Tell your Grandad to stick a fishing rod in his hand, a bright red hat on his head and sit him on a toadstool in the back garden. Someone might as well make use of him.

Just lost the season opener and the squad is out on the P*** with half of Columbia without a care in the world. I'm all for a drink and a laugh but its quite insulting to the fans that the team don't seem to care that they lost.

Why not go round someones gaff or Manchester or Liverpool?

when we have a bad day at work dont we sometimes need a beer?

What a stupid thing to say... you're comparing the average joe who is obese and couldn't run 100 metres without keeling over to "professional" rugby league players.

I would drop/sack/fine players caught smoking, what a laughably stupid thing for the general population to do, never mind athletes where cardiovascular fitness is so important.


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Maybe someone should take a photo next time they see all of this drinking and smoking because it sounds like a load of drivel

Some years ago I was stood on the terraces at Hilton Park and to my surprise John Woods stood next to me....What was even more surprising he asked me for a light for his fag....Nobody could doubt the fitness and stamina of John Woods....I was once walking the streets of Widnes(suitably protected with face mask and chemical suit) and the Widnes player Mal Aspey asked me for a light....What is it with these RL players ? can't they afford a box of matches ?

John Woods smoked like a chimney and wouldn't train either...however, he would walk the peaks every day and was fitter than anyone in our team other than Des Drummond.

What point are you making - that smoking has no impact on cardiovascular performance ?

I ran the Whitchurch half marathon many moons ago + 1 of my quite stocky fellow running mates sprinted past me in the last 200 yards to the finishing line where he requested for a cigarette from his wife but yes he was a smoker but a hell of a runner to for a man that weighed prob nigh on 15st.

Fair enough, but cmon, we can't say that smoking has no effect on aerobic performance surely.

Of course it has an impact... unless that other poster is Mo Farah it doesn't mean much that a fat guy ran past him.

Warrington players in drinking/smoking shocker.

I've been going into town centre/S. Heath pubs since the mid 80's, and have regularly seen Wire players either
a. enjoying a few drinks
b. p155ed
c. hammered to Ollie Read levels.

I've got nothing against professional sportsmen enjoying a couple of snifters (Brian Clough even encouraged them BEFORE games), BUT, these are supposed to be exactly that. PROFESSIONAL. Hanley didn't drink at all. His career didn't turn out too bad, did it? Pity a few of these "playboys", don't take a leaf out of his book.

Many top athletes and sportsmen and sportswomen are teetotal because they recognise that alcohol is a poison to the body, they want to be in the best physical health they can be, and they have the intelligence and self control. Something lacking in RL players generally.

Maybe Russell was still ed when he was trying to gather that kick.

RE Hanley I read that Sinfield never drank either.

Smoking is bad for everything other than fish....
I wasn't making a point...I was informing you that John Woods seemingly had no less effectiveness and was one of the most naturally gifted players I've seen....but he smoked like a chimney!!

Just a quick trip to Google, to see several top level Aussie players involved in "shenanigans" which have ended up in bans, proves a point. Todd Carney and our own Joel Monaghan are cases in point. 9 times out of 10, all these incidents are alcohol related.

Can't these people "tone it down a bit", and realise that professional sport is a relatively small part (10 years at the top, unless you're REALLY good) of their entire lives.

... and these are just the booze ones.
They don't include the numpties who engage with "recreational pharmaceuticals".

Now, I'm not advocating an Oliver Cromwell style of puratinism. Just a level of reasonable level of self discipline.

Not much for a "professional", is it?