But that's not always the case Frank - for instance you have given up smoking now for how many days? Yet I am still suffering from being around you all those years you smoked

Well done you for giving up though and KEEP IT UP mate

For me ive NO SYMPATHY for Gov , he knew the risks and still chose to Dabble,as do all the Players.

Drugs when misused are EVIL,i have a younger Brother ,hes been in the Cemetery for 22 years now through Drugs ,i can also see 4 of his mates graves from his ,never tell me Drugs are OK, they are not they Ruin lives and families,ihad to get this off my chest,lets talk about RUGBY .

Well said Charlie I used to run around with agroup of about 10 or 12 mates. There are only 5 of us left all but one have gone through drugs. Don't anyone tell me drink is just as bad. Yes lets get back to rugby.

Sorry to heat about the deaths, it is very sad and I have been mates with a few who died myself. I am tipping that ALL of them died due to injecting heroin though. I am willing to bet that none of them died from coke or cannabis or LSD directly though. I have known a few who have died from liver failure though, a few of those under 40. Guess what from.

If a player was taking steroids, clenbuterol, EPO etc then that is cheating and should be punished much more severely than someone taking recreational drugs. If a player took speed or coke just before KO you could class it as a PED mind.

you can't lump all illegal drugs as killers life ruiners perhaps and as for comparisons re deaths just ask your GP's

Hmmmm, looking around google for any kind of results = US gubbermint saying what can and can not be said....

Not a surprise for the US mind. They just help wage a war in Columbia......whilst........no ex presidents named at all. no siree.

Before we throw the boy on the scrap heap lets look at the model set by our friends down the road with Mr Hock. he now has a choice - carry on and remian a pariah or work at putting things right! Yes Govins been a complete tool, but he should be given help and support, IF HE WANTS IT!!!

FWIW - I agree with the comments on the hypocrisy or lack of understanding re. controlled substances, yes a line of coke is harmful but then again draping yourself over a bar and drinking 30 units of alcohol is equally harmful, argubly more so, yet one is illegal and 'performance enhancing', the other is all'reet and considered the stuff of a 'bit of a lad'.

With reply to your statement , my brother never injected drugs ,he died because his body had no tolarence to what he took ,resulting in an Overdose ,though i stress it wasnt suicide on his part , anyone who knew him and he was well known ,would tell you his love of life , he was a Foolish lad who made a very costly mistake ,i STILL MISS HIM THOUGH,again i say lets talk about RUGBY.

But he'll still be hanging around with the same old mates who are doing the same old thing , so the temptation to have another dabble is always there .

That's my theory on why so many who go into rehab or prison ( well maybe drugs are just as rife in there ) to get clean / dry out come out and hang out with the same old gang and are soon back to square one .

I read a really good article in a paper on holiday a couple of years ago (can't remember which one or who by?) where the writer proposed that prisoners should be allowed, encouraged or even required to re-locate and set up a new life for themselves whilst on parole.

May have been in the US, where nipping back home isn't quite as easy because of the size of the country although, as the writer correctly pointed out, it would never work as some do-gooders would argue that it is against someone's human rights.

Think the article went on to suggest that a repeat offender (3 strikes and you're out) couldn't blame anyone/anything but themselves after a fresh start and should be imprisoned for life, regardless of their crime, which I felt may be a bit OTT?!

who cares ??? if he can't see what he's done is completely stupid & nonsensical then why worry about him if he won't see the error of his ways ? Hock is the example to follow surely and give him our full support ? We are all capable of going off the rails,I should know but the idea is to learn from our mistakes.
Prison works for some tho' not for others

Early days with Hock so far.

Not that early 2 years!! 1 of which he had to prove to the club he could sort himself out the second of which he has been working hard to get the message out to youngsters not to take drugs!!

When Hock was banned there was abig outcry unfortunately he was just one of many taking it in the sport! Many wont learn until they are caught sadly!