Sorry but by the time they are playing at a professional level even the most intellectually challenged player should have the sense to know that if they take drugs they are risking their careers, now obviously some thing thats a risk worth taking but I would doubt their are many that aren't aware of the risk involved.

If your going to educate about the risk of drugs it has to be done from a young age.

But do they know?

It's not just in RL, cocaine is becoming increasingly popular in society, people seem to think it's harmless.

If they don't then they don't deserve to be professional sports people. Even if they are stupid enough not to know the health risks then they should at least know "I take this I risk losing my career"

You would think so, but from the scroll like list of players I know that use it you have to question if they're either stupid, or not enough is being done to educate them about the risks not only on their careers, but their bodies aswel.

The problem is how big is the risk of getting caught? from what I have heard about the testing players have a pretty good chance of avoiding testing so in that case they my decide its a risk worth taking. Perhaps with more testing of players there would be more players deciding the risk is not worth taking.

Most drug users know the risks to their body but it doesn't stop them making the choice for whatever reason to do so. Just like people know the risks to their body of drinking large amounts of alcohol but still do it - stupid yes but it also comes down to personal choice and the level of risk they are willing to take.

So they can't get a beer belly by drinking 20 pints so they get wasted on coke instead???????

In short, yes.

Dear Mr I Armadillo
I never intended to imply that you condoned drug use.
I wanted to point out in my view the apparent different approach of different professional sports to the use of drugs.

Jordan, do you know how stupid you are looking on this thread? Players can't drink so they take coke? take Gary Connolly for example, he used to drink 20+ pints but didn't have a beer belly!

AFAIK, the same rules apply to any sport that has signed up to the testing.

Apology accepted and thank you.

It did used to be very different and lets face it, pro-cycling ignored the problem of drug use for 30+ years!

Now however most sports, RL included, have signed up to abide by the WADA guidelines.

It is the use of Cocaine and other recreational drugs that do have any real or very short lived performance enhancing ability that lead to some confusion. As far as WADA is concerned their job is to stop people cheating at sports, not to police the legal or illegal use of drugs outside of competition use, unless of course that drug is considered to have advantages in out of competition training. As such they have two main testing areas, in competition and outside competition, the banned list of drugs being different for each. Put simply, pretty much any drug that is not on the approved list (so only some pain killers, approved asthma drugs etc) including all illegal drugs (Cocaine, Ecstasy, weed etc, etc) is banned in competition but outside competition if it is not used to make you trainer harder or a steroid, then they feel it is not there job to police this. They are not moral arbiters, they just try to stop people using drugs to cheat in sport!

So if Gareth had been tested at any other time, other than straight after the game in a formal in-competition (he had just come off the pitch)test he would not be facing an offical ban by the goverening body! That is not to say the Wigan would have displined/sacked him, but they can be moral arbiters because they set the tone in their own club/company and in their employement policy!

As it is in all sports that sign up to WADA, the first time ban for a failure of an in competition test is a two year suspension. So Gareth has been very silly and will most probably get two years!

But WADA class cocaine as a performance enhancing drug for in-competition testing purposes. Given that the RFL have signed up to their code of conduct, they've got to play by their rules. How it's classed this way, I have no idea, but the facts are it is.

The last high profile sportsman I remember being "found out" was Matt Stevens, the Bath RU prop, and he got the seemingly obligatory 2 year ban.

Like I said above, I think it is more to do with the overall WADA approach that any drug in the system that is not APPROVED for use during competition (certain pain killers, allergy treatments etc) is on the in-competition banned list. Outside of competition, if you want to do lines of coke is does not help you train better, make you stronger etc it is up to you, so the banned list is reduced.

It also allows sports people to take genuine prescription drugs for proper medical conditions outside of competition as long as, when they return, it has left their system. If you get ill and need to take certain drugs to make you better and a out-of competition tester turns up, they can hardly ban you. If however, you return too quickly and it is still in your system you could be in trouble.

If Gareth had been pulled by the Police on suspsion of taking illegal drugs, tested and it was found to be Cocaine WADA and the RFL could not ban him, period! However, he was tested in competition after a game and he had it in his system. Almost automatic 2 year ban!

I think it just 'shows up' in the overall test results. I think if it does come up out of competition I think they have a duty to report it to the sport governing bodyand club, if they request that is the case. How they then choose to then handle that is up to them.

I wonder what would happen if they took a hair sample of every player playing Superleague at the moment and did the analysis.

a lot of panic would be my guess!

Questions like that are just begging to get the site in trouble for libel...

Keith Senior says he's not bothered at all by your threats.

It was a question not an accusation.

Without naming anybody I don't see how?

Not him, but there are people on this forum who are stupid enough to do so when prompted.

I would have thought it would work with pubic hair or do you know something about Keith's personal grooming regime that we don't?

I'd rather not say if you don't mind, you know how people talk.

Thats easy then, Stand Hock in front of classrooms & in his own manner tell the kids about the perils of coke.
When finished he leaves the room, the teacher enters & tells the bemused looking kids "thats what cocaine does to you"
Not only is it good for the kids in sport, in 10-15 years all the drug barrons in the north west will be redundant.

I think you are correct, you don't want everyone knowing what you know about Keith's bushy man-garden!