B-Sample is Positive: Hock

[GeoffN]

Forgive my ignorance but is the ban actually 2 years or 2 seasons? Like if he gets officially banned in August will he be back August 2011? Or will he be banned for 2 full seasons i.e. not back playing til 2012?

It's two years from the date of sentencing.

[Sutty]

But in some cases they back date it to the date of the test.

[DaveO]

Someone has suggested on rlfans the resulting two year ban is a ban form any contact with the sport of RL whatsoever.

Dave

I disagree with that. Look at cycling, the most tested sport in the world. Alexandre Vinoukorov of Astana tested positive 2 years ago and was banned... he has been and still is working in team Astana. Many athletes still work within athletics, Dwain Chambers did, he even trained with athletes.

That may be true for those sports and I don't know if the claim was that this was unique to RL.

Dave

[weststand-rich]

[quote="Panchitta Marra] Taking Cocaine and any other drugs, performance enhancing or not, is an unacceptable manner to perform in any sport, especially where young kids can be influenced by their idols.[/quote]

PM, Gaz Hocks not your idol is he??

This is really difficult isn't it. I agree it's unacceptable and i can see some younger fans will genuinely look up to them. But these players are just blokes the same as anybody else. Same problems, same family sh*t, just good at rugby.

Maybe I'm an old cynic, but for the vast bulk of rugby players, I only really respect and idolise what they do on the pitch. The rest I don't really care about.

[ancientnloyal]

Someone has suggested on rlfans the resulting two year ban is a ban form any contact with the sport of RL whatsoever.

Dave

I disagree with that. Look at cycling, the most tested sport in the world. Alexandre Vinoukorov of Astana tested positive 2 years ago and was banned... he has been and still is working in team Astana. Many athletes still work within athletics, Dwain Chambers did, he even trained with athletes.

That may be true for those sports and I don't know if the claim was that this was unique to RL.

Dave

you have a point i dont know the RFL guidelines on this. Rugby league, along with football, cycling, athletics or any other team sport is more or less the same in terms of going around your daily activites with other professionals be it with managers, coaches, team mates or physios. There is the problem of cross-contamination as with the likes of Marion Jones and Maurice green who shared the same manager that ultimately turned out a lot of athletes involved with took drugs from the same company/ supplier. That is more individual. Team wise there are fewer coaches to more players and I doubt Hock would give 1kg of crack to Feka. We shall see what will happen in the coming days

[FROM A TO B]

All I can say is that I hope Gaz can get things sorted whilst away from the game. My real concern is the grief some individuals will give him if out and about in town of an evening. All that pent up aggresion is going to make things very difficult and I just hope things don't boil over and he ends up decking someone.
I doubt very much if Gaz reads this forum, but if he or any close friends do, all I can suggest is he focuses on the next couple of years and hope that he can come back from this. Too much natural talent to let go to waste.
not going to wish good luck, as it was bloody stupid in the first place, but I think he knows that already.

[DaveO]

I disagree with that. Look at cycling, the most tested sport in the world. Alexandre Vinoukorov of Astana tested positive 2 years ago and was banned... he has been and still is working in team Astana. Many athletes still work within athletics, Dwain Chambers did, he even trained with athletes.

That may be true for those sports and I don't know if the claim was that this was unique to RL.

Dave

you have a point i dont know the RFL guidelines on this.

Coutersy of w/l/a on rlfans:

RFL Anti-Doping Rules wrote: A Person who has been declared Ineligible may not, during the period of Ineligibility, participate in any capacity in a Competition or other activity (other than authorised anti-doping education or rehabilitation programmes) organised, convened or authorised by the RFL or by any body or Club that is a member of, or affiliated to, or licensed by the RFL.

So he can't work for the club over the next two years.

Also courtesy of w/l/a

"Also if Hock wants to be able to play the sport again at the end of his ban he has to make himself available for testing throughout the ban. Another positive test = lifetime ban."

I presume if he doesn't make himself available for testing then he would not be allowed to play again either (my presumption but it doesn't make sense otherwise). EDIT: Just checked and that indeed wold be the case.

Dave

[dawbz]

Forgive my ignorance but is the ban actually 2 years or 2 seasons? Like if he gets officially banned in August will he be back August 2011? Or will he be banned for 2 full seasons i.e. not back playing til 2012?

Not sure about that one to be honest, maybe it is similiar to when a con goes to jail while he awaits sentence, say he got 2 years and already served 6 months that 6 months would be taken into account??, don't forget he is already suspended so i assume time served is time served, i'm sure there will be someone on here with more knowledge than me.

[DaveO]

Forgive my ignorance but is the ban actually 2 years or 2 seasons? Like if he gets officially banned in August will he be back August 2011? Or will he be banned for 2 full seasons i.e. not back playing til 2012?

Not sure about that one to be honest, maybe it is similiar to when a con goes to jail while he awaits sentence, say he got 2 years and already served 6 months that 6 months would be taken into account??, don't forget he is already suspended so i assume time served is time served, i'm sure there will be someone on here with more knowledge than me.

From the rules:

D3:10.8.1 The period of Ineligibility shall start on the date of the written decision of the Anti-Doping Tribunal providing for Ineligibility.
D3:10.8.2 Any period of Provisional Suspension (whether imposed or voluntarily accepted) shall be credited against the total period of Ineligibility to be served.

This means he has already started the ban as he was suspended when the A sample tested positive which was 23rd June. So he has served two weeks of it.

Dave

[cpwigan]

Folks I have deleted 3 posts. Please take care KW. It is actually the site owner who gets it if liable is published and ignored.