Just to rub salt in

[Sutty]

He should be BANNED for LIFE from playing RL!!!!!!!!

Who? Don't you think that's a bit harsh. Would you expect to be banned from doing a particular job just because of an incident, no matter how serious.

[walshiered]

The rfl are pathetic, I agree that we cannot condone any drug taking, but how can we allow players that are found guilty of abh or gbh to play this game without punishment. Its not only Bird and Cockayne what about Reardon and Price.
:
Is Mr Heatherington and spouse still in charge? Is it payback?
:conf:

[pedro]

Was wqorse than Newtons as his was during play. Howell did not even have to attempt to stop Tomkins as the game had stopped.

Also Newtons was caused more due to the player behind Long stopping him moving and therefore the energy was all into Longs face instead of defelcting with momentum. (also Long deserved it).

[THE 18th Man]

I ignore the RFL now because the things they do doesnt benifit the game just benifits them when they want it to.

they make their own stupid laws up and if someone breaks them they get handed big punishments (in wigans cases usally) but if someone breaks the law that we all live by i.e. assult then why should they not be punished for breaking the law. It also embaresses The name Rugby Leage that Wigan helped build up.

[Kittwazzer]

After seeing the incident involving Cockayne, i'm convinced that he should never walk the streets again nevermind play rugby league again,

Seconded. The man is the Joey Barton of RL. He is obviously a potentially very dangerous individual and I for one would certainly not like to be in the same establishment as him if alcohol was being served!

[the_Warrior_in_Brum]

It’s clear that as a society we cant handle the drugs situation.
There is a commonly held belief that the majority of crime is fuelled by the need to feed drug habits or to feed the feeders. I personally am not a drug taker, never have been but even as a father of two and grandfather to three I am changing my position on drug taking.
We need to decriminalise certain drugs, for example cocaine and heroin. The stance on marijuana is a joke.
Remove the need to finance drugs taking by providing certain drugs and I am particularly thinking of heroin, on prescription, it will break the cycle and reduce the crime wave culture.
Specifically on the subject of Gareth Hock I don’t agree with the automatic 2 year ban at all. If the argument is that he “IS” damaging or affecting others by his actions, why then don’t we ban every cigarette smoker from sport? Why are celebrities known to have taken cocaine, banned from the public eye? the country is in a mess financially, it is common for traders and other City workers to imbibe in a little “Charlie” why are they not banned from trading.
There is no fairness in this issue.
We live in a society that will not take responsibility for its own actions, it’s always someone else’s fault, someone else to blame and sue, why not, no win no fee.
Lets take responsibility for our own actions, lets look after ourselves a bit more. Lets not spend £103 billion on foreign aid we need to put our own house in order first. Amen

[Kittwazzer]

It’s clear that as a society we cant handle the drugs situation................
We need to decriminalise certain drugs, for example cocaine and heroin.

That would be an admission of failure. We cannot decriminalise an act simply because we do not have the resources to eliminate it. It would be setting off along a very dangerous road!

Why not decriminalise drink-driving on the basis that there will always be people who are going to drink & drive?

[the_Warrior_in_Brum]

with respect, we need to wake up and smell the coffee. We have already failed with the drugs issue; something radical is needed. Drink driving does not even get on the leader board in comparison

[Kittwazzer]

with respect, we need to wake up and smell the coffee. We have already failed with the drugs issue; something radical is needed. Drink driving does not even get on the leader board in comparison

So, have I got you right? You feel that drug usage is such an impossible area to tackle you would like to decriminalise it?

Every single day in the UK, people die because of narcotics. Either by overdosing, or being the victim of a drug-crazed zombie who was so high on substances, he 'didn't know what he was doing'!

Are you advocating that we legalise the use of these substances allowing any such unpredictable individual freedom to stroll down every single street in the country?

If that were to happen, I reckon you would have even greater reasons to fear for your grandchildren!

[robjoenz]

Same with Cockayne. A two year suspended sentence for kicked the sh*t out of someone then going back for some more. The RFL deem him fit to represent the game whilst Hock sits out two years for a snifter of charlie. Not saying Hock's punishment is wrong but the RFL really need to pull their Yorkshire heads out from their chufter's and start bringing some proper discipline to the game.

Hock has broken a rule related to rugby leagye. Bird hasn't broken a rule related to the game. That's the difference.

The Bird issue is dealt with outside of the game. It's up to a court of law to decide his fate in a non-sport related incident.