What extra info is there that you have and is not in the Sporting Life link then? That's all I have as it's all that's in the OP. Care to share your knowledge with the group?

Johnson apparently took Stanolozol

"Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol (oral) and Winstrol Depot (intramuscular), was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962. It is a synthetic [uanabolic steroid[/u derived from testosterone, and has been approved by the FDA for human use." (wikipedia)

McDermott "provided a sample containing the prohibited substances drostanolone and 19-norandrosterone, which are [uanabolic[/u agents"

So I'm struggling to see why you think there isn't a link. Not the same drugs but from the same family. I'll ask again, why would someone who would have known that anabolic steroids are banned take them, unless he did so by accident, in which case I apologise. But there is nothing in the report linked at the start to suggest that this is the case.

Did you even read the thread before casting your verdict on BMs actions?



You make a lot of assumptions in that statement.

Placing that statement within quotation marks is a bit misleading

Maybe you should hold your water a while and wait for some facts before summarily condemning the blokes actions and his reasoning.

Yep. And read the Sporting Life report too



I'm not claiming to know his thoughts

Just seems a bit odd that someone who, as a sportsman, would have heard about Ben Johnson (probably the most high profile drug test fail ever) does not appear on the basis of the report to have questioned whatever he was taking/offered. Like I say if it was an accident, I apologise, but based on that report, who knows?



Maybe.

Maybe you should too in terms of leaping to his defence? Or do you have facts that you're not prepared to reveal?

so your saying that the doctor provided him with masteron then???

In my book, he is a fool whatever way you cut it and certainly not a role model (but could become one).

If he took the drugs in a deliberate act to extend / improve his playing career he is an idiot a cheat and a fraud. If he was given a prescription drug by a GP that was on the band list then he is not particularly bright. The requirements of drug testing are widely knowns across sports and all he needed to say to the GP that he could be subject to testing therefore would require a drug not on the band list. If no such drug was available, he could have declared the fact to the authorities with the support of the GP. As long as this is done in advance of any test it shouldn't cause a problem (this is how Asthmatic athletics get around the problem). Checking isn't exactly hard as either McDermott or his GP could have referred the prohibited list on the WADA website.

In many jobs a failed drug test can lead to immediate dismissal regardless of whether the drug is recreational or performance enhancing, in RL it leads to a 2 year ban allowing the individual to return to play the sport if still young enough or alternatively in a different capacity.

He has let himself and his family down. Now is the time for him to to become a role model by ensuring others do not make the same mistakes he has.

its rubbish, he knew what he was doing and thats a fact. masteron is used to make lean gains and not hold any water! you dont just accidently take masteron(drostanolone) its also only detectable for up to 2 months so he was probably thinking he would get away with it!

Its a difficult call in the case of part time players.
A few years ago my dad had a number of leg rebuild operations culminating in knee replacements. It was a painful and slow process only made possible by the use of certain steroids and other medication which if he was an elite sportsman instead of a 70 year old would have counted as banned substances.

So we put individuals into a high impact sport which leads to a large percentage of injuries and then tell them that any recovery cannot use normal medication and will be slower and less effective. Then we watch parades of past players looking like old men at 40 walking with the aid of sticks. Surely a day will come where clubs are sued for failing in their duty of care to employees (I think Ian Knott was considering this after playing with pain killers and getting spinal degradation)

I don't know what the answer is...in Brett McDermott's case he seems to have been trying to speed up his recovery in order to feed his family and keep his job. If that's the case I struggle to criticise that. However to open up a loophole for him to use would encourage large scale cheating.

There are some people just posting to carry on an argument.

I think its apalling that a player who is playing the second highest standard of RL in europe has to think about finance and helping his family. Brett didnt take the drug for no reason, or to enhance his performance or for pleasure he took it for his family and for finance.

And whoever said Brett isn't a role model, your not from Barrow or anywhere near cumbria. The man is idolised by every young RL player in the area he is a hero. He was a player who put his body on the line, had pride in the badge he was wearing and played with honour.

I understand the ban to prevent loopholes and others doing it, but people saying he's a cheat and an idiot is a disgrace.

well said RN,and i've never even been to Cumbria !

Brett gave a typically honest interview with the local press 2 months ago when this story first broke, for anyone who wishes to get the full facts before judging him..... www.nwemail.co.uk/news/my-drugs- ... th=raiders

Brett gave a typically honest interview with the local press 2 months ago when this story first broke, for anyone who wishes to get the full facts before judging him..... www.nwemail.co.uk/news/my-drugs- ... th=raiders

“I took some orals from the gym to speed things up. With work, I wanted to get back to fitness as soon as I could.

“I didn’t ask what was in them. I knew they were anabolic, but I didn’t ask what was in them, I just wanted to get back playing and working and this sorted us out''
=#FF0000i understand his wish to get back to work, im sure we all get that. being semi pro he has to be able to complete his 'real' job to support his family. that being said he obviously knew full well what he was doing.

“There are things you can take in competition and out of competition and I thought, as long as I’m clear when I’m playing, I would be fine''
=#FF0000With all due respect to the man thats bloody stupid. what about pre season then?

“I was never taking any performance-enhancing drugs when I was playing''
=#FF0000 clearly not, it would be a bit obvious if you started popping pills or shooting up DURING a game. people are tested year round for good reasons. if he absolutely needed to take if for medical reasons he should have actually got it from a doctor and not some meat head juicer in a gym and declared it to the powers that be. to take it knowing it is banned, from an unofficial source and say nothing is just stupid.

“It’s a bad way to end (my career). I hope people don’t judge me on what I have done now, but rather what I have done in the past.
=#FF0000i certainly wont judge him a cheat. im sure we all can understand why, hes taken this stuff for 'recovery enhancement' not performance enhancement as such. but i will judge him as bloody stupid.

Completely disagree.

Recreational drugs can easily be considered as performance enhancing: one of the differences between the 'top' sports stars and the 'also rans' is their ability to stay calm before big games and wind down afterwards. Recreational drugs taken to relax, have fun etc are clearly aiding this, and therefore performance enhancing - and if illegal deserving of a ban.