Now, let me be clear before I start – on the field I loved Terry Newton for GB, loved to hate him for Wigan – had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and found him a great guy, funny and his loss is a loss to the sport he was obviously well liked by colleagues, because he has received many private tributes personally to his family as opposed to in the press...... Obviously his loss is crushing for his family and as a father myself, my heart goes out to them – this thread has nothing to do with his personal tragedy or that of his family, but it has had me thinking in the wider context.

So my point:
How can a sport win I guess; if someone breaks the rules, there must be sanction and sanction which is punitive. Taking drugs in sport is not like speeding or theft, people who do it all 100% know what they are doing and why and what the consequences are be they Ryan Hudson, Ben Johnson , Floyd Landis or whoever....... Contador!
So, if people are not excluded and cast out of their sport and they are kept in the sport, looked after and work as advisors on education programs – that might help them earn, stay involved and serve their ban – but doesn’t that show a soft stance and send a mixed message that it is not allowed in the sport???? If you are caught we will look after you until you can come back again? This from a distance seems to be how Hock is being treated by Wigan, he is still working under the club banner in an educational capacity (not judging him either or accusing Wigan - just for instance).

The alternate is as the criticism seems to have been levelled at the RFL regarding Terry Netwon that he wasn’t well cared for. But that is the sanction, out of the sport.

So, got me thinking what I would do as head of the RFL – Personally, I think that zero tolerance is the only way, every player who signs on in every club at whatever level knows the difference between hard graft and training and taking drugs, people don’t do it by mistake and if found I think people have to be knowing and willing, it is not usually like that skiing dude who won a bronze medal a few years ago then got banned for taking a hay fever remedy – Alain Baxter, clearly there has to be sense.

Not sure? Thoughts??

I think there needs to be a happy medium, i think there should be zero tolerance on drug cheats but at the same time they need to be in a rehabilitation regime where they go for councelling and classes to educate them on the failings they have been through. This would be a double sentence if you like as they would not be eligable to return unless they follow the programme set out 100%.....

If every player had to go through this i think this would create the happy medium of not being involved in thhe playing side of the sport and educating them ready for when they return.

Anyones thoughts on this??

I would think that when Gareth Hock comes back he will do work with kids on the dangers of using drugs and educate them that this is not the way to go.

If a banned player is still a registered player, the governing body has a right to look after them. I'm sure two years without being able to earn the wage Newton was earning at Wakefield was a great punishment to him and that, with the international shame of being labelled a 'drug cheat' - even in death - is a pretty damn strong message that this isn't a smart thing to do.

Gareth Hock is slightly different because he wasn't straightforward cheating in the way Newton was, but regardless of what a player has done, they still deserve the basic support as a human being that the RFL can provide.

Personally I think players know the rules. They know if they cheat by taking drugs and they are caught they will be banned for two years. They know the consequences of what they are doing BEFORE they do it. If they choose to cheat they should be banned. I do not see why they should recieve any help. They wouldn't be in that situation if they hadn't cheated.

Where I do think there should be a bit of give is when the substance taken is not performance enhancing. They have not gained anything from doing so, and risk being prosecuted. Where this does fall down is they are in a proffession where kids look up to the, and any sport wants a clean image. Maybe a year ban would be fairer in these circumstances if they are prepared to educate etc.

I have read a lot of things about wether or not , or how much , help should have been given/offered to Terry Newton .

I keep coming back to the same thing . If I was sacked under similar circumstances would my boss or my union or whatever do that for me ?

Answer is no .

With all due respect . If you get the boot from work for gross misconduct then you are no longer your employers responsibility .

When did the RFL employ Terry Newton?