Cocaine is recognised as a drug associated with club (dance scene) use and is in effect a drug that speeds up the metabolic rate therfore it can be described as a 'performanc enhancing' drug, whether that performance can be associated with rugby is another matter .
It has however always been on the banned substance list for Athletes (and RL players) It is classified as a Class A substance and to even have it in your system can be 'Possession' as per the Drugs Act therefore it is illegal and to have it in ones possession can be a maximum prison sentence of 7 years. Hardly a trivial drug one would say?

How much does it cost ?
My view is if it doesn,t improve his performance on the Rugby field then it,s his business and not mine.

We don,t ban players from playing if say alcohol or nicotine was found in a blood or urine sample.

The idea that it has an impact on kids wanting to buy the drug for themselves is daft.

Alcohol and nicotine are not illegal drugs Frank, Cocaine is.

also - because if we did this, then we would have a list of banned substances due to their performance enhancing properties and another list of "illegal, but acceptable in rugby" drugs - which would make rugby a laughing stock.
then, there is the duty of care side of things whereby the RFL are held responsible for sanctioning illegal if a player dies from an overdose, for example.

It now explains why he loses the plot halfway through a game...either its wearing off or kicking in...ah well,smack head gets found out shock

Well if his B sample is the same he "should" get the same treatment as Gareth Price & Ryan Hudson etc. End of the day it's a banned substance so he should get at least a two year ban.

Then again this is the RFL so he'll probably get a million pounds... nothing would surprise me.

"awwwww listen mate young kids dont need influences of rugby players they get it off their own parents and freinds. Just a bit pathetic asking for a life ban its definatly cant be used as i performance enhancing things like T5S and efferdrine are"


Think you will find T5S are a mild form of cocaine.
Cocaine speeds your matabalism. So wheather or not he uses it for performance enhancing drug, its still a banned substance so should be punished.

kids who become young players who then thinks it's ok to dabble, can't believe folk are trying to defend drug takers...bizarre.

Relevant points that seem totally lost on some.

Drugs - any drugs - have no place in any sport. All players know the risks if they get caught and so to do it regardless shows complete lack of respect. He deserves a two year ban just like all the other drug cheats - and just think about this, he's probably got a hefty mortgage to pay with no means to pay it - he's risked his family home for the sake of a couple of lines - the man's a fool and deserves everything that's coming to him.

T5's consist of three ingredients Ephidrine (found in decongestients), Caffine and asprin, Cocaine is sometimes cut with ephidrine but that is so dealers can rip off there customers and make more from the cocaine they have.

Far too much knowlegde for one so young

No one is defending drug users, just pointing out that the punishment is excessive for the offence. The test results showed traces, not heavy signs. That suggests that it was an 'out clubbing' type use, the effects of which would be expired by the time he hit the pitch.

To whoever called him a 'smackhead' - did someone suggest he was using heroin? Get your drugs right..

And as for the "well, they're illegal" argument - nicotine and alcohol cause more problems than most illigal drugs, this one included. The difference is that they can tax those, and so they are seen as 'OK'.

Its a matter of proportion, thats all. I'm not defending coke heads, I've no time for them at all, but am just saying that he has been punished beyond what is appropriate to the crime.