B-Sample is Positive: Hock

[ancientnloyal]

Just on sky sports news, Gareth Hocks B-sample is positive for cocaine.

I think we all knew that, so now it is 'official' and we'd expect comment from the club at last

[ultimate warrior]

Also just been the banner headline on the BBC Website sports section.

No suprise rwally that it has been confirmed as possitive. So hopefully we should hear something from the club soon.

[Matthew]

It was pretty much inevitable and with all the talk of rehab; I don't think that it would have made that much difference if it had come back clean.

Looks like someone is going to be watching a lot of daytime TV...

[DaveO]

No suprise rwally that it has been confirmed as possitive. So hopefully we should hear something from the club soon.

It will drag on a while yet because this must go to the National Anti-Doping Panel Tribunal for a verdict. Only once that has confirmed his guilt will the club be able to tell us anything about what it is going to do.

However I think the bringing back of loan players who will count on our salary cap means the club will be taking Hock off the books.

The verdict is inevitable and at the moment there is a 6 line statement on the club web site:-

"Wigan Warriors have been informed by the RFL that Gareth Hock’s B:Sample has tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, as did the A:Sample.

The case will now go before a National Anti-Doping Panel Tribunal for a verdict and the player’s Registration remains Suspended by the RFL until this time.

The Club reiterates its position of deploring and condemning the use of drugs in sport including the use of so-called recreational drugs. "

Dave

[weststand-rich]

A shame and a waste for everyone really. Now the dust has settled on this, I think a 2 year ban for cocaine use is on harsh side and doesn't really address the issue of an addictive problem.

The whole point of drugs testing in professional sport is to stop people actively cheating and gaining a competative advantage by using performance enhancers. Cocaine in this context is not a performance enhancer. There are cheaper and better stimulants available if you want to do this - look at Keith Senior who 'accidently' took ephedrine as part of a cold remedy .

What Gareth Hock has done is stupid and illegal, but he's not done it to cheat and become a better rugby player. Compare this to say Ryan Hudson who was banned for a similar period for taking the anabolic steroid Winstrol / Stanazol. In his case it's fair because that drug rapidly increases muscle mass and muscle strength and would actively improve on field performance so.

The anti-doping policy by lumping cocaine in with everything else is clumsy and blunt. I think a better way to deal with cocaine use by a player, say over Growth Hormone or a Steroid, would be a semi-punative rehab programme by the RFL. This could take the form of a 6 month ban while the player is retained on a minimal salary. During this period, the player would have to undergo rehab and a period of community work for the RFL and the club. When playing can resume, random cocaine testing would be performed in house at players expense for the rest of their registered period of playing. I think a programme along these lines is much fairer than the blanket 2 year ban currently in place.

[thomo]

This may be very controversail (can't spell it) but can the club not keep him on the payroll on a non playing capacity (not counting on the salary cap) and help him with rehab and training and then give him a contract again as a player in two years time.

Reduced salary maybe even a low wage but should the club and the sport just cut him free.

Hudson did far far worse - he cheated at the game and took performance enhancing drugs - he served his time and came back to the sport - as a captain of his club

[Fujiman]

A shame and a waste for everyone really. Now the dust has settled on this, I think a 2 year ban for cocaine use is on harsh side and doesn't really address the issue of an addictive problem.

The whole point of drugs testing in professional sport is to stop people actively cheating and gaining a competative advantage by using performance enhancers. Cocaine in this context is not a performance enhancer. There are cheaper and better stimulants available if you want to do this - look at Keith Senior who 'accidently' took ephedrine as part of a cold remedy .

What Gareth Hock has done is stupid and illegal, but he's not done it to cheat and become a better rugby player. Compare this to say Ryan Hudson who was banned for a similar period for taking the anabolic steroid Winstrol / Stanazol. In his case it's fair because that drug rapidly increases muscle mass and muscle strength and would actively improve on field performance so.

The anti-doping policy by lumping cocaine in with everything else is clumsy and blunt. I think a better way to deal with cocaine use by a player, say over Growth Hormone or a Steroid, would be a semi-punative rehab programme by the RFL. This could take the form of a 6 month ban while the player is retained on a minimal salary. During this period, the player would have to undergo rehab and a period of community work for the RFL and the club. When playing can resume, random cocaine testing would be performed in house at players expense for the rest of their registered period of playing. I think a programme along these lines is much fairer than the blanket 2 year ban currently in place.

Premiership footballer just tested for the same thing. Bottom line is if you get caught you accept the consequences.He knew what he was doing and is now paying the price. If him getting caught stops more young people taking it some good has come out of it

[DaveO]

This may be very controversail (can't spell it) but can the club not keep him on the payroll on a non playing capacity (not counting on the salary cap) and help him with rehab and training and then give him a contract again as a player in two years time.

I don't think that would be a good idea for him or the club.

Can you imagine how frustrating for him it would be being unable to play or train yet hanging about the place even if given a job?

I am not even sure he is employable in the community capacity right away because until he has proved he is clean there is no way people are going to want Hock involved with their kids. There may even be players families who don't want him near the young players!

What is he going to do as a job at the club?

Hudson did far far worse - he cheated at the game and took performance enhancing drugs - he served his time and came back to the sport - as a captain of his club

It would be interesting to know what his club did with him during his ban but whether right or wrong I get the impression people view performance enhancing drugs as cheating and stupid but Cocaine in a far more serious light as it is related to addiction and all the nasty side of the drugs underworld. If so that makes it much harder to employ him IMO.

I think the best he can hope for is the club keep in contact while he goes through whatever programs he ends up on and then in two years the situation can be evaluated as to the possibility of him resuming his RL career. I think if he got that he could consider himself very lucky.

Dave

[medlocke]

If it had been Colbon instead of Hock would anyone want to keep him involved with the club so we could have him back after the ban, i doubt it, the fact is Hock has been a nuaghty boy and been caught, if this had been any random bloke on the street the majority of posters on here and other websites would be calling the guy scum, it takes the wee really, we should have nothing further to do with Hock. Look at Ryan Hudson did he get any support from anywhere, and what about Martin Pearson, he got found out when he were dropping E's did Halifax bother about him when he was banned, the answer is no, and for the naive posters who have no real experience with the drug world, Hock will do it again, it isn't a shame, theres no need to worry about him, fact is he is trouble and every one knows this, he couldn't leave his past behind and he never will, i doubt he will be seen in the world of profesional RL again, you'll probabley have more chance seeing him with a running nose down King stret,

[Fujiman]

Found this interesting article from 2003
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/ap ... anwarriors

This is a small excerpt
"'Gareth was what you'd call a character when he joined us,' Foley said. 'A streetwise lad and it could have gone either way for him."