It's not often that a rugby league story makes its way into the national news on a Tuesday in June, but Gareth Hock's failure of a drugs test was aired before the latest Wimbledon results.
His positive test for cocaine could cost him the next two years of his career. Sadly, he's not the first and he probably won't be the last. Athletes across all sports have been caught with traces of cocaine in their system.
Gareth Hock in action for the Wigan Warriors
Matt Stevens, the Bath and England rugby union player was another international player to suffer a similar fate, while Reni Maitua failed a drugs test this year having once represented Australia at rugby league.
Wendell Sailor played both league and union for the Green and Golds, and has recently returned to league after sitting out two years following the failure of a drugs test for so-called recreational drugs. At 34 years of age his return to St George-Illawara is an amazing recovery - this is a man who was strutting his stuff for the Brisbane Broncos as far back as 1993.
I've often wondered if clubs ever carry out any internal tests on their players and what they'd do if they found that a player had traces of cocaine in his A and B samples. Would they fine him or sack him or send him to therapy?
Phil Clarke
Quotes of the week
Closer to home, Ryan Hudson made a successful return to play and is even the captain of Castleford Tigers after the failure of a drugs test for performance-enhancing drugs, or steroids as they are more commonly called. He was forced to miss out the 2005 and 2006 seasons and then went on to play 54 games for the Huddersfield Giants before returning to the Tigers this year.
As a former player, I am amazed that it's possible to have two years out of the game and still be able to play at the highest level, and yet the examples I've listed above prove me wrong.
There are several examples of players who are forced to miss 12 months due to serious injury. A full knee reconstruction may mean that the player misses a complete season if his injury happens in the first week of the competition. I suppose a two-year drugs ban is just double that.
Enough?
Is two years enough? I'm not an expert on drugs but feel there should be a different sentence for the use of 'recreational' to that for 'performance-enhancing' drugs. In my mind it's worse to 'cheat' by taking steroids than it is to use an illegal substance which has no positive effect on performance.
In no way do I condone the use of illegal substances, but there was a time not long ago when some 'recreational' drugs were legal. There was also a time when alcohol was illegal in the US!
It strikes me that a two year ban isn't a deterrent to players. If they want to take drugs then they do, and think that they'll never get caught. There are still some people who drink and drive despite the government campaigns or sentences incurred.
Questions
I've often wondered if clubs ever carry out any internal tests on their players and what they'd do if they found that a player had traces of cocaine in his A and B samples. Would they fine him or sack him or send him to therapy? I suppose much would depend on how good the player was.
What education takes place within the game? Who delivers this? Is a club responsible for this or is it an individual responsibility? A young window cleaner or bricklayer isn't taken on a course regarding drug education, so why should a similar aged rugby player be? We don't test the postman to see if he's taking cocaine so why do we test a rugby player? Would it be just as sensible to test school teachers?
It's clear that I don't have all the answers, I don't even know all the questions, but I'll miss watching Gareth Hock play. I hope that it's a 'light bulb' moment in his life and some good comes from it. I have no sympathy for Gareth or any other player who is found to be guilty of failing a drugs test. Everybody knows the rules now and has to suffer the consequences of their actions.
It will be very interesting to see if illegal drug use amongst players goes down on the back of this news. There are some sports who take hair samples from their athletes for drug-testing purposes. This is a more advanced testing system which can show if a player has taken any illegal substances over the previous year - not just the previous week. Will it make any difference?
Comments (16)
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Libby Glover says...
One thing I think we need to be careful about is helping young players avoid the temptation that their sometimes very sudden fame brings and drugs, like alcohol, are something they're going to be offered, so we should be ready to teach them how to say no. Football never used to protect and help young players learn how to avoid the pitfalls of fame (look at George Best as a prime example, partying, alcohol etc.) so we need to make sure it never happens to our young players. I do agree with Phil, though, that performance enhancing drugs should carry heavier penalties than the things idiots take at parties. Both can kill the user but we know from years of news about steroids that they can cause the user to change personality so much that they kill others too easily, so two families lives would be ruined and our lovely, safe as it can be, family activity would be tarnished for ever. Maybe the League could come up with something like an anonymoius helpline for anyone who is experimenting with drugs so that they could talk about it and get some guidance. The clubs should encourage players to get help if they need it, with maybe a short suspension and probation for users who admit things and clean their act up. If they had positive encouragement from the authorities it might stop drug use sooner as now, if they did confess, they would get a hefty ban, so if anyone is still like Gareth Hock I should think they'll be keeping their heads down.
Posted 23:57 2nd September 2009
David Lea says...
