It's still not a big deal. More important things are going on. And I doubt anyone save one or two on here are waiting with baited breath for any such statement. I'm sure the club will make one when they can.

But remember, a lot of this depends on Gareth Hock's own behaviour, which is as unpredictable as the weather. Much as you may want to know what's happening, the club may not be in a position to tell you because things are not panning out the way they hoped for - yet.

The club can tell us what itis doing or what its position is. Whether Hock complies or would comply is/was never a given.

Don't forget if Hock has already fallen off the wagon (hypothetically - no reason to think he has) he has failed to meet the criteria for returning to the game in 2011 so Wigan could not be waiting to see if things improve if they have taken a turn for the worse. It would already be too late for that.

All these reasons why Wigan won't comment such as waiting for MM or what Hock may be up to don't stand up to scrutiny.

Dave

Gimme a break. What scrutiny? You don't have the first clue what's going on. How can you scrutinise any of it?

Listen to some of the rumours. The club are having a very difficult time with this one. They have higher priorities than keeping you fully up to date on everday developments, especially those that concern personal issues like drugs, rehab, etc.

I think one thing is clear this "the fans don't deserve/need to know" dismissive approach that IL takes will certainly never please everyone.

Re Hock - If he is still on the powder, he needs to be sacked and the club cut him loose, the only motivation he needed to get off it was being caught, if he still hasnt stopped he doesn't care/will never learn. The club are wasting their time on him.

However, if he is successfully battling it and on track to return, no harm in the club letting people know, surely?

Well you don't know what is going on either but it doesn't stop you posting your speculation as to what may have happened to defend the club not making a statement does it?

I said the [iarguments[/i as to why the club has not issued a statement don't stand up to scrutiny. And they don't for the very reason you give - you don't have the first clue what is going on.



The club promised a statement and failed to make one. All this speculation things may have changed so the club is now in a difficult position is a compete red herring.

Why?

[uBecause it is simply unrealistic to think the club did not decide what its position was months ago once Hock's ban was confirmed. [/u

Once it had made its mind up what that position was, it should have made the promised statement.

If things subsequently changed then so what? You can't go on saying nothing about anything in case things change!

This all blew up about 6 months ago but the rules about drug abuse have not changed meaning if he has fallen off the wagon he is finished and saying nothing won't change that or if he is doing well in a rehab program supported by the club (or not) then great, so why not say so?

There is already enough speculation in this thread as to why there is no statement to show lack of information from the club breads rumour and suspicion.

Dave

This is the usual hot air about nothing. None of us know anything, so there it ends.

But I honestly don't know why you follow Wigan at times. You seem determined to find either incompetence or underhand activity - not only in every announcement the club makes, but in every announcement they don't make.

Why don't you just accept that things go on - sometimes quite delicate things, and that situations change? I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now, the way you got progressively hotter under the collar re. the coaching situation, only to then have to accept that the club had been playing a fairly clever game all along.

I appreciate that what this boils down to is you being desparate to know every single thing that's happening as soon as it happens. But you never will. So why not just accept that there are some things the club may feel are better kept under wraps for the present time (regardless of comments they may have made a few months ago, possibly before the full extent of the problem was revealed).

It's not going to make any difference to Wigan now, anyway, and you trying to make it into some kind of crisis won't change that - because it's only a crisis on this thread, not even on the wider message board.

Spot on... let the matter rest with club.. its delicate and fraught with legal implications... Its up to Gareth to prove position and get back on the wagon.... The club moves on and we can only hope that gareth can sort out this problem and get back on board when his ban is served and HE has sorted himself out with the help i'm sure he is getting...

Do you lot also want to know what IL had for breakfast or what colour his undies are?

Jeez, wigan are going through a purple patch at the moment and look like a club on the up, yet some of your supporters still arent happy.

Congratulations.

Your very first sensible post about Wigan.

Any criticism of the club on this one is entirely of its own making. They knew pretty much 6 months ago that his B sample was going to come back positive after Hock sold his story to the Screws of the World, and have had plenty of time to make decisions and explain what it was going to do when his ban was finalised.

They have two clear options:

1. Sack him for breach of contract - like Bradford did with Hudson.

2. Don't sack him for breach of contract and put out a statement saying how he's been a stupid boy, but will be supported by the club to overcome his problems etc with the hope he can restart his career and see out he last 6 months of his contract in June 2011 etc etc.

Given Hock's case is by far and away the highest profile drug offence the sport has ever seen, it's bound to be asked why the club is still silent.

A post of a person who has lost the argument. You have not addressed a single point in the post you replied to but instead resort to posting rubbish about me and what you assume I think to try and deflect the argument. I won't bite.

W/L/A has it spot on. The issue should have been put to bed six months ago.

Dave

DaveO

I dont think that is entirely fair.

To counter WLAs view I would say there could well be a 3rd option (which I posted earlier in this thread) that the club want to keep him but know he has not sorted himself out yet regarding his problem -hence the silence.

Maybe thats true... but it only seems to be being discussed here...is the whole of the rugby league world, and the sporting world generally sat waiting a ststement? No... just people who seem they need to know all about how the club may or may not be trying to help a person with a problem. I don't feel i or we need to know anything. There is too much to be upbeat about... For goodness sake guys... get a life...

That's still a sack him or support him option though. In any case he'll be random tested during his ban and if caught again gets a life ban.

Well it is a Wigan forum after all.

I've not seen anyone say they want to know "all about the club" - you need to stop reading too much into people's views. Perhaps wanting to know what's happening to one of the best players at the club makes me a fan rather than in the need to get a life.

You're right there's plenty to be upbeat about at the moment, but wondering why the club is silent on this issue isn't going to cause the club to implode.

The club's scored an own goal when it could have been sorted month's ago and the happy clapping could have gone on without people upsetting you.

With whom?

With itself.

There isn't an argument.

You know nothing, I know nothing.

The difference between us is that you want to know what's happening now, regardless of whether that's possible, and I'm content to wait until such time as the club are ready to tell us. Not a major issue really (despite you wanting it to be).

In the long run - and probably in the short run - it won't make any difference to Wigan RL.

I am sure the club will apologise to itself in due course for not keeping itself in the loop.

Phrtttttt!

Who said they needed to apologise?

I've yet to see anyone post a reason as to why anyone other than those directly involved actually NEEDS to know anything more than we already do. Gaz Hock is banned til 2011 for drug use, all anyone needs to know for now.

Is it not reasonable to expect that the lad be allowed to get himself clean and the club do what it can/will to aid his recovery without letting every nosey barsteward and busy body in Wigan now how its going. What exactly is gained by constantly speculating if he's still clean/ever was clean/fallen off the wagon and what the club intends to do in two years time if he's a good boy and provided we don't find another superstar second row and if he still wants to play and if....and if....

Anybody who likes to hear public announcements about drug use/rehabilitation should find plenty to go at on Jeremy Kyle.

Spot on.... The point some people are trying to make is the the club said they would make an announcement...... I don't feel they have to.... As you said the resolving of this matter is personal, and only those involved need to know the details...Lets just wish him well, and let him get on with sorting his life out...