Sandor Earl learns there's more to life than rugby league

Today Sandor Earl will return home from Thailand for the first time since he left Sydney this past September.

Let us remember August 28th, 2012. In what was a blip on the calendar for most, in contrast it was the day Earl’s world unravelled. Be it your TV, timeline or newspaper, Earl’s face was staring back at you.

We came to learn the day after his interview with Karl Stefanovic for the NRL Footy Show, Earl flew to Phuket. A man without a plan, a career or a future.

Fast forward three months on and you’ll find a content Earl.The 24-year old now resides in Thailand, (he’s only back home in Sydney to visit family for Christmas) and has a new found appreciation for what became the biggest news story in Australian history.

“I never planned to stay on living in Thailand. If I had my way yes, I was thinking I was going to stay on but I thought I wouldn’t be able to as I’d have to go back and face ASADA issues, which obviously hasn’t been the case” Earl said from Chalong, Phuket.

“Thailand is somewhere I’ve always liked, mainly for the lifestyle and training facilities. It’s just a great place to be mentally. No one gives a stuff about rugby league here”.

Rugby league was once Earl’s livelihood. While some still argue he was more known for his looks off the field than his performance on it, no one can argue he was finally starting to make some progress. The two shoulder injuries that had plagued him were behind him and he’d just signed on to play union in France.

In case you need a recap, Earl was charged by the NRL after he had admitted to using and trafficking the banned substance CJC-1295 – a substance that helps reduce fat and speeds up tissue repairs.

So how did he deal with the barrage of criticism and unknown certainty of his future?

“When I first got to Thailand it was frustrating. I mean it still is but I figure I’ve dealt with enough this year, so what’s a couple more months of waiting for a result”.

“I understand why it’s taking so long, it is a complicated case with weird circumstances. I’m hanging out to know the result, I just want to know how long the ban will be so I have some sort of direction and can plan ahead” Earl said.

In what could (and has) been described the laughing stock of investigations, here we are months on from “The blackest day in Australian sport” still waiting on ASADA’s findings.

Excuse me if the discovery of a trainer or reserve grader being found guilty doesn’t do it for me.

Described by most as the NRL scapegoat, does Earl feel any resentment?

“Not to take way my passion for playing footy, right now I have no interest in the outside bulls**t. As much as it’s frustrating waiting for the results I’ve been given an opportunity to connect with people I would never have gotten the chance to here.

Being away from the game has been such a wake-up call and I appreciate it. My head is in a really good place’ Earl said.

Off the back of last weeks insight into Reni Matuai’s admission battling with depression, Earl says that despite his darkest hours he learned hard truths, and some surprised him more than others.

“It taught me about the people who are in my life. That would be the number one thing I learned. It’s that whole footy culture; trying to live up to being someone that perhaps you’re not, chasing the limelight.

There’s so much more than rugby league and that’s not to take away that I love playing it, my eyes have just been opened to see there is more for us” Earl said.

For now Earl has a new world. He’s opened his own shop, Muscle Bar, a project he conceived from the beginning. The free time is gone, Earl now works up to 12 hours a day where you’ll find him manning the shop front when he’s not whipping up organic protein balls or stocking the shelves with protein bars.

“Well we don’t sell Protein Powder” he laughs.

“We’ve converted it into restaurant, from breakfast, to nutritious smoothies, it’s a created a great little social spot.

The area I stay in is full of fighting camps, and crossfit gyms. The western influence on diet wasn’t quite here yet, I wanted to be able to start something I’m so passionate about”.

Still, with his new life underway there is still unfinished business with ASADA. While the majority of us plan ahead for 2014, Earl is still living a life in limbo and uncertainty.

“I want to set up myself for the future and accomplish as much as I can off the field, whether that means working my butt off in my shop or whatever, I’m happy to build my future while waiting for results”.

Results which could still take months. With his tearful mother to his side during that memorable TV interview, could we have imagined this would be Earl’s mindset only three months on?

“It’s funny how life goes, everything really does happened for a reason and I’m sure when the time comes I can use everything I’ve learned to benefit my return to the field” he said.

“I mean it could be worse”.