www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 300zf.html Could explain why they failed to show up against Australia in the final.

www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 300zf.html Could explain why they failed to show up against Australia in the final.

What's the link between the article and the performance in the final?

It's nothing new. 24 years ago, I used pro-plus caffeine pills pre-game and alcohol post-game, and so did lots of others.

Were you an elite sportsman?

Well, I thought so


Would you think things would be different at different levels? Whether yes or no, why so?

Every athlete likely to be tested now knows about the stilnox and red bull thing.

The Australian swimming team at the Olympics ed away a few gold medals by going silly on stilnox - and now it's banned by the Australian team - but it's still legal and undetectable.

In answer to the original question.

Who cares.

Gareth Hock

I do.
The OP does.
And apparently the NZRL does.

But good contribution. I'm not sure it could qualify as an answer, as you state. I'd say it's more of an irrelevant side-question.

I think when you're an elite sportsman who gets paid to be an elite sportsman, it is more important to make sure you're doing your best to be an elite sportsman (i.e. not putting cr*p into your body, especially before a big game) than it is if you're a park footballer who plays for enjoyment.

If I decided to go out on the lash before a game, I've let myself down, my team down, and if they want to drop me that's their choice. But at that level players are harder to get, and I'm not getting paid so they might as well keep me around. At the elite, you can't keep a bad culture like that in your side. Otherwise you won't be elite for long.

You class caffeine as cr@p? Why?

Why have you brought "go out on the lash before a game" into things?

All the article says is that there is a culture of using sleeping pills to nod off at night after a game because of the use of energy drinks before and during a game!

Long term I can imagine the practice will do some harm one way or another but in no way does it seem illegal and no way does it compare to other illegal substance use.

QLD did this and still won the series.

Kiwis just forgot to win.

It's not illegal or banned by wada. What's the story?