Newton Suspended After Drugs Test

WakeyTyke

Wakey, and former Bradford, hooker Terry Newton has been suspended after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs:mad:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_5955938,00.html

Whilst not wishing to judge him prematurely, if Newton has been a silly, naughty boy then he wont get much sympathy from Wakey fans, or any other RL fans. Keeping drugs out of the game is an imperative.

Wakey have two very adequate hookers in Leo-Latu and Obst, plus youngster Jamie Davey, so I wouldn't expect it to damage our season.

toomevara

Pretty shocked by this...sad for him.

amacachi

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.

toomevara

Excellent discussion on Boots'n'All last night. Poor Brian Carney in bits (Tezza's one of his best mates), but Paul Cullen was brilliant on the issue of drugs, performance enhancing or otherwise, in the sport of Rugby League....

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12198_5956051,00.html

amacachi

What kind of levels of testing are there? TBH (obviously I'm not gonna start naming names) there's a good half-dozen players I've wondered about over the last few years. Also there's one who I expected to be looking inflated this year which didn't happen, which suggested at least he had the cop-on not to do it.

toomevara

Testing in Super League is pretty good and they test more than RU. I think around 600+ tests a year and constantly going up. Its an expensive enough business and that's really the major limitation on it. Also of course there's alot of pretty exotic stuff floating around out there which tests don't pick up, human growth hormone and the like. Realistically rugby (both codes by the way) is in denial about levels of drug taking, both recreational and performance enhancing, currently in the game. The key lies largely in the education of players from an early age and the creation of a culture within the game which makes drug takers pariahs...

WakeyTyke

Newton will not contest the drugs ban, accepting that he had behaved stupidly and that he would accept the punishment coming his way. He has admitted self-administering growth hormone.

Whilst in no way condoning his actions at least he has acted honourably in putting his hand-up and saying he did it (unlike in many others, notably cycling). Hopefully, this may act as a deterrent to others, but somehow I doubt it:(

At least he has also been fair to Wakey and they can now move forward without a prolonged and protracted case.

toomevara

WakeyTyke wrote: »

At least he has also been fair to Wakey and they can now move forward without a prolonged and protracted case.

Agree, at least he's managed to salvage some semblance of dignity by taking this course of action.

amacachi

Fair play for holding his hands up. And the testing must be top-of-the-line for them to detect excess/synthetic HGH to be fair.
Even last year I wondered about the amount of drugs in RL, but we shouldn't get too down about it. Compared to 10 years ago the level of testing has risen massively while the failures have fallen, even fallen below Rugby Union. The fact that they're detecting HGH speaks volumes, and that one certain player who is excellent but really needs an extra 20 odd pounds of muscle on him and hasn't managed it over the winter really tells me that the drug culture isn't as inherent in League in the UK as it used to be.

Dozen Wicked Words

Wakefield have cancelled his contract after his 2 year ban from all Rugby begins. So that is probably the final nail in his career.


From the BBC Website:
"Wakefield Trinity Wildcats have cancelled the contract of former Great Britain hooker Terry Newton following his two-year ban from the game.

Newton, 31, last week opted not to contest the charge brought by the UK Anti-Doping Agency for taking a self-administered human growth hormone.

That triggered an automatic ban for the close-season signing from Bradford.

And Wakefield confirmed on Monday that Newton's contract has now been 'cancelled with immediate effect'.

"It is a big blow for the club, but more for the player, because Terry has been a great servant to the game," Wakefield coach John Kear told the BBC's Super League Show.

"As a club we have an education process on these kinds of things and we had to take the stand with did with Terry."

I don't think this will effect the morale or motivation of my team

Wakefield coach John Kear

Newton's ban takes the shine off the Wildcats' great start to the season, which has seen them win their opening three matches to stand second behind leaders Wigan.

But Kear insists: "I don't think this will effect the morale or motivation of my team.

"They just have to remain positive and professional.

"We are not feeling sorry for ourselves. We feel sorry for Terry and his family."

The club statement read: "Following a UK Anti-Doping investigation and Terry Newton's admission that he breached the RFL's Doping Control Regulations, his contract with the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats has been cancelled with immediate effect.

"Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are fully supportive of the RFL's principles of a drug-free sport.

"The club works hard to inform its players through the '100% ME' campaign about the dangers of drugs and consequences of taking drugs, or breaching the Anti-Doping Regulations."

toomevara

Pretty dubious benchmark for Newton, but shows that RL is way ahead of the game when it comes to drug testing. I would say there are a lot of very nervous players looking over their shoulders in a number of sports after Newton's positive test...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/wakefield/8528477.stm