When I competed as an athlete, representing your team was a thing, and supporting the others when you wernt competing was encouraged. Like you say, the small details make all the difference. and the small details show that our players do whatever they want.

Athletes are generally too busy shooting up steroids to go down the pub

Keith Senior has always been a good athlete

senior's more likely to be shooting up glamour models

Absolute rubbish - there are a few but there are in every sport Hock the other week by the way.
In fact I have never seen a sport which is so clean certainlty where running is concerned and this all happens within the proffessional side of the sport.
Even in amature events there are rigorous policies against the use of drugs and the list is endless right down to certain cough mixtures.
The point I was making is that in athletics there is a definite slant towards a good attitude which includes dress codes and performance,
unlike some Super League players which have been mentioned in other posts. These clubs should take a look at how it should be done.
I'm 51, still train hard, coach and compete and have yet to witness one single drug related incident-and I hope I never do.

Actually it was Kingy

You having a giraffe?

whats your point arent they allowed to smoke now either
why not stop them carring money nad put a crown on there head
there just working blokes but we like to watch rugby more than welding
forfuk sake

They shouldn't be, no. Nobody who smokes is operating at full fitness, which is simply unacceptable in a sportsman IMO.


No they aren't. That might have been the case 20 years ago, but the game has moved on. RL players are now well-paid professional sportsmen and need to start acting like it.

People seem to forget, 20 years ago players had a full time job, played the game because of a genuine love for the clubs and the sport, yes they went out drinking, but they also had to do a PROPER job during the day, usually that meant staying completely sober a lot of the week and then relaxing on a weekend, rugby was just a part of their social life.

People need to ask themselves this, how many people do you know who get paid in excess of £50k a year, and of those people you know that do, how many make massive sacrifices in order to command that wage, be it living away during the week, communiting huge distances, saddling themsleves with debt for their education.

Professional RL players, like a lot of professional sportspeople, are in an INCREDIBLY privilegded (sp?) position, if they can't even bin smoking for a few hours, just to give the right impression, then they are abusing that position.

'Professional RL players, like a lot of professional sportspeople, are in an INCREDIBLY privilegded (sp?) position, if they can't even bin smoking for a few hours, just to give the right impression, then they are abusing that position.'

Well said that man!

Most people i know who earn that money spend the majority of the week pished up

Its not just about showing professionalism for the sake of the club etc either. If I was a professional Sportsman I would want to be the best I could possibly be and if that meant making a few sacrifices then so be it. Even if you are selfish surely your own pride in your own condition and performance should push you to work hard and cut out the stuff that will have a negative effect. I've never understood the attraction of smoking anyway but if your career depended on you being fit and healthy why would you deliberately do something to jeapordise that? Its the same with drinking, no players should be getting tanked up during the season, thats what the off season is for. The odd drink here and there is not a problem but again why do it a function when you are representing the club? How hard is it to not have a beer?

Depends, if you have a dependancy it can be very difficult, believe me. BUT no players should have a dependancy, they have a big enough support mechanism if they do. I seriously hope it isn't alcoholism for any of them, it's a very lonely place.

Well there's a surprise!

I know what you are saying but I just think its more a case of a lack of professionalism rather than a genuine problem.

The problem is they are young guys, with money and time, without direction then they are bound to get up to no good.

It should be quite simple, random drug and alcohol tests during the season, if you can't handle that, then find yourself a new club. If it is good enough for train drivers it's damn well good enough for a RL player.

Its been tolerated for far too long so the players just see it as a natural part of being a rugby player. We should have a zero tolerance policy on things like this and have a players code of conduct that they all have to sign. Canterbury Bulldogs had massive disciplinary problems but they have managed to turn it around so why cant we?

Because the CEO gets as ed as a fart at every function he attends?

My point is that kids look up to them as heroes.. rightly or wrongly.I dont think it sets a good example to see their idols puffing away especially at an Under8s Rugby Tournament.