(Ex-) Cronulla players admitted drug cheats!

[Huge]

I'm not entirely sure on the facts here but if you take performance enhancing drugs to get better at something, then stop taking them, you don't just go back to your old self do you? It's not like you're only better when you're on them.

I'm not sure either on the 'facts' either but that's largely because no one seems to be. From everything I've read and I could be wrong but it seems like the drugs involved were targeted on recovery rather than performance enhancing. I do know that it's extremely unlikely that some drugs, whatever they were could be providing any benefit years later but especially as I wrote ,they were more about recovery. I don't want any misunderstanding here, I'm not happy either, with the players or all the involved officialdom irrespective of where they stand. The whole thing is a blight on the game and I will be happier when this saga is behind us and we are concentrating on what matters.

 

[Huge]

I'm not under any illusions that I'll change anything. Doesn't mean I'll just let it be... I'll certainly do my part, how insignificant it may be, so I don't hope my single voice will be heard, but I do hope a lot of voices will be heard.
That's how many injustices in this world have been corrected, through the masses making it clear they won't stand for it.

If everyone thought your way, nothing would ever change. Black people probably would still have their own spots at the back of the bus, and women would probably still be in the kitchen, unable to vote.

Great, now I'm a racist and misogynist just because I'm not going ballistic. Bit of a stretch really. It might amaze you Porthoz that there are a great many of us who take a much more pragmatic view. I don't blame you for being angry but can you not accept that I simply have a different view and save your self righteous indignation for people who actually did something wrong.

 

[Nashy]

You shouldn't read into things so much. He was giving you extreme examples to make his point.

I don't see how any sports fan can find this acceptable. I'm saddened that this isn't making massive headlines.

I hope WADA absolutely fucking ruin them.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

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Hopefully WADA see sense and throw the book at these players. by accepting this deal, the players may have shot themselves in the foot.

Qld for 9 in a row next year with a nice * saying 2014 doesn't count coz of drug fucked ***** in nsw?!

 

[Porthoz]

Great, now I'm a racist and misogynist just because I'm not going ballistic. Bit of a stretch really. It might amaze you Porthoz that there are a great many of us who take a much more pragmatic view. I don't blame you for being angry but can you not accept that I simply have a different view and save your self righteous indignation for people who actually did something wrong.

FFS Huge, I wasn't calling you a misogynist or racist. Stop interpreting my arguing of your opinions as personal attacks to you. I'm not angry at you, I am angry at the situation and I completely disagree with your view of it.

I know the comparison is extreme, but my point is that if people don't raise their voice, the status quo will remain and the injustices will continue. I am quite often pragmatic about situations I encounter, but I don't believe this is something you can just shelve away as "oh well, it happened, nothing we can do about it, just move on", because that is essentially a guarantee that it will happen again...

In this case, even if nothing comes of it now, the uproar of the public may just push these pencil-pushers into actually doing something about the next case, although after reading the latest on WADA, I am hopeful there will be real sanctions to all those involved in this one!

 

[Morkel]

I was surprised that ASADA could make any guarantees, seeing as they are not the ones handing out the bans nor are they the ultimate authority. If WADA does come in and over-rule, I can see ASADA and its operators getting absolutely flogged. Put in your resumes now kids.

 

[gordjw]

A ray of hope with the WADA news.

WADA not finished with Cronulla Sharks players who accepted ASADA doping bans - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I can't believe it's just Cronulla though. Their players aren't twice as large/strong/fast as everyone else. I'd be surprised if any club's completely clean.

Personally, the players involved need to be suspended (and you surely must take some responsibility for yourself), but I think they'd have a civil case against their club for allowing/causing the situation. At some point, someone at the club either suggested doing this, or knew what was going on. Dank didn't just walk in and start injecting blokes. He was asked to be there, doing what he did.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I'm not sure either on the 'facts' either but that's largely because no one seems to be. From everything I've read and I could be wrong but it seems like the drugs involved were targeted on recovery rather than performance enhancing. I do know that it's extremely unlikely that some drugs, whatever they were could be providing any benefit years later but especially as I wrote ,they were more about recovery. I don't want any misunderstanding here, I'm not happy either, with the players or all the involved officialdom irrespective of where they stand. The whole thing is a blight on the game and I will be happier when this saga is behind us and we are concentrating on what matters.

So what if the drugs are about recovery. They enable you to recover quicker than a "normal" player. Therefore that player taking the drugs is enhanced,

which in turn enhances his performance, because he can recover quicker than other law abiding players.

 

[Huge]

So what if the drugs are about recovery. They enable you to recover quicker than a "normal" player. Therefore that player taking the drugs is enhanced,

which in turn enhances his performance, because he can recover quicker than other law abiding players.

Yet,yet,yet a player has an injury which affects his performance, he receives a pain killing injection,a drug which allows him to play without that pain thereby increasing his performance. An enhanced performance due to a drug yet everyone's fine with that hey..

 

[Mr Fourex]

Uhmmm...yes. Because it's legal.

 

[Kimlo]

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Hopefully WADA see sense and throw the book at these players. by accepting this deal, the players may have shot themselves in the foot.

If getting them to all admit guilt was a sneaky way of making them truly get the bans they deserve, then ASADA may just gain some respect back from me!

**** I hope this isn't all fluff, WADA needs to be serious. You simply can't give out 3 week bans for performance enhancing drugs! It's a fucking joke.

 

[Kaz]

Yet,yet,yet a player has an injury which affects his performance, he receives a pain killing injection,a drug which allows him to play without that pain thereby increasing his performance. An enhanced performance due to a drug yet everyone's fine with that hey..

I have never been fine with that. I am bound to have posted about it, years ago.

