[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/03/wigan-gareth-hock-drug-ban=#FF0000www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/03/wigan-gareth-hock-drug-ban[/url

A good read.

very good read.

Can't wait to see him back. Sounds like we made him work for it, and he wants it. All good

It was. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Interesting read, I liked this bit:

"We weren't going to mollycoddle him," Lenagan says. "The first stage was six months of crap – navvying, painting skips, gardening, whatever, to prove to himself and to Wigan that he could get through on his own until Christmas."

Excellent read, what does everyone rate his chances of making the 1-17 this year?

Didn't realise he could start training with the club 3 months before the formal ban is up.

He needs to prove himself to Maguire first..i can see him subbing in 2-3 games this season.

Damn good read that.

Although I'm left wondering why he would be given the chance to resume training with Wigan by the anti doping authorities, before his ban is up?

A very good read.

He owes it to himself to push on now and he owes it to the club for remaining loyal to him even though he made a mistake.

If he address the above, then i am sure us fans will be happy. It will good to see him back, really good.

Same here, but thinking about it I suppose it is a 2 year "competition" ban. If he wasn't allowed to start training with a club until the 2 years was up, his ban would effectively be greater than two years given the time needed to readjust to high level training before it was safe to play.

Well if he is able to train with wigan 3 months before his ban ends then i would say pretty good if we got some injuries, expecially if he looks at playing in the front row

The ban has flown by , all I want to say is this is your last chance "don't f@@k it up"

It really has. Was so gutted when it happened, felt like every year something was going wrong with the club. Who would have thought when it was up we would be Champions

I'm guessing gaz will now go through a full pre season training schedule! Under madge waney and bitcon! Thay will prove if he is ready!!!!

Did the crime, done his time been through a extensive rehab programme and only few months away from being able to play again really wants it bad and can see him being a linchpin come the end of the season he will be physically fit just not match fit and few under 20's games will see to that

Looking at him..you would think hes been doing that for almost 2 years.

Every ones aloud there opinion but mine has never changed from day 1. There was a thread put up and alot saying he should of been sacked when we all found out about the failed test , But my view is every 1 should be aloud 2nd chance who s f@cked up in sport , And I'm glad Gaz Hock has been given it ,He was 1 of my favourite player before he got the ban and i cant wait see him back in a Wigan jersey,

I'll admit that when he first got his ban I was all for him being sacked and not allowed near the club again. I couldn't help but think if he came back to the club he'd be a bad influence and I questioned whether he deserved a second shot after putting the words drugs ban and Wigan Rugby League together in the papers. But with the coaching and manangement staff we have at the club now, i'm sure that whatever happens Hocks attitude will have to be spot on if he's to get anywhere near a first team shirt. Not only this, but if he manages to get into the 17 then he will have to be out performing the likes of Liam Farrell, Joel Tomkins, Harrison Hansen etc. If he manages that then quite frankly he has earned his second chance and will be performing at a very high level, a level that could only help the team perform well. We've seen how these things can go if not managed correctly and so I think we have to say that so far IL seems to have got this one pretty much spot on.

Great stuff. I'm glad he is so desperate to get back into rugby and I hope he proves it by ripping it up on the pitch.

In terms of him playing... I think that 3 months will see him undergo a pre-season training programe with Bitcon, he says that each player has their needs catered for. I think he will have to play in the reserves first and if he plays well then he will get his chance. If he can't get in the team then I would love to see him on loan to gain his confidence back.

It will be interesting to see how he adapts to our new tactics and defencive formation. Farrell has played all of his first team games under Maguire and always attempts to wrestle the attacker on his back.. can Hock pick up these habbits and be a part of this brick sliding wall which we call our defence!

Hock may bemoan his lack of action, but he's still played more games than Eamon O'Carroll since the start of 2009.

I can't ever see him getting ahead of Prescott and Mossop now. We also have Lima on a 2 year deal. Can't see where he will get his gametime from to be honest.

That is shocking.

Does his contract end this year?

If so he would have to make a miraculous quick recovery and play better than Adrian Morley at his peak or hes gotta be off to Salford or somewhere.

good luck to him (as a Saints fan) - great player to watch IMO

let's just hope his experience has sent out a big message to his fellow professionals as well as the kids coming through,though I fear there will always be atleast one vunerable idiot tempted to break the rules and risk it all....