Yep.

I wouldn't have argued if we'd have managed to get our hands on him when we were having a sniff around him.

A 2 year ban is fair, he's kept his nose clean (no pun intended), he's a good player who is now very lucky to have a 2nd chance. But......

1) for the Wigan fans to give him a standing ovation like he'd just come back from a major illness or war is baffling

2) for Eddie and Stevo to brush it under the carpet and joke so trivial about it is wrong.

Both send out the wrong message to kids.

Anyone else feel a bit for the player who has been shoved aside to allow Hock to return?

Speak for yourself Zebedee!

I just beat you to the [ipun[/i mate.

the guy has served his ban well, not gotten into any more trouble, put his head down and done the work to get back into shape and into the team,
for his sheer work ethic, i belived he needed a clap, the prodical son has returned,
You wouldnt be moaning if gleeson comes back from his second stint away, infact im sure u will be standing up clapping him too

you really comparing taking drugs to having depression/stress?

Cocaine may not be preformance enhancing (well sometimes it can be

)

But it can mask banned steroids, so although some may see the punishment as harsh, then they have to take that into account.


As KT mentions, a lot of proffesions, esp any that are driver based now have random drug and alcohol tests and pre-screening before employment.

God how i panicked on my first day of my last job , coming back off a Milenium magic weekend

Why is it that some threads which have nothing to do with Hull are closed immediately and others are allowed to run and even have mods contributing?

Surely this is a topic for the VT?

=#FF0000Read the announcement at the top of the board. Any more and you're gone.

Kosh.

im just saying get off ur high horse, and celebrate the fact one player has turned his life around, lets hope more who do stupid things can, so we have no more ending up being left to rot and alone like terry

I fully appreciate that people deserve a second chance, but I found the standing ovation he got from the Wigan crowd and the constant drivel spouted by Hemmings and Stevo disgraceful.

I also find it laughable that Hock was given a 2 year ban by the RFL, but then granted special dispensation from them to resume training with Wigan several months prior to the expiry of his ban so that he could resume playing within hours of being allowed to play in peak physical condition.

Once again, the RFL have made themselves look foolish.

apparently i said something out of turn,
there was nothing in my post, but thanks for letting me know,
Bloody censors, and it was only 2 months,
wasnt the 2 year ban given by some higher governing body rather than the rfl? n the rfl had to up hold it,

Does it? I've not heard that before and a cursory look via google didn't pull anything up. I'm not sure how it'd work. Accelerating metabolism maybe? The metabolites themselves will be very different.

As masks go it'd be a bit cack - the equivalent of offering 'I was busy doing an armed robbery' as your alibi.

You speculated on the cause of Gleeson's illness. That's not open for speculation. If you think that's heavy-handed then feel free to speak to Admin, but you might bear in mind that they make the rules in the first place.


The ban was handed out by the RFL but they used the WADA guidelines which they've signed up to.

Does it state in those guidline when a 2 year ban actually means someone is banned for 2 years?

it was a legal precident set by some footballer somewhere, and the legal system is all about precidents and loopholes.

He did wrong, he was banned and now its spent.

Fair play to the guy if has turned his life around and learned a lesson, others have done it like Hudson and have proved themselves. I have no doubt he will as well, anyone can make a mistake and the pressure to succeed in sport are very high these days.

Totally agree with you.
Breaking the law is breaking the law and "playing under the influence" is illegal, no matter what the drug was intended for.
Sadler talks out of his jacksie most of the time - remember his campaign to get Millenium Magic put to the start of the season ? Shows he knows nowt

He deserves a second chance IMO, he has done the crime and served the time so to speak. Agree with most comments on this thread and I do feel that the RFL allowing Hock to train with the squad way before the end of his ban is double standards TBF. As for the Wigan fans giving him a standing ovation I just find this wrong, clearly they did this to welcome him back into the Wigan team and the game and in no way condoned his drug use.

The standing ovation was to congratulate him on realising what a fool he had been and for turning his life around like he has, it was not to condone what he had done.
Gareth is Wigan born and bred and anyone who knows him will tell you the lad goes about his business in town as a very friendly likable lad who gives his time to anyone who wants it.
I’m sure if he screwed up again none of the Wigan fans would forgive him however everyone deserves a second chance and that is what he has been given although IL has made sure that his time spent in those 2 years has been put to good service doing manual graft within the community together with him giving speeches to children about the negatives to drug taking.
If his actions and his rehabilitation programme has made a difference to just one of these youngsters to persuade them not to use drugs and spread what they have learned about drug abuse and its consequence’s then that in itself deserves a second chance.
Just remember with all the drugs that around in todays society it could be any one of our kids that are faced with that decision.

Well said mate, enough from the god likes on here who have never done anything wrong, he made a mistake and paid his price now lets move on eh??
he himself admits he was a chump for doing it and has since been exemplary in his rehab time
Hock for GB if he can get back to anywhere near what he was...

well said, lad is a true champion for getting through ... hope he smashes his way back into GB contention.

So what should the Wigan fans have done then? booed him or just sat in silence. Whatever he's done in the past he's obviously worked hard to turn his life around and get himself ready to play once his ban was up and I don't see why it's disgraceful that he got a big ovation from the Wigan fans. I think you're going a bit over the top here.

they just all jelous that we have one of the best forwards in the game back after suspension

I don't think anyone would disagree he's a good player, personally I am not jealous in the slightest.

Wigan fans seriously need to get over themselves.