I like the way you defend it by saying 'even wigan mods were doing it'.

I think some people have short memories on Hock. He was a good player who carried a weak Wigan team for a while, I remember thinking that if he could clean up the indiscipline in his game he wasn't far off being able to be a Farrell-like figure. If he had signed for us a couple of years ago I would have said it was second only to Morley as a top signing.

He does have a big task now though. It has made it harder for him that Wigan have become a top side without him, its like if Iestyn Harris had come back from union and gone to Leeds. He will find it hard to fit back into the Wigan unit that used to think of him as a main player but has got used to playing without him, so his status will be different. We've been hearing all this stuff about how he's been training the house down and determined to make up for lost time which I'm sure he is, but he won't get too much time, and there will be lots of pressure on him because he's coming back from a ban, he will always be seen as a tainted character now.

I will reserve judgement and wouldn't write him off because there's no doubt he was well ahead of most British forwards, of his generation of young players that came through about 8/9 years ago I thought he was the best in the country.

BUT the game has a habit of leaving players behind who have had time out - look at all the guys who went and did a stint in union and came back, Harris, Henry Paul, Chev Walker and so on, they never had the same impact second time around.

We there be many songs for mr hock when he comes back?

[iwho's that lying on the carpet?
why's there a needle in his arm?
It's the drugs cheat Gareth Hock
and he's foaming at the mouth
But its ok because recreational drugs are not performance enhancing... so he isn't doing any harm.[/i

SC, a very good and honest assessment.

The truth of is no one knows how he will perform when he comes back in June. What I do know from people who have seen him is that he looks in very good physical condition and I suspect will be even stronger than just before his ban.

A fit, performing Hock is a benefit to RL particularly from an England p.o.v.

I'd agree 100% with that. I would imagine that when Hock comes back that Wigan will give him a fairly low paid contract un til the end of the season, with the option of a far better long term contract if he reaches the heights he was at prior to his ban.

is Hock still subject to drug tests during his ban?

Rumour has it that he has bulked up considerably and may well play prop. Who knows if that is what Wigan (who have had no contact with him what so ever – honest) want him to do. We are so strong in the 2nd row, we wouldn’t miss him, but I would be wary of him moving to another club, because I do think that he will still be one of if not the best forwards around.

We are in a win-win situation. IF he’s good on return and can make the side, then great, if not I still think other clubs outside of the top 6 would have him in their side.

Ryan Hudson has done OK since his return, so I suppose it is possible.

Yes

i wasn't having a dig. I was just wondering whether the RFL had a right to.

He's been getting tested regular by us not the rfl

ooooooooooooh... that is a little bit unusual.

So if he was found to have something suspect in his system, there is no obligation for Wigan to take any action?

From what i understand he's been 'offered' a 5 year deal with us and part of it is to get tested regular and if he 'breaks' his contract the deal is off now if it did come up positive i dont know what wigan would do regarding the rfl

Let's be honest, he's never really seemed to have left wigan during this ban has he?

you'd hope they'd report it to them?

In a morbid sort of way i am looking forward to him returning. It has been a while, see how he has taken the playing gap.

No he cant train with us or anything like that but i'm sure he's been going to schools giving talks about drugs and stuff not 100% on that though

Yeah if they did find anything i hoped they would he was stupid for doing in the first place if you look at it from his side he's not the brightest bulb so has nothing to fall back on after rugby so this lay off hit him hard

He's put alot of bulk on over the last year and half he's been training 4-5 times a week with an ex sas guy lots of fitness and been told he will be coming back has a prop sizewise he's not far off morley

I can't see prop being a good step for Hock, defence was never one of his key attributes. He came a cross as a 'lazy arm' defender, who, if put in the middle of the pitch would be a prime target for the Robys of this world.

Well you could look at it from the attacking side his offloads (most of the time) are very good you dont find many props with hands like his in the game

I'm sure madge will work his defence out he did it with the rest of the squad

you know i'm a bit conflicted over this (not strongly) you'd have like to have seen wigan take a stance and distance themselves from him over this ala us with phil berry, london with dom peters and bradford with ryan hudson,for hock besmirching the name of Wigan RLFC. However i was keeping an eye over your side and it took about 6month or so for an announcement over was happeneing with hock, then for ages now its been repeated and rumoured(and you know how likely these are) about wigan already having a contract waiting for him. As i say, aside from him not being on the playing staff it didn't seem that he'd been removed.

But in the light of the terry newton situation, it makes you wonder what the correct stance should be, though an extreme case it was mentioned that terry had other issues in his life re his family as well as the ban.

hmm/

Good point most players have nothing after the game and with the likes of hock,newton and hudson they have too much time on there hands which could be a good thing to get there heads straight or it could be a bad thing

Imo players should be punished for these kind of things but on the other hand they shouldn't have everything they know taken away from them maybe allowed to train with the club but on a very basic wage like minimum wage there is a fine line cause fans will be sending all sorts in to the rfl if they go down that route

I do know for a fact penrith had talks with him and put an offer on the table but he turned them down because of the way our club treated him after it all come out he didn't leave his house for a while but then he got set up with this sas guy and been putting everything into it, imo the shape he's in at the moment he will be better than ever when he returns

There has still not been an official announcement over Hocks future from Wigan, but I'm also led to believe that he had meeting(s) with Ian Lenagan.
It was also reported that Hock had a contract offer from an Australian Club (Penrith?)

He certainly hasn't been training at Wigan RL.

I guess we'll all know the outcome in June.

Gareth Hock is a player i`d love to see at Warrington if its the same player that returns minus the recreational activities which he got banned for, i`m all for giving someone a second chance within reason. Andrew Johns is still worshipped here by many even after his admission of using recreational drugs, Gareth Hock is a quality back rower and you their are not many of those to share around in SL.

I think a 2 year ban for recreational drugs has no logic behind it. If the idea is that its a criminal offence well let the law deal with it. Thats what they do with players like Briers, Morley and Gleeson who have got done for drink driving. The RFL did not get involved there and ban those players?

The idea is that we need to send a message to youngsters that rugby league has no time for recreational drugs. Fine, does rugby league have time for drink drivers? Why not ban them? What about players who go out and get completely wasted? Is that a good image for rugby league? 2 year bans for players who get caught bladdered?

2 year bans or even life bans, for taking performance enhancing drugs I agree with, but the way I would have dealt with it is said if a drugs test has shown Gareth Hock took coke, the RFL should have shopped him in to the legal authorities and said look we've got proof he's taken an illegal drug, and left it at that. If he has committed a crime then the courts can deal with him, and place whatever sanction they want to, it's not for rugby league to start being judge and jury.

Actually instead of all this talk about bankers bonuses, if they really wanted to put the cat amongst the pigeons they should say there's drug testing for anyone in the City and if you test positive for coke, the FSA gives you a 2 year ban.....there would be some pretty empty trading floors.

You can teach defence. He probably won't match Graham in defence but it could be worth a shout. I'd still stick him in SR.
Solomona is big and can play a good ball. Ben Harrison is big and was quite effective last year. It seems Hock was excellent in SR and and extra punch won't hurt him.

Is he preferable to Coley or Fielden? I'd say probably but i'd say he is better than J.T too