Gareth Hock

[THE 18th Man]

CP.....that is a poor excuse for cheating/taking drugs and you know it!

i dont think anyone is justifying it

[fred_flintstone]

He might say it was for the pain but there are more effective pain relief drugs available with masking agents....er I'd have thought....

Being pragmatic, will he come straight off the cap?

[gillysmyhero]

LOL maybe but he hasn't so Hockie a druggie.
Briers however is still a Wire playing a semi against a Wigan side who could least afford to loose their best forward for it.
If confidence wasn't already at a supreme low following Lenny dropping a bullock by not ensuring their approach for Kearney was tight-lipped. :eusa14:

I hope the Tax man does his job properly then we,ll see who's laughing.Now go and play on your own site.

[cpwigan]

CP.....that is a poor excuse for cheating/taking drugs and you know it!

There can be no excuse P n B.

However, he has been tersted nearly a dozen times in the last 2 years and been clean every time. So that suggests he suddenly forgot how to mask it OR it was only recently that he started to take it.

He may have used it longer than 2 years ago.

Like I have said elsewhere I am gutted because he is such a good attacker. Without my Cherry n White glasses on he should be banned as all others should. He will not be the last to be found guilty in RL, in sport.

[cpwigan]

He might say it was for the pain but there are more effective pain relief drugs available with masking agents....er I'd have thought....

Being pragmatic, will he come straight off the cap?

I think it does but at the moment he is suspended. His contract will be terminated on receipt of the B sample.

Every player has it written into their contract re drug use so they know the consequences.

[weststand-rich]

Gaz either took is simply recreationally or he took it as a way to fight off injuries. He was struggling in games and then in the last 2 maybe 3 games he seemed to be running far more freely. I do not know anything about drugs.

What I do know is that Hock was clean for the last 2 years and was tested once every two months over that period.

I also know that Hock is not the first and will not be the last RL plyer to test positive.

The use of such drugs is rife in society.

Cocaine isn't a performance enhancer. It's unlikely he took it to improve his play - for that type of improvement think ampehtamine or ephedrine. He'll have been using it recreationally.

Incidently Keith Senior was found positive for ephedrine usage 2 years ago and because it's semi-legal and used in several US cold remedies it usage is banned but grey. He received a stern telling off.

As I say Rich my knowwledge is non existant. I do not even smoke cigarettes and have steered away from drugs all my life.

Does cocaine numb the pain of injuries, make you feel better? I only ask because he looked to be struggling and then all of a sudden was running fine in the last 2 maybe 3 games.

Fraid not. Cocaine does have a numbing quality, but it only lasts 15-20 minutes or so.

:eh: I should stress I'm not familiar with it first hand - but have a biochemistry background and some pharmacology research experience.

Gaz has been caught bang to rights and it looks like he'll be on his way out.

Opportunity for Joel T to step up.

[cherrywarrior]

There's no excuses, if the second sample comes back positive, its bye bye Gaz, as much as it pains me to say it! I just dont understand why they run the risk, even Andrew Johns got found out in the end!

[Panchitta Marra]

innocent until proven guilty, nobody knows this is true yet as there has been no announcement has there? lets just see before we all slate one of our current best players

I guess its a matter of awaiting results of sample "B".
Totally gutted.
Wigan Rugby League Club yesterday received formal confirmation from UK Sport and the RFL that player Gareth Hock has tested positive for a prohibited substance. The presence of Benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine) was discovered in the A:Sample Test taken at the Wigan game against Salford City Reds on 5th June 2009.

Pursuant to Article 7.2.3. of the Anti-Doping rules of the RFL, Gareth has been charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and his Registration has been Provisionally Suspended by the RFL awaiting the B:Sample Test on June 30th. Whilst subject to a Provisional Suspension, a player may not participate in any capacity in any competition, event or other activity organised, convened, authorised or recognised by the RFL or by any other body that is a member of, or affiliated to, or licensed by the RFL.

The Club was informed of the situation on Monday 22nd June and joins with the RFL and UK Sport in deploring and condemning the use of drugs in sport including so-called recreational drugs.

Under the RFL Rules, if it is established that the player has committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, a period of ineligibility of two years shall be imposed. In exceptional circumstances where an athlete can show he bears no fault or negligence for the Anti-Doping Rule Violation, where an athlete can show he bears no significant fault or negligence for the Anti-Doping Rule Violation or where an athlete provides substantial assistance to the RFL or UK Sport which results in the discovery of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation by another person, the period can be reduced.

Neither the club nor player will be making any further comment on this matter until the investigation by UK Sport is completed.

[KOOCH]

I will await the outcome of the B test until I pronounce my thoughts on the matter.I along with many Wigan fans am utterly devastated at the implication of drug abuse.And lets all hope that this is all blown up out of all proportion.

[fred_flintstone]

Cocaine was once a popular drug for local anaesthetic, applied by rubbing on the skin. I'm sure I heard somewhere that its proving effective in helping those with Parkinsons, of course this will be a highly refined form of coke, not your Platt Bridge special.

For performance enhancing you'll get far more benefit from certain Anabolics such as Nandrolone which has numerous benefits to the athlete especially those with joint and/or tissue injuries. Another benefit (to the user) is that these can be masked.