Confirmed finally in the League Express, two year drugs ban for growth hormone. First of many Leigh players I suspect, it was interestingly worded; "UKAD requested further testing of the sample, specifically for Growth Hormone Releasing Factor". Looks like the Leigh bubble is about to burst!

Massive shame. Second time in his career. What a player he was for us, I for one will never forget the memories he provided. Single handedly turned so many games on their head. Fax legend

Indeed, absolutely terrible that his career had to end this way.

Legend or not Sean is an idiot and should face a life ban both as a player and coach as he has previous. No excuse for this. Drug cheats should have no place in our sport at any level.

Totally agree but, I will remember him for the good and not the bad.

Have you read the article? He raises some interesting questions with regards to the testing and the procedures used.

Yeah - I read it. I thought that there was some weird stuff in there that needs clarifying.

A problem for any innocent player/sportsman, is that the burden is on them to prove their innocence, given a positive test. That will prove nigh on impossible for anyone. Sean has tried desperately to prove his innocence and failed.

Now I don't know whether the lad is innocent or not. If not, he deserves his ban. However, some of the Drug Agency procedures seem questionable, to say the least. I would imagine that this case, or any other like it, would get laughed out of a courtroom.

Something got flagged somewhere along the line for a negative test to be re tested for something else. Its more likely to be a case of athletes been one step ahead of the testers. Lets wait and see though when the full story comes out.

It's very difficult as some of these drugs are perfectly legal, over the counter medicines. It's a hugely technical area and the player is inevitably going to have to rely on advice. This stuff he's been accused of taking isn't necessarily injected, it can be absorbed transcutaneously.

We'll probably never know the real story. But, either way, the drug testing procedure seems to have been "unusual".

Agreed Griff.

Hopefully, whatever Penky did, is not part of a bigger story - and by that, I mean at ALL clubs.

Given that this is people's livelihoods we are talking about, I am sure none of us rejoice about the news however there have been indications that this is a more comprehensive and systematic problem with Leigh (allegedly).

I was told by some who interacted closely with the Leigh players at a (physically niggly) game during the standard completion that the Leigh players just didn't seem normal, were particularly aggressive and that person even went so far as to describe them as "evil".

Make of that what you will - more to follow?

Call me a cynic but Leigh's performance on the whole seems to have gone a little bit south as the season got past the half way mark, their fitness is in question and there certainly seems to have been a drop off in the level 'violence' in their games. I cant be the only person who has noted that.

This issue is certainly raising a few eyebrows

Penky was a great player but that has all been for nothing now. In the words of Cpt Mainwaring "Stupid Boy."And to do it twice.
To comment on what Encouraged has posted I have heard rumors too that another ex-Fax Prop now at Leigh has refused to give samples and the RFL have visited at his home and due to some aggression the police where called. Just rumors but quite a big one.

That was in the press last week.
The player involved has strenuously denied the use of drugs.
The police were called due to a misunderstanding and the player offered a sample whilst the police were in attendance.
Whether one was given is not disclosed.
I for one will give the player the benefit of doubt until something is proven.
Hopefully others will too.

The video that's doing the rounds doesn't help his cause.

I find it unusual that they keep the samples they have tested that have proved negative. I would have thought that once a negative result has been found that both sample A and sample B would be destroyed. Unless there is a reason that has not been given to keep these samples I cannot see why they are kept.

Is there anywhere where we can read up on the drug-testing procedure and rules?

Show us the link for the video.

Perhaps the 'drop off' in violence was as a result of not playing 'Fax or 'Fev in their final games?



I would repeat what I've posted elsewhere, that the level of aggression employed by Leigh these past two seasons, has been no greater than we encountered during the previous four seasons' of Fev dominance. We got some right royal pastings, both physically and scorewise during our regular 3-4 games per season against them!



Our games against 'Fax have been more puzzling. We used to have some cracking, high scoring games with you. I can only assume that there have been so many players swapping sides that familiarity truly has bred contempt.

We now have, rightly or wrongly, a reputation amongst the 'knowing' media pundits, (even in the HKR and Salford games) of being indisciplined. Yet the penalty counts in both those games, have been in our favour, with the SL teams getting more players 'referred'. (e.g 4 Salford players and 1 Leigh)

Didn't need to - the drug tester had already taken the p***!

Alan - explain the "evil" reference then.

Someone close to me told me this and said that something scientifically and medically was simply not right and as a person of medicine, I value his opinion over your conjecture.

Can't comment on it, as it was his opinion and I didn't see the players close up as he did. Immediately after the final hooter, in games, they have seemed perfectly affable and charming - even with the opposition. Perhaps it's a substance that just lasts for 80 minutes? Or they are hypnotised and the final hooter snaps them out of their trance?

Mind you, we Leigh fans have often thought, during some of the team's sleepier performances this season, that they may have been on tranquilisers!

To draw a conclusion from that, you'd need to know what the penalties were for. Standing a couple of inches offside or smacking somebody, for instance.

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