I follow cycling a lot so sadly a knowledge of doping kinda comes with the territory. I mean Lance Armstrong was said to have been tested 70 times per year on average, yet never failed one (well, kind of). It's fairly easy to get round these things if you're of such a disposition. That's why the sport has things like the biopassport now so that irregularities in an athletes readings can stand out more.

I believe microdosing is common now as it's quicker to flush out of the system, and what remains can be diluted by drinking a lot of water.

Of course, we all hope that the sport is as clean as a whistle, but given how big and fit the players are, the financial rewards for success and the relatively lassez faire testing it wouldn't surprise me at all if more weren't doing things.

I found the rehab quote pretty funny. Dbol isn't addictive and for that matter no PED is addictive so god knows what he's going to rehab.

I'm pretty clued up on PEDs and Dbol (Methandrostenolone) and I know 100% it's not addictive.

Perhaps he means psychologically addictive rather than physically addictive?

I've never known of it. I think it's a PR thing. I'm glad Wigan are sticking by him and I think more education towards young players about PEDs should be done at all clubs. I'm sure if they knew what the side effects and what sort of damage can be done might put a end to it.

Very sad to hear this. How stupid was it to do that with such a bright career ahead? It really does baffle me when you are gifted with such talent and waste it like he's done.

Even at 18 you are fully aware of what is right and wrong and he would have known that PEDs are wrong.
So that's no excuse. The pressure excuse is wrong too as it should never be an excuse.

I'm glad your club is sticking by him though. He seems remorseful and the last thing he needs is for Wigan to ditch him.

Silly boy tho.

Don't be daft !

When I was 18, I was serving 'Queen and Country', and in action in Ulster, during the early 1970's - the bad times. There were many like me at that time. With the yanks in Viet Nam, apparently, the average age of the combat soldier was 19.

In this year, the centenary of WW1, where they went into action even younger.

An 18 year old ought to know.

Unfortunately, and I have seen them. We have 'men' planking about on skateboards these days. What is that all about ?

Rehabilitation isn't just for addictions, I believe they mean rehabilitation as in him learning more in general about drugs and the consequences of drugs. Also i will imagine he will be doing some community service and volunteer work.


I would be very surprised if the club could actually design and administer a drug rehabilitation programme.

If you read the statement in full, it makes more sense.

"Rhys has been honest and contrite throughout the process and has extended apologies to Wigan coaching staff, players and sponsors for his actions in letting down both himself and the Wigan Club. The Club will support him, as allowed, through this difficult time and is in the process of constructing a rehabilitation programme to take effect after the recommended period of remorse, reflection and full awareness."

This suggests the rehabilitation is a mental/personal thing to bring him through the inner turmoil which he will no doubt be experiencing, and NOT a drugs rehab.

I personally think that this is a real shame for the lad, the pressure to compete is huge. Fail and you are just one of many who failed in chasing the dream of being a professional sportsman. At the age of 18 there are so many distractions and a lack of life experience. With the lax drug testing from the governing body the extra boost to stay with or ahead of the pack is a clear temptation which many probably get away with.

I hope that the club do everything that they are allowed to do to help and more. I don't want to see a 20 year old in the same boat as Terry Newton.

If anything this enforces that there is a need for more awareness and support in the sport for this problem. If there's more testing to be done to close a rather wide hole then do that, if it's down to the clubs boosting testing themselves and providing more support than so be it.

Based on what evidence?

It's too late on a Saturday to be number crunching, but is it really too much to ask for a modicum of empiricism in such important matters?

Like I said earlier in the thread, I think the scrapping of the u23s has put added pressure on young kids to impress early.

He says he only took once but I seriously doubt that, he'd get no results from one shot/tab of Dbol. Maybe he did one cycle which length depends on how he took the Dbol. 6 week cycles are the norm from a tab but can be run longer from injectable.

Dbol is very potent steroid and some have gained around 16lbs in a 6 week cycle (mostly water retention) but if taken orally as I suspect he has can also be very liver toxic so pleabty of water and liver support would have been needed with milk thistle. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, hair loss, inferitiilty and acne also very common with Dbol.

I just hope he's running or run Pct from a Dbol cycle as it's very very prone to causing gynacamstica and bring is natural test levels back in order. Many suggest running a drug called armidex at 0.5mg per day to prevent gyno occurring and also clomid to bring his natural test back on order so basically his balls back to normal size.

As you can see, the is many negatives with PEDs if not run with proper knowledge.

Steroid education should be given by all clubs to all the youth players.

Lets be honest though, that's around 1.5 tests per player per year (assuming only those in Super League are tested). Just because the other sports don't do much either doesn't mean to say that RL is great either. Of those tests that were taken, how many were blood tests vs urine?

As said earlier, Lance Armstrong was said to have been tested around 70 times a year at his peak, and didn't fail one. I'm sure if you were of the mind to do this then the meagre testing wouldn't be much of a deterrent as you could relatively easily get round it.

Hopefully this isn't widespread, I just have doubts when you have a very physical sport, decent financial rewards for success plus easy to circumvent regulations.

Have you any idea what Lance Armstrong was using? If he was using HGH then that was pretty much impossible to test for until 2yrs ago.

Dbol will show 100% on every test.

What do these things cost to buy? I would assume your bog-standard steroids (are there such things?) would be relatively cheap whereas something like HGH is rather more expensive. Then there's the support network you'd need if there was to be systematic doping, with the ability to schedule the odd bladder flush at short notice, or carry a spare penis around like (I think) Mike Tyson has confessed to doing (I think it was Tyson, I'll happily sit corrected), etc, etc.....
There's still the possibility of random testing (even if it does work out at 1 or 2 players per club per year - which I agree is patheticly low), so the risk to reward ratio is proportionately high. If RL players were being paid wendyballer salaries & their appearance on the park was to make or break the mansion in Alderley Edge, it might make sense, but this lad simply got lazy and is probably missing a dollop or three of common sense to boot.

Some might pay about £50 for 100x50mg tabs of Dbol with the injectable about £20 for 50ml. Plus your on cycle therapy and post cycle therapy if he's done that.

HGH is expensive. Some might pay between £130 to £180 for 100iu which would last aprox 5 weeks .

Dbol would benefit a rugby player much more as it's very potent and get big fast gains in 6 week cycle. HGH is less potent and less risky to your health. Some might say HGH has many positives like great sleep, lean muscle mass, better skin, better hair, increased libido and helps to recover.