I didn't mention any names, but you've probably just proved my point...And I wasn't talking about that particular situation.

Just finished watching the boots and all clip from last night, and i cant believe im about to say this, but paul cullen has spoken the most sence i have ever heard (from him) about the use of drugs by sportsmen.

Hock testing positive was the worst kept secret in wigan, it was a matter of time, but the growth hormone issue is a massive one. How many lads do we see much bigger after an off season? Now i realise you can put some weight on in a short period of time, and I am not saying they all do it, but I do know that designer steriods arnt that difficult to come by for proffesional athletes. The rfl should test everyone in the comp, using the most stringent test allowed, if thats the hair folicle test then so be it, we may have teams playing with half a squad, but if thats the case then so be it!

Only in sintellins.

Every single player in superleague needs to be tested as soon as possible.

But the RFL won't because i suspect they are aware of how bad the problems actually could be.

As has been mentioned already, yes, Hock & Newton have been stupid and deserve their punishments, but how unlucky are they to be the ones that have been caught, when various fans of various clubs could name handfuls of their own players who they have seen under the influence each weekend.

Maybe its time the clubs randomly tested there own player now that would show how Committed R.L. is at getting drug free.

Come on Ian lead the way

the problem of hgh in all sports is widespread expescially any sport where explosive speed or power is needed,you only have to go back 20 years and see how much faster,bigger,stronger sportsmen have become,its not suprising terry newton has been tempted and used gear to prolong/enhance his career,however the previous poster saying his career has been a carwreck and that he will end up in the gutter is way off the mark,do you know the guy personally,ok he may have fell foul of the law in his younger days but that doesnt mean he wont mature as he gets older and id like to add on his day he was one of the most skillfull and fierce forwards to play rugby leauge

The clubs need to be told that some of their Sky money is being withheld and is to be used for really random drug testing. i.e. the testers arriving unannounced at training venues any time and any day.

Excellent idea!

LAUGH. OUT. LOUD. KC a legend?

It took him years to get out of Newton's pocket!

And the whole bit about Newton "Smashing people's faces in" when you remember what Cunningham has done and got away with, especially recently... sorry, but Cunningham is in no way "Super League's greatest player", far from it, he's been Super League's "most protected" player, though...

Great idea, and with the amount the clubs will save in wages as a result of this will offset any monies lost due to the testing!

to understand the full extent of the problem, look at the "Elite" England squad named last year, who all have to make themselves available to testing everyday - and look at some of the "shock" omissions from that squad.

For everything the RFL says in public they will want less tests - not more - and therefore less players testing positive.

I suspect they won't because it's impractical and too expensive. It's taken since November for Newton's results to come out. If you tested the lot of 'em Sam Tomkins would be retired from the game by the time the results were known.



While I don't think is practical to test all players (does any team sport do this?) if the issue is as rife as you suggest then the random test regime isn't working. That doesn't mean they aren't doing enough tests but that they aren't targeting them properly. Hock only got caught out because he was picked for England and as such came under a more rigid testing regime. It should not just be the elite players who get tested regularly as seems to the the case.

Despite Hock the elite players are IMO most likely to be the clean ones especially when it comes to steroids. They also know they get tested more often and only a twit like Hock would risk it when being an England player. He was monumentally stupid given he was a rep player. It's the average players who stay under the radar looking for an advantage that I would expect to be the most likely to succumb to temptation.

So my point is given I don't think its practical to test all the players then testing the elite players regularly is not enough. They need to pick on an entire team every now and again and treat that team as "England" and test it accordingly.

Dave