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From unashamed pin-up boy to the first offender named in the ASADA probe into performance-enhancing drugs in the NRL – Sandor Earl has found the fame he craves for all of the wrong reasons.
Earl became the first NRL player to be issued with an infraction notice by the NRL on Thursday – after admitting taking and trafficking peptides.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand from Maori and Hungarian stock, the flamboyant Earl was raised in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and made his NRL debut for the Sydney Roosters in 2009.
His feats on the field failed to raise too many eyebrows in a struggling Roosters side, and he was released by the club following an incident at a Sydney hotel after which he and hooker Jake Friend were charged with assault, although subsequently cleared.
Earl then moved to Penrith where he made a bit more of an impression both on and off the field, scoring six tries in 16 matches then securing a contract as an underwear model.
The heavily-tattooed Earl even took out a lonely hearts advert in a newspaper claiming he was looking for love with a picture posing in a pair of underpants.
But it was after his mid-season move to Canberra in 2012, when struggling to get a game for Penrith, that he started to make the news for the right reasons as a free-scoring winger who crossed the line eight time in his first 12 games for the club.
He continued his good form this year but his name has been linked with the ASADA probe ever since it was alleged in a report on the Nine Network earlier this year that he’d been injected with peptides at a private clinic in Cabramatta.
Earl responded at the time that he was shocked at the claims and vowed to clear his name.
“I absolutely deny any wrongdoing. My solicitors have already begun investigating defamation procedures,” he said.
Interest was also raised by a possible switch to AFL with Essendon when it was reported he had a try out with the Bombers, organised by Stephen Dank, who he knew from the controversial sports scientist’s brief employment with the Panthers.
His future looked to lie away from rugby league when he secured a switch to French rugby union club Pau for next season – something that’s in extreme jeopardy after Thursday’s NRL bombshell announcement.
Earl has 10 days before finding out his fate from the NRL.
The NRL says Earl has agreed to continue to assist with the ASADA investigation and is seeking to obtain the benefit of substantial assistance provisions – a reduction in any impending ban.
Should he reveal to ASADA who and where he allegedly trafficked peptides to, he could etch his name in history as the man he blew the whistle on the biggest scandal to ever hit the game.
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