Quote Zulu01="Zulu01"Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong or missed something.
Gareth Hock was banned for 2 years for cocaine (as I remember it)
How has he managed to get a 12 match ban let alone be allowed to play Union'"
Oh dear here we go again another Wigan fan whinging when their cheating got caught out.
Simply put. Hock failed a match day sample. Cocaine is a stimulant and therefore a performance enhancer which it is why its on the banned list like other stimulants (amphetamines for example). Having it swilling around in your system in a match day is therefore cheating and Hock got exactly what he deserved.
Cocaine does not provide long term performance enhancement like steroids and does therefore not attract a ban for that reason if it is found in an out of competition sample. Its use is of course a social and possible criminal issue which is why a particular sports governing body may take a dim view of its use and impose their own sanctions.
Barba's sample was taken out of competition so it is up to the governing body alone to deal with it.
To summarise
Hock - idiot and cheat
Barba - idiot only
French RU - lying bunch of hypocritical fascists
Nothing most people didn't know already.
