Keep in mind the AFL is the same competition where former West Coast Eagles player and self confessed meth addict Ben Cousins managed to get by without testing positive for drugs once, and was only caught out when the police arrested him!
He got all of 12 months out of the game, and was back playing in the AFL once his ban was over.
Rugby League can still do more to make sure it gets as many drug users out of the game as possible, but at least fans can take heart in knowing that no sporting organization anywhere in the world does more to find drug cheats, and then ban them to the fullest extent possible.
There are many sports out there that have a lot to learn from The Greatest Game Of All.
League Freak 01/08/2010 04:11 Ridiculously, it all resets after every World Cup. Or the WC doesn't count. One of the two.
fazerino 30/07/2010 06:46 Ref Willie Manu. Didn't Hayne play for Fiji in 2008 WC then tour with the Kangaroos 2009??
League Freak 21/07/2010 03:27 Solid buys. Finch is a handy play maker, Lima a good prop. Hoffman has had injury probs though.
wiz66 20/07/2010 22:34 Lima, Hoffman and Finch signed for Wigan next season back with Mcquire good buys or not
League Freak 03/04/2010 04:05 People like you keep my fires burning. That and the Deep Heat I rub into my genitals.
john 02/04/2010 15:12 very funny,you nearly had me, keep up the garbage you prick
League Freak 01/04/2010 01:39 Hes not bad. Good mobility, gets stuck in. Doesn't mind playing in the middle of the field, unlike Gareth Ellis!
wiz66 31/03/2010 23:29 Freak - Have you seen and what do you make of young Flanagan that signed for the West Tigers from Wigan at the end of last year
League Freak 06/11/2009 02:13 Rich backers, the exchange rate and relaxed salary cap monitoring.
fazerino 06/11/2009 01:03 Fair enough, so why does SuperLeague have more cash than NRL? (if it's only played in grotty Northern towns in England?)
League Freak 03/11/2009 23:21 A Nation Comp means a bigger TV deal and bigger sponsorships. The NRL's deals are smaller because they don't have the national reach on a weekly basis.
fazerino 03/11/2009 07:24 Freak- why does AFL have more cash to lure players from league when there is absolutely no international scene?
League Freak 06/10/2009 22:14 To be honest all I know about him is that he is an assistant coach at Melbourne. He should be pretty good though.
wiz66 06/10/2009 15:28 Freak - what is the form of Micheal Mcguire who is supposed to be coming to replace Noble at Wigan as coach
League Freak 12/08/2009 13:09 You know, they can blame Smith all they want, they are just playing dumb, soft football.
NEWCASTLE 09/08/2009 21:58 I dont want to talk about how awful the knights have been playing lately its like they have lost all hope
League Freak 26/07/2009 22:29 Saw a bit of him against Leeds, he played well!
wiz66 26/07/2009 18:28 Seems Kris Rads has been coaching his full back play at Wigan to great effect
wiz66 26/07/2009 18:26 Cameron Phelps is turning into one of the best imports in SL at the moment
NEWCASTLE 22/07/2009 11:02 I bet newcastle are gonig fall back to their old culture next year.
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