Whats peoples thoughts on this? Surely a drugs ban should be across all sports regardless of whether its rugby league, tennis or tiddly winks?! I think it's ridiculous that a player can pick up a drugs ban and then escape it by switching sports. Or is it just another case of the Rugby Union doing as they please for their own means? Ben had no club, so best of luck to him going to play Union, thats not the issue. My issue is that he should still have to serve the ban, due it being drugs related, before he can play. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38824929

Whats peoples thoughts on this? Surely a drugs ban should be across all sports regardless of whether its rugby league, tennis or tiddly winks?! I think it's ridiculous that a player can pick up a drugs ban and then escape it by switching sports. Or is it just another case of the Rugby Union doing as they please for their own means? Ben had no club, so best of luck to him going to play Union, thats not the issue. My issue is that he should still have to serve the ban, due it being drugs related, before he can play. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38824929

I figure that they've assumed its recreational usage rather than performance enhancement hence have taken a lenient approach.

Recreational, won't play NRL again this season and if he hasn't a decent spell with Toulon I doubt he'll play NRL again. Never mind, he's only played 18 months of good rugby. He'll soon be replaced and forgotten about.

rlhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38824929rl

Wrong!! and another example of players simply playing one code against another to get what they want

If every player who snorted coke was banned, RL clubs would struggle to field a team containing sufficient numbers.

Regards,
Joe Vickery.

if it's an nrl only ban then there is nothing to stop him, if its a WADA ban then legally he cannot play, or should not be allowed to play, but hey union never liked playing fair specially the Vichy Nazis code, (french rugby union)

He's still facing a 12 game ban when/if he signs for an NRL club so he hasn't managed to avoid it in that respect and latest reports say he might not be moving to RU in light of that news.

It appears it doesn't matter in Union. Keep it quiet, no names!!! I thought the WADA rules applied across all sports? It appears not. www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-uni...em-insist-rfu/

It appears it doesn't matter in Union. Keep it quiet, no names!!! I thought the WADA rules applied across all sports? It appears not. www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-uni...em-insist-rfu/

Rogues, your link isn't working. Think this is the right article. www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... nsist-rfu/

Rogues, your link isn't working. Think this is the right article. www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... nsist-rfu/

This is simply a move by Barba to force the NRLs hand - they're making the rules up as they go along. The Sharks tried to register Barbas contract a couple of months ago, enabling him to get back training and for his ban to begin at the start of the season, but the NRL have not registered it yet and have given no reason why - they're not following the same process and timelines that have previously existed for player registrations - Jarryd Hayne for instance left Rugby Union 7s, signed with the Titans (interestingly after the NRLs own signings deadline of 30th June) and made his debut all in the 1 week period.
The Sharks have been quite clever and used this situation to their advantage - they terminated Barbas contract when it all came out and have now months later after a stint in rehab subsequently signed him to a longer deal at a lower annual value. The NRL power brokers don't like that the Sharks have got one over them so are making it as difficult as possible. All the time though, whilst Barba has no registered contract, he ain't getting paid - and I don't know many people who could afford to go 4 months without pay.
As with the Andrew Fifita case, the NRL have handed down an official punishment that is within their guidelines, but are then being deliberately awkward to try and make the punishment more severe. I'd guess if they were challenged legally, they might be in bother for not following due process - a bit like the Sharks are with Todd Carney.

Apparently it's a long deal.

I can remember when he left Bulldigs due to homesickness, he's gonna love France.

when you get disciplined or sacked by the nrl there's a process to get back in. Barba hasn't completed (or started) his, hayne didn't get sacked and fifita is a ing mainiac who isn't fit to play rep footy.

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

Different continents, different governing bodies, different application of rules and penalties.

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.