Quote: Erik the not red "Not quite true. The bans relate to performance enhancing drugs for the Drug Authority bans. Cocaine is performance enhancing in competition being a stimulant (as are amphetamines) and anyone caught with it in their system on match day gets the big bans. It is not performance enhancing out of competition as it does not have any long term performance enhancing effects - indeed it goes through the body pretty quickly so it doesn't count on the drug authorities naughty list in this case. This is quite different to steroids and growth hormones which do provide long term benefits and attract a deserved ban for out of competition use as well as match days.
Now catching players using cocaine out of competition opens up a huge legal and moral minefield, its illegal in most countries but then again there are privacy issues. There is also the role model argument amongst others so its up to the clubs and governing bodies to set their own rules - good luck to them.
And I see that Wigan fans still don't get it. Hock was caught in an after match sample. He was cheating and got the standard ban, simple as. He certainly wasn't hard done by and in no way got an exceptional sentence. I know its a difficult concept for Wigan fans to digest but sometimes the RFL can't make a mockery of the rules and justice and fiddle it in your favour, their hands were pretty much tied in this case.'"
Honestly we don't care that much, we were better without him and won a SL and CC the 2 seasons he was suspended. Your yness is duly noted though.
Fwiw I bothered to quickly look it up. Barba tested positive 4 days after the NRL GF. Cocaine stays in your system between 2-4 days after use.
