Drugs in Sport...

[C-Whiz]

This whole thing is gonna get really ugly before it starts to get any better.

I am planning on settling in for the long haul and not jumping on any bandwagons until this is long gone. I think there will be consequences and accusations flying around for the next few years, but I don't expect any quick fixes or sudden solutions, and I think it will reveal that every club and almost every sport-person is gonna be affected by this in some way, directly or indirectly.

I say just try and filter out what you think is fact and rumour, and let time reveal the truth. Don't bite at every bit of bait dangled before us, and try and ignore the mudslinging and innuendo along the way, while we wait for the blame game that will be the first line of defence for the guilty parties.

But this will be a long, drawn out debacle and there will be plenty of headlines along the way.

Of course, maybe this from Titan Pete is about as bad as it gets....

Someone is always trying to take the Pi## out of us

[Titanic]

Someone is always trying to take the Pi## out of us

The whole saga is P1SSweak and they all should P1SS off. Why someone LEAKed this is pathetic with a capital PEE ... maybe it's all going to be WATER under the bridge. Even though it's just a DROP in the ocean, we should try and SHAKE it off because we are really in a JAM.

[Chaos]

Bring the whole investigation on...I hate the idea of a smart, switched on kid running onto field to play a game of team sport and copping an injury from some idiot on a banned substance.
I'm totally against it in team sports!

In saying that I actually think there should be some form of athletics where there is no rules regarding any substance...not a team sport but running, cycling, swimming, weight lifting for example.
We could use these athletes as guinea pigs and benefit from the results.

[DIEHARD]

Well said Whiz!

[Titanic]

I should have worked WHIZ into my last post

[Titanic]

This is a sh!tstorm just waiting to happen.

THE drug and corruption scandal enveloping Australian sport has snared six National Rugby League clubs, with the revelation they are named in the Australian Crime Commission's explosive report.

Facing a backlash over the refusal to name implicated clubs and players, ACC chief executive John Lawler said he was working with the individual codes to work out if there was a way for full disclosure to take place.

But Mr Lawler told The Sunday Telegraph the release of club names would have to be within the law, which states there cannot be any adverse impact on a club or individual. While the codes were aware of the clubs involved, they were under strict legal obligations not to release the names publicly, he said.

He said there may be some scope for self-disclosure.

"I will work with the clubs over the weekend and next week to look if there is a way for those clubs to work around those legal constraints," Mr Lawler said. "There is a long way for this to play out yet.

"I am very confident in the report's findings. This is no beat-up. We have sworn testimonies. We have corroborated evidence.

"We have quite a significant amount of intelligence. We are very confident in the findings."

Mr Lawler said he was sympathetic to clubs and players that were in the right, but the purpose of the report was intended to be an "alert" to everyone to improve their safeguards against drug taking - a point he felt had been missed in the hunt for names.It also served as a trigger for players, coaches and individuals to come forward to police.

"This is about making sure that they are alert to the risks and vulnerabilities, and that they are actively doing something about it," he said.

"What's happened has happened. That needs to be investigated. But, more importantly, we should be trying to prevent this occurring."

"There may be players using substances or contemplating using substances that our alert will hopefully prevent. We also have criminals out there, that we know are doing this.

"We are not going to declare who they are but this is a way of putting the frighteners into them, so they are aware authorities are aware of them." Justice Minister Jason Clare said the commission had also given the names of individuals to NSW and Victorian police.

"I understand that people want the Australian Crime Commission to name names. And they have - they have given names to the police and the anti-doping authority," he said.

The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed that a major element of the ACC report is focused on a criminal network that had sought to expose players who had been supplied with banned substances.

According to sources close to the investigation, players were tricked into taking so called "supplements", only to be later told that they had in fact taken banned substances.

The players were then later called upon and threatened with being "outed" as drug cheats unless they agreed to fix matches or pay money. According to sources, several players had fallen victim to the bribery racket and were mostly confined to the NRL and not other codes.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/n...-1226574541473

[Toads]

Thing is, whether there's investigations going on or not. The ACC, AFP or any other department isn't going to name names. (I'm fairly confident) It was a news conference that was designed to capture the public's attention. Well, they achieved exactly that, probably moreso than what they intended.

We see a similar scenario played out in Queensland every year just before Schoolies where the QPS run a public campaign with apparently big Drug Busts, and how this crap was destined for Schoolies. ACC and AFP are doing pretty well the same thing in this instance.

The proof in the pudding (so to speak). Is where will this be in 6 months time, and how many people have been hauled through the system. My guesstimate is very few, if anyone at all.

In the meantime, every innocent party within various codes has been tarnished to some extent.

