In May the RFL nominated 17 players in its elite training squad as its ‘National Registered Testing Pool’ who under new WADA rules must agree to give notice of their location on a chosen one-hour period each day, seven days a week.
I think I posted at the start of this thread. Every member of the England Squad was tested beforehand and that was when Hock was tested positive. His test was at the Salford game, 5 June.
I still cant get over whats happening to our wonderful club. Once again we are going to be the laughing stock of super league. Like a lot of other people have said, he's not the 1st and he wont be the last to get caught. Some players are very very clever how they get away with it. All you need to do is go around the local towns on a Saturday night and you will see professional rugby league players having a good time, and you will be shocked at what you see. Theres a big differance between drunkeness and being high and its so obvious what certain "star players" are taking. Like I say some players have got away with it for years..FACT. Gareth has been our best player this year and I feel really sorry for him. But as the saying goes. If you do the crime, you do the time.
MrDave wrote:Do the RFL only test players who play in matches?
If so if the club knew about it could they have just not selected him and he would have got away with it?
To my knowledge they can test any player in and out of competition. Normally they select X number from each club each time they test. Whatever the reason the RFL decided they wanted to test all the 17 players due to play for England. They did not want to test in France etc so they tested them prior to the match taking place and that is why Hock got tested. Had he not selected to/played for England he would not have been discovered if it was a one off use. Given he was tested quite frequently previously in the last 2 years it suggests that he was either not using cocaine prior to this period or just lucky.
Speculation I guess.
If players used their brains they should know participation at elite level = testing. Olympics medal winners for example are all tested.
MrDave wrote:Do the RFL only test players who play in matches?
If so if the club knew about it could they have just not selected him and he would have got away with it?
To my knowledge they can test any player in and out of competition. Normally they select X number from each club each time they test. Whatever the reason the RFL decided they wanted to test all the 17 players due to play for England. They did not want to due it in France etc so they tested them prior to the match taking place and that is why Hock got tested. Had he not selected to/played for England he would not have been discovered if it was a one off use. Given he was tested quite frequently previously in the last 2 years it suggests that he was either not using cocaine prior to this period or just lucky.
Speculation I guess.
If players used their brains they should know participation at elite level = testing. Olympics medal winners for example are all tested.
But that doesn't stop some people. Famously Ben Johnson. They think they will get away with it. :conf:
It certainly does not. If people ever get a chance they should watch the Four Corners documentary about player behaviour and it talks about how we encourage pro sportsmen/women to be risk takers on the field etc but it has implications as to how they behave off the field.
I too am in the mind that this cannot be condoned and Gareth Hock has in my mind left the room for good. Young lads grow up trying to get to where he is right now and this is what he does and throws it all away. Wasted talent for sure..
I hope with baited breath for test B and cross everything that there has been an error.
But please Gareth look at what you have lost, check out who you think are your friends and for goodness sake do something about it before its too late..
:conf:
"Not only did they beat St Helens in the Grand Final, they did it with style" Mike Stephenson 2nd Oct 2010
"Benzoylecgonine is used as the main pharmaceutical ingredient in the prescripition drug Esterom, a topical solution used for the relief of muscle pain."
I am adding no further comment until we find out the full facts.
Gareth Thomas before his first game: "You wanna spend 10 mins getting smashed up by these guys..Big dudes here.."
MrDave wrote:Do the RFL only test players who play in matches?
If so if the club knew about it could they have just not selected him and he would have got away with it?
I believe its two per team per game, randomly chosen. So its quite possible for a player to be tested very infrequently if at all during a season.
It's not practical to test all 34 players involved in a game so they rely on the deterrent of a random test.
Whether Hock was tested because he was in the England squad or because his name came out of the hat as one of the two Wigan players to be tested, who knows. The fact is he must have taken it close enough to the game for it to show up so it was an idiotic thing to do (not that I am suggesting he should limited his use of it to times when he was unlikely to be tested would be clever).