I have always said those pain killing needles are enhancing their performance.

 

[Huge]

Uhmmm...yes. Because it's legal.

Wow,way to totally miss the point....! Whether it's legal or not is not the point at all, it's the fact that because it suits ,using a performance enhancing drug is okay. Different scenario, a player cannot play because he has a debilitating illness yet gets an okay from the NRL to use a medication,a drug which allows him to play...so in that case he has a performance level that is enhanced by a ( legally prescribed ) drug. Now that truly is performance enhancing yet because it suits it's okay.

It's like what a society considers is moral. In some places it's okay to marry a 13 year old, another to cut off a hand, yet in another it's okay to spear someone in the leg for a matrimonial matter. I raise these things because the NRL has it's own moral code whereby pain killing performance enhancing drugs are okay because it suits their needs. In no way do I condone what has happened yet I also think that throwing the book at them is an overreaction that does no one any good. I forget who they are and consider how I would want them dealt with if they were my own team.

As I've said before, if it were a systematic doping ala East Germany or the Chinese swimmers then I would say yeah, come down hard as you like but because there is **** all evidence of that other than Dank getting some peptides from a compounding chemist which could very easily be for other Dank clients not even related to rugby league. I've moved on, not happy but resigned to things.

 

[Nashy]

Yet,yet,yet a player has an injury which affects his performance, he receives a pain killing injection,a drug which allows him to play without that pain thereby increasing his performance. An enhanced performance due to a drug yet everyone's fine with that hey..

Legal pain killer injection, which is an option available to all players vs. Illegal peptides and growth hormones.

Apple. Orange.

 

[Nashy]

Wow,way to totally miss the point....! Whether it's legal or not is not the point at all, it's the fact that because it suits ,using a performance enhancing drug is okay. Different scenario, a player cannot play because he has a debilitating illness yet gets an okay from the NRL to use a medication,a drug which allows him to play...so in that case he has a performance level that is enhanced by a ( legally prescribed ) drug. Now that truly is performance enhancing yet because it suits it's okay.

It's like what a society considers is moral. In some places it's okay to marry a 13 year old, another to cut off a hand, yet in another it's okay to spear someone in the leg for a matrimonial matter. I raise these things because the NRL has it's own moral code whereby pain killing performance enhancing drugs are okay because it suits their needs. In no way do I condone what has happened yet I also think that throwing the book at them is an overreaction that does no one any good. I forget who they are and consider how I would want them dealt with if they were my own team.

As I've said before, if it were a systematic doping ala East Germany or the Chinese swimmers then I would say yeah, come down hard as you like but because there is **** all evidence of that other than Dank getting some peptides from a compounding chemist which could very easily be for other Dank clients not even related to rugby league. I've moved on, not happy but resigned to things.

TLDR.

They took drugs which are banned. It's that simple.

Why don't you move on from the legal drugs argument, you're not going to change anything, you might as well just go with the flow.

Mate, they cheated. If you want to make excuses for them, go ahead. Yes, it was probably the coaching staff. I do not for one second believe that even a grub like Gallon would intentionally dope.

Bottom line is. There are rules to make sure this doesn't happen, there are rules for when it does happen, and every time it does happen, be it the player's fault or not, they need to set the example. They need to prove each and every time that this happens, that the players will NOT get away with it. To show that there is absolutely NO grey area.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Wow,way to totally miss the point....! Whether it's legal or not is not the point at all,

of course it is.......otherwise they'd be no argument.

I said, peptides = performance enchancing

you said, pain killers = performance enhancing

I agreed with your view, but distinguished the two by saying one was legal and the other was not.

The legality of it all is the point. If it weren't, then your Sharks buddies wouldn't be branded as drug cheats.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Yes, it was probably the coaching staff. I do not for one second believe that even a grub like Gallon would intentionally dope.

Pffft....mate. Open your eyes.

Have a look at this list and tell me that Paul Gallen isn't capable of doing

"whatever it takes"

• 17 judiciary charges Gallen has attracted since his debut in 2002, for suspensions totalling 19 weeks

• in 2007 Gallen copped a one-game ban for headbutting

• striking charges from 2002 and 2009, plus a contrary conduct charge in 2004 when the judiciary found he "instigated and tried to go on with a fight with John Skandalis''

• Taking a dive in a game against the Dragons, got a penalty and winked at teammates

• Origin III 2007 when he hit Tonie Carroll high and decided to immediately start the biff. He later told reporters the plan was to go the knuckle "if anyone touches any us'', must have also applied if he tried to decapitate someone too.

• In 2008 Gallen deliberately pulled at the stitches of Anthony Laffranchi. A TV camera had an unobstructed view of his fingers probing and ripping around and beneath Laffranchi's bandage. The wound was reopened and began to bleed. Laffranchi had to leave the field and was unable to continue. Mission accomplished. The Titans lost their best forward for the game.

• 2008 Gallen was accused of grabbing a Titans player's testicles. Mick Crocker alleging Gallen did it to him twice in the 2008 Origin decider.

• 2009 Gallen was fined by the NRL for racially abusing Dragon Mickey Paea and stepped down from the club captaincy

• 2009 reprimanded by his club for public urination, relieving himself near a drunken friend's head

• 2011 put on report for stomping on Titans player, Beau Henry's head.

• 2011 put on report for kneeing Dave Taylor in the head.

• 2013 Gallen Gallen lodged a guilty plea to a striking charge for undefended punches he landed on the head of Maroon forward, Nate Myleles

• 2014 .......Paul Gallen admits to being a drug cheat.

 

[Nashy]

I dunno man. It's one thing to be a grub on field, another to be a drug cheat.