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too much is swept under the carpet in this country across the board. We have always picked ridiculuos cheap areas in which to punish people while leaving the real problems festuring. For example i work for the NHS, now i know there is only 1 way i could get fired in all seriouslness, i could be there worst person in the world at my job i could be late everyday, i could make mistake after mistake after mistake, and it wouldn't get me the sack. In fact in one case i have seen someone promoted so the managers could "keep a closer eye on them" and thats not a lie. However if i were to make 1 racist or sexist or anything you can stick an ist on the end of joke or comment id be for it good and proper.

Now thats not to say that rascism or sexism or all the other ism's are right, and that they should not be punished, but the punishments are lob sided to the scale of the issue. An example being that a catholic nurse was suspended for 2 weeks for offering to prey for a muslim patient as that was deemed not encompassing others belief's (please note that this decsion was made by the PC brigade the patient had no issue and was actually very thankful) and yet a employee who failed to react to 3 emergency calls whislt on call (for the i.t department) wasn't even given a formal warning.

What im trying to say is we seem to have a habit of punishing the easy things, drugs is easy, someone's taken them or they haven't. Assault has "mitigating" factors etc, rather than be harsh and risk backlash they seem to think adding high punishments to an easier area to prosecute is the answer. The RFL is no different on this. on and off the feild

wigan_forever - I too work in the NHS and know of cases where individuals have been dismissed eg for having consumed alcohol during work hours. There is a clear substance misuse policy that covers both alcohol and illegal drugs.

cpwigan - I think the paradox you highlight is very clear, and think that the main problem is that for drugs there are clear rules, but for violence its left to the discretion of the clubs / RFL. Unfortunately neither want to ban players who they think add to the success of our game / their clubs.

Incidentally, can anyone recall the full details of John Clarke's case when he was at Wigan? My memory may be faulty, but I thought following his conviction (breaking someone's neck on King St?) he received a prison sentence and was dropped by Wigan straight away. If I'm wrong please tell me, but it may be a case that goes against the trend highlighted in this thread.

No you are right Neil re Clarke. I think he was jailed and that may be the reason his contract was terminated.

Exactly as you say re The NHS. The Mrs works for the NHS and an empy alcohol bottle found in a staffroom bin saw an investigation take place.

As you say Drugs - The RFL / Member Clubs have a cast in stone procedure they have to follow but when it is left to the RFL / Member clubs they never step up and take decisive action. Even drug use not detected by test is discreetly dealt with and swept under the carpet.

neilbass wrote:wigan_forever - I too work in the NHS and know of cases where individuals have been dismissed eg for having consumed alcohol during work hours. There is a clear substance misuse policy that covers both alcohol and illegal drugs.

cpwigan - I think the paradox you highlight is very clear, and think that the main problem is that for drugs there are clear rules, but for violence its left to the discretion of the clubs / RFL. Unfortunately neither want to ban players who they think add to the success of our game / their clubs.

Incidentally, can anyone recall the full details of John Clarke's case when he was at Wigan? My memory may be faulty, but I thought following his conviction (breaking someone's neck on King St?) he received a prison sentence and was dropped by Wigan straight away. If I'm wrong please tell me, but it may be a case that goes against the trend highlighted in this thread.

John Clarke was actually supported during his prison sentance by the club, and received regular visits from players etc, and once he was released from Prison he was transfered to London Broncos.

the RFL jump for no-one. If sample B is also confirmed we need to face facts that he will be banned and knowing the rules of play he will take the consequencies of his actions.
I think anyone in his situation needs help from whatever quarter that comes from.

part of the paradox confusion could come from a full reading of the Ian Sibbett case where UK sport clearly were of the opinion that he had transgressed whilst the RFL gave him in effect benefit of the doubt whilst UK sport did not believe there was any. you would need to read the whole of the judgement to form an opinion.

The RFL will do anything for money.

It is a pity society and media do not take a similar stand. I for one take umbridge at paying a licence fee to top up the coffers of drug filled superstars. It is our hard earned money paying the dealers. For one BEEB should ban drug takers immediately with a similar two year suspension. Probably pick up the tab for the Priory instead.

primrose-n-blue wrote:The consequecies of drugs play far worse than an assault...not of-course to the victim of that particular crime, but because drugs effect is far more reaching.

drugs as a whole involves mob/gangland dealings, murder, death of users, broken families, money laundering, the list is almost endless.

the taking of drugs however small and recreational is a piece that keeps in place an ugly crime.

I agree with what you say regardint thw wider effects of drug use, however isn't the issue here not that the RFL and clubs are wrong to respond as they will do with Hock but that they do not treat the other offences listed by cpwigan seriously enough?

Cpw may well be right that because the RFL are signed up to the Sport England thing (or whatever it is) this is why we can expect a two year ban and that the reason we do not see such bans for players convicted of serious crimes that are not drug related.

Dave

I completly agree that the likes of Price, Rearden, Feka etc should have been dealt with by the clubs and the RFL more efficiently. The fact being, these people obviously go around with a very short fuse and it is also correct that families can be ripped apart with drink fueled abuse, just like the family of someone who is a drug user. A person with a violent streak, where there is no telling when this will raise its ugly head can be as destructive as someone who is an alcholic or Drug taker/addict.

All of these people are role models for our youngsters and have to be seen to be dealt with, or some of our easily influenced may think this behaviour is acceptable.

Where as some on here feel Hock has been unfairly treated and that because the afore mentioned wern't dealt with in this manner, i don't! If test B is positive then Gareth has been completley dealt with fairly, its the others that were dealt with wrong....

I am however hoping that this opens a can of worms throughout superleague and that the people who take drugs regular and get away with it, because they know how to, the ones who openly stuff it up their noses in town centre pubs and are so away with the fairies they don't see anyone videoing. I won't write the names, we all know who, i hope they get their come-up-ance too, we don't need drugs in our sport, and as such we don't need Gaz Hock either if thats his choice of fun...

There are a lot of young lads playing rugby league in our country, so many with similar talent who will never get the chances that Gareth has had, Everyone of those lads would have swapped places with mr hock 4 weeks ago... Not one will now

ultimate warrior - I didn't know that the club were so supportive of Clarke. Maybe at that time there weren't resources such as this, and I just got the press version.
When he was released from prison why weren't we still behind him though?

Poster - what happened with Ian Sibbit? remember him going down under for a while but what was the case? Was a great prospect as I remember? Mate of mine knew him here before he went and talked about how blown away he was by the training methods in Oz compared to over here.