Gareth Hock is a disgrace. It amazes me how so many people think that it should be taken lighter because they are not performance enhancing. Fact it is illegal. Why should the clubs do more and what do they have to do? Maybe they should hold their hands for them. Hock is an adult who knows the difference between right and wrong. He took a risk and got caught. I support Wigan and feel let down badly and i belive that any sports man who kids look up to and get caught doing drugs of any kind should be banned for life. Maybe after they have to work for a living they will realise just how good they had it.
Posted 17:54 30th August 2009
Jay Davey says...
I believe that any person taking any kind of drugs in any sport should be banned for life. It is the only way to stop it FULL STOP. If you know there is no way back and that your career in that sport will cease completely and if you have any sense and value your sporting ability you will not even consider taking drugs. As you have mentioned you are amazed at how many have made it back to the top especially in rugby. Does that not tell you something. If you are young and keep yourself fit all you have lost is a couple of years out of your chosen sport Take away any doubts and ban them for life. Those that do insult those that do not.
Posted 21:37 20th July 2009
Deano Whittle says...
I agree with the Fact if Gaz is found guilty he should be punished, but what annoys me is when the like of Ben cockayne, Leon Pryce and Stuart Reardon can beat the living daylights out of people and get off scott free, even their own clubs aren't bothered
Posted 20:13 30th June 2009
Edward Duffy says...
I think most people have got this basically right. Gareth is a grown man, not a clueless child. He made the choice.....it was badly wrong. How many times do we see this? Who or what caused him to chance his whole life on a piece of temporary pleasure? Sad, but he made the wrong decision!
Posted 18:59 30th June 2009
Anthony Fitzpatrick says...
It's nice to see the rugby league audience giving someone a fair chance!! Why has everyone suddenly took it upon themselves to be judge and jury? He took these drugs in his own time and never harmed anyone or tried to enhance his performance.Out there in the wider community he would be given a smack on the wrists and then rehabilitation if needed.What do we in the rugby league world do? We want to hold him up as an example to others as to the way over the top punishment you can expect in our " family sport ". Do we really want to destroy a young mans career because he made a mistake? He has given so much to rugby and still has lots more to give,we should offer him the helping hand to rebuild his life AND career and not cast him aside.Some of the comments on here sicken me,have none of them ever made a mistake? I doubt it. Let rugby league set a different example and try to bring these offenders back into the fold and send out the message all is not lost,you can turn your life around. Good luck with your life and career gareth,hope you get it back on track.Some of us are rooting for you.
Posted 15:17 30th June 2009
Matthew Blackwell says...
It's interesting that players caught taking recreational drugs like Hock has, are banned for two years. But players like Cockayne and Pryce who were convicted of violence (in Cockayne's case, of a truly sickening attack) face no such sanction. Which is more harmful to Rugby League and the community at large. Taking a substance that damages your own body and directly harms no-one else - or repeatedly stamping on the someone's head when they are on the floor? Hock will be out for 2 years - Cockayne (who received a suspended sentence) played on Sunday
Posted 12:53 30th June 2009
Julie Cotton says...
This cannot be dealt with lightly... we are not talking a error in judgement ie medications which may or may not contain and illegal substance. This is a Class A drug which is illegal. Not only is this man damaging the image of our sport, but he is breaking the law... and in my view should be punished severely. He should never be allowed to wear an England or Great Britain shirt again, regardless of the punishment metered out by the RFL or by Wigan
Posted 15:21 27th June 2009
Ian Silver says...
Hi Phil, You are right, rugby league rarely gets a mention on a tuesday morning in the national press but there again rugby league rarely gets any press space anyway unless its for the sensationalism angle. With regard to Gareth Hock if he is found guilty then he must face the consequences but I feel we may be jumping the gun a little as until the b-sample result is in the player must be given the benefit of the doubt . The players all know the risks they are taking and deserve whatever punishment the Rugby League hand out. What baffles me is how a so called intelligent professional sportsman will risk losing his livelyhood and whats more important his health by taking these substances is totally beyond me. Ian
Posted 10:01 27th June 2009
Simon Phillips says...
I'm sad not to be seeing gareth play for some time but these players know the rules regarding drug testing. I work installing communication and power cables on the motorway network, we have drug testing on a regular basis plus random on site testing and as with sportsmen and women we are made aware of the rules and therefore must accept the consequences if caught (in our case instant dismisal). A vast majority of the construction industry now have testing policies as does the offshore industry. I feel a 2yr ban would be excessive and could end his career, as you have said this was not a performance enhancing substance,and although a serious breech of the rules gareth was not trying to "cheat" he's made a mistake which i'm sure he regrets. I think at least a ban for the rest of the season,a hefty fine,but most of all some help/counselling to ensure there is no re-occurrence,possibly weekly testing for a specified period? He's not the first and won't be the last sportsman to be caught but it would still be a shame if this did end the career of a gifted club and international player.
