Does that extend to everyone, or just sports people? There'd be about 40% of the population banned from work otherwise. It's not a PED either. Coke might make you think you're better, but you actually won't be.

Lots of legal drugs/activities can destroy lives too. The biggest destroyer of lives is the war on drugs

Hey let's allow our players to smoke weed, sniff coke, take speed. You name it, as long as it's is not performance enhancement why should we care.



Let's even use this as a way to introduce youngsters to the sport. Create slogans saying recreational drug use is totally fine in rugby league.

Gareth Hock was one of Terry's pallbearers, and he was heartbroken. I always thought that was the moment the RFL started to help him to avoid another similar situation.

We allow them to drink and gamble.

The crazy thing you did makes you seem like you're 6 btw.

Illegal drugs must be bad coz they're illegal. Legal ones are fine though

Ben Barba got a 12 game ban.

Why would Hardaker get a longer ban than Barba?

I've had the 'pleasure' of seeing Hardaker and his mates on nights out a few times and speaking to them on a couple of those occasions and it tells you something when Hardaker came across as one of the sensible ones of the group. Some of them just clear and utter toilet parts and what's really sad is that they'll probably have little interest in hanging around with Zak now he's not 'Zak the RL Star'

No-ones said it shouldn’t be punished. Just that the ban could be seen as excessive.

Youngsters take far more of a lead from their peers and the coaching/club setup/atmosphere than they do from an individual pro players isolated actions. High tackles and aggressive behaviour are far more of an issue for youngsters if that’s what you’re concerned about. Yet they often receive no ban at all.

As I understand it there are performance-enhancing elements attributed from taking cocaine even if they’re only minor compared to dedicated performance-enhancing drugs. Which is why I’m still in favour of a decent ban. If there were no performance enhancing benefits to taking it then I’d be in favour of a much shorter ban.

2 reasons:
1. Barba's test was not conducted by a WADA testing agency (it was a club/NRL test).
2. Barba's test was out-of-competition. Hardaker's test was in-competition.

Barba was 'caught' in an in-house, out of competition test which had nothing to do with the doping agencies whereas Hardaker's was an official doping agency in-competition test hence the difference. You could argue that Barba got off very lightly but I doubt the testing procedure was anywhere near as rigorous as that required by WADA to allow a more severe punishment. My own employers carry out random drug tests and they certainly wouldn't be. IIRC Hock got 2 years for cocaine use and the punishment has doubled since then.

You've just perfectly explained why it is considered performance enhancing if taken in-competition (i.e. The affects are still present at the point of competition).
Cocaine gives you confidence that you wouldn't have without it. In sport, confidence has a massive influence of performance. As such, its performance enhancing if it is in the system at the point of competition.

ha - you really are a first class goon. God this feels so goood.

If he's stupid enough to snort it before a game maybe. Otherwise it would be out of his system

He deserves 2 years. If you want to be stupid and take cocaine in season you deserve a 2 year ban.

Yes it ain't steroids but there needs to be a deterrent to stop players doing stuff like this.

Losing 2 years of a short career seems like a good strong deterrent to me and very much in favour.

2 years for performance enhancing drug, yes. But for recreational drugs its too long imo, 6 months is about right.

This is Zak Hardaker we are talking about - he is probably stupid enough.
The time it takes to pass through the system depends on many factors (how much is taken in the first place, what is used to 'flush' the cocaine etc).
He clarly does have it in his system during the game, as it was detected in a test taken immediately following it!

Why the arbitrary 2 years?

There's nothing inherently wrong with taking recreational drugs. Sports star or not. Alcohol is drug. Should we ban players for 2 years for that? What's the fundamental difference between alcohol and cocaine or weed? Just because in this particular country, at this particular time, alcohol is a legal drug and the others aren't.

It does. If he likes the odd line of peruvian marching powder, you'd think even he would have the brains to wait till the season is over.

Fair enough

If players are still prepared to risk it knowing they could face a 2 year ban, then how many are going to risk it if you start reducing that to just 6 months?

I wouldn't have professional athletes drinking either if it was my choice. The point is that cocaine is illegal. Dunno how anyone can say the RFL should be leainent towards a "bit of sniff". I have read plenty of comments on social media with people arguing a bit of sniff shouldn't carry punishment.

The RFL would be a laughing stock if they didn't issue harsh punishments.

Dunno how anyone can think it's okay for professional athlete to take an illegal drug and get no punishment.

There's no debate to be had on whether its a recreational or a PED, its on the WADA list so any pro athlete should know not to take it unless they are prepared for the 2 yr penalty.

Pro athletes should not be taking alcohol & certainly not in the system when playing in my view. But if you can see nothing inherently wrong with breaking the law of the land then what's the point of having laws?

It could be debated (not by us) and taken off the list.

I agree he's an idiot for taking a substance which knows will get him a ban if he's caught.

Did Adam Walker and Rangi Chase get 2 years? Can't actually remember what happened with them

Probably the exact same number. Hard evidence proves that severity of punishment in no way impacts the number of people offending when it comes to drugs.

Bottom line is it is on on the list of PED, he tested positive after a game therefore he will likely get the 2 years.

He's going to need support (in a similar way that Wigan supported Hock) through the ban.

It's a great shame, another career of a player who could have gone down as one of the best ruined for the sake of a bit of a high.