[Julius Sezer]

Wow this has turned into a whole new ball game

[Titanic]

This is hardly a beat up and at a guess Sydney clubs will be the focus due to their proximity to each other but 6 out 14 is not good odds AND match fixing, gee what's next? Guys pumping themselves up is one thing but throwing games is something else.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has called on the NRL to name and shame players from the six clubs at the heart of the doping and match fixing scandal.
It follows new revelations that the Australian Crime Commission report is centred mainly on rugby league, with Justice Minister Jason Clare admitting on Sunday morning that players have already come forward to admit to doping.
"The early information is, that's already happening (people are putting their hand up and telling the authorities)," Mr Clare told the ABC's Insiders program.
Asked if some people had come forward already, Mr Clare replied: "That's the preliminary advice to me."
Mr Clare said phone taps had also been used to help gather information on those believed to be involved in suspect practices.
"We're not just talking about evidence that's been collected through coercive hearings, we're talking about documentary evidence that the Crime Commission has got as well as the use of phone taps that corroborate all of the information they've got."
NRL chief executive Dave Smith on Saturday reaffirmed the NRL's preference for those involved to come forward of their own accord, either in person or via a specifically designed hotline to ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority).
Smith's move came as the The Sunday Telegraph learned Saturday night that six clubs were central to the investigation. Pressure from senior government officials is also mounting over the scandal that has rocked Australian sport - and, in particular, the NRL.
If senior government officials, both at federal and state level, have their way then NRL clubs and the players implicated in the report could be outed as early as next week.
"The (Gillard) government wants players to come forward before the start of the season so fans can be sure that the season won't be overshadowed by this," a senior federal government source said yesterday.
But it was Premier O'Farrell, a Wests Tigers fan, who spoke for every rugby league supporter.
"If there's a code that's the problem, name it; if there is a team that's the problem, name it; if there's individuals that are specifically problems, name them, target them, investigate them, give them their moment in court and if they're found guilty, throw them out," O'Farrell said.
"This has put an enormous cloud over every sportsperson, sports administrator and team in this country, and I frankly think it's unfair."
In another explosive day for Australia's football codes, it can be revealed:
Match fixing and illicit drug connections within the NRL are the report's main focus - and authorities are anxious for NRL bosses to reveal the names of clubs under suspicion;
The NRL convinced other codes to appear at last Wednesday's press conference in Canberra, even though the other sports are far less implicated in the report;
Crime Commission chief executive officer John Lawler claimed the investigation wasn't a "beat-up" despite NSW Police suggesting there wasn't enough evidence for charges to be laid;
Frustration is also at fever pitch among the 16 NRL clubs, with club chief executives accusing the NRL of having "all care and no responsibility" over the issue.
As of Saturday night, the NRL was still refusing to shed any light on which clubs or players were involved in the report just 25 days out from season kick-off.
"We deserve to know what imputations the report has on our club, players, staff and our fans," one experienced NRL chief executive told The Sunday Telegraph.
However, after announcing a hotline number for any player or official to call with information, Smith said he could understand that tension was mounting.
"We remain convinced that the absolute majority of players in our game are doing the right thing for sport and for rugby league," Smith said. "This is, therefore, a difficult time and we accept that there are a lot of unanswered questions and that there are a number of issues that we cannot provide certainty on.
"If any player has any doubts, then the help line may assist. The fact remains that rugby league has been a point of focus in the Australian Crime Commission investigations.
"The Crime Commission has information pertaining to a number of clubs and a number of players and our responsibility is to co-operate with authorities in further investigating that information.
"In the meantime, the more people come forward with information the closer we are to being able to get some certainty for everyone."
The Sunday Telegraph has also learned that the government was blindsided when the AFL decided to out Essendon earlier in the week over their own doping concerns, and urgently brought forward the report's release, which was originally scheduled for March.
That was a decision by federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy, who wanted to go out aggressively with the ACC's findings despite other senior government figures urging her to wait.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/n...#ixzz2KSCtk8oh

[DIEHARD]

This is a nightmare. I had hopes that I imagined reading this last night... Why can't our code just get a break for a change?!?

The allegations are terrifying. Damning. Wide spread foul play upon foul play. If this is all true. It'll be a massive ****storm of devastating proportions.

[Titanic]

If they find clubs that have thrown games then we could have expansion almost immediately ... perhaps there really is a silver lining in this ... clean out the Sydney monopoly and the friggin' cheats at the same time ... of course that's assuming that we aren't in it and with some of our dropsy-ridden, under-achieving fades over recent years you'd have to wonder.

[gothabull]

I still find it hard to believe its as wide spread as Assada claims . Like Wayne Bennett was saying he doesn't believe it , unfortunately I'm sure there is individuals and players in teams in every sport that want to cheat , they must now come out and name them IMO , I'm very hopeful the titans are clean .asada have to bite the bullet and release this information to the public or nrl will be no better than the tour de France in the publics veiw

[Chaos]

Below is exactly how I was thinking...there is so much doubt and assumptions out there at the moment.

But it was Premier O'Farrell, a Wests Tigers fan, who spoke for every rugby league supporter.
"If there's a code that's the problem, name it; if there is a team that's the problem, name it; if there's individuals that are specifically problems, name them, target them, investigate them, give them their moment in court and if they're found guilty, throw them out," O'Farrell said.

[DIEHARD]

Below is exactly how I was thinking...there is so much doubt and assumptions out there at the moment.

But it was Premier O'Farrell, a Wests Tigers fan, who spoke for every rugby league supporter.
"If there's a code that's the problem, name it; if there is a team that's the problem, name it; if there's individuals that are specifically problems, name them, target them, investigate them, give them their moment in court and if they're found guilty, throw them out," O'Farrell said.

Hard to find a word out of place with that!

[Smakked]

yeah i agree with the quote Chaos posted, just name and shame be it full clubs player who ever, it needs to be done so the ones that are clean can be cleared of this bull**** and needs to be done before the season starts full, the new CEO needs to step up now and do something about it , but i am not holding my breath, i can see this dragging on for months and it is going to be a shocking year for RL. I can see family's now with there kids wont let them play or follow the game because of this, David Smith step up now and sort it out, dont be a weak ****.