Posted 21:32 26th June 2009
Gary Beggs says...
Phil - you make an interesting point about the legitimacy of penalising players for use of non performance-enhancing drugs. Sports' governing bodies would like the perception to be that recreational drugs like cocaine get lumped in with steroids and others based on adoption of a zero tolerance approach to all drugs. But clearly, that isn't the case. Nicotine is highly addictive, and has strong cognitive enhancing effects (hence the emphasis on cholinergic enhancement in Alzheimer's disease for example), yet we don't test or ban players for this, presumably because we assume it has no positive net effect on sporting performance. Individual clubs would take a very dim view of players smoking, but because of the health consequences of tobacco, not nicotine. So why do we test for cocaine use? Interestingly, Hock's case links with a recently leaked report by the World Health Organisation, commissioned by the US government in 1995, into the effects of cocaine use. Contrary to expectation, they found that "Occasional cocaine use does not typically lead to severe or even minor physical or social problems", and that "people who use casually for a short or long period, suffer little or no negative consequences." The US govt concealed this report, and as a result, the public is still under the misapprehension that occasional cocaine use has either persistent negative and/or positive consequences. So why do we ban RL players who use it? To uphold the public image of the game? Well, no: alcohol has demonstrable effects on brain function and behavioural performance, with clear personal and social consequences of abuse, and high abuse potential. Yet a drink problem would be dealt with within the club, and presumably support offered. He would not receive a ban from the governing body. Clearly a rethink is needed of this policy.
Posted 23:10 25th June 2009
Chris Watmough says...
is not rugby league touted as the family game ,how many fammilies lives have been destroyed by drugs. ban anybody for life if they are proved positive for drug taking ,send out the message no matter how good you are or whatever club you play for this sort of activity will not be tolerated .let rugby league send out the right messages to families and other sports that this great game remains great and clean and honest.
Posted 21:47 25th June 2009
Paul Melling says...
Well,he isn¿t the first and he sure won¿t be the last to get caught using banned drugs. Every professional player knows the consequences of testing positive for cocaine..yet still Mr Hock decided to use it. He deserves to get banned. I trust also that as soon as the B test result is confirmed then Wigan will sack him? Get him off the salary cap immediately i presume? I hope that no note of sympathy/empathy appears on the Wigan Warriors homepage when the news is announced. I have paid good money to help pay his wages,and although his effort and commitment has never been doubted (unlike many of Wigan¿s players), he doesn¿t deserve anything else but the sack. What a shame,what a waste and what a loss to both Wigan and Rugby League.
Posted 21:01 25th June 2009
Tony Hetherington says...
As a Wigan fan I'm saddened to hear about Gareth Hock's suspension, he has been one of our best players if not the best this season and he will be missed when he gets the 2 year ban (which inevitabley he will as I've never heard of a B Sample being different to an A sample). However, the drugs he was taking were obviously being taken 'recreationally' and were not the type to enhance his performance, i.e. have an advantage over his opposition. As Phil Clarke says if a builder was going to work, doing his job with no problems then taking drugs on a weekend, would he be banned from the building trade for 2 years? I think sometimes people miss the point that Rugby League players are people aswell who have lives outside of the sport, if they want to take drugs that is their decision it does not make them any less of a person than myself or anyone else who does not take drugs, it's just the way they have chosen to live their lives. If he was taking steroids to enhance his game, i.e. 'Cheating' to be better than the opposition I would have no gripes with him being banned for 2 years, possibly more, but he wasn't and the only reason I can think of for the RFL's '2 year ban' rule for recreational drugs is to save their 'We are a family game' image. Will Gareth be given councilling to help him with this or will he just be tossed aside for 2 years and be made to make his own way back into Super League?
Posted 20:15 25th June 2009
Micheal Finney says...
It's a really sad story that is becoming all too familiar. Most of the former players seem to think that the clubs should do more but Gareth is an adult and he alone is responsible for his actions. As a Wigan fan i'll be sorry to see him banned and I wish him all the best in his reabilitation and hopefully he will find something in his life that can replace the drugs. All the best Gareth and good luck.
Posted 16:07 25th June 2009
D D says...
HI PHIL,GARETH HOCK SHOULD BE SACKED WITHOUT PAY AND SIGNED HIGH FROM PRO-SPORT AS HE IS HARDLY A PLAYER FOR THE YOUNGSTERS TO LOOK UP TO AND A DISGRACE TO THESPORT, THE RL SHOULD BE STRONGER ON THESE ISSUES
Posted 15:23 25th June 2009
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