If everything goes to plan this week Sandor Earl is set to return to the NRL following the ASADA judgment being handed down.
Last Thursday, 749 days since being stood down by the governing body and following numerous injunctions, Earl fronted the doping committee tribunal in an attempt to be cleared for a return to the game where he made 48 appearances for the Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers and Canberra Raiders.
It’s been a difficult time for Earl and his family in light of being left out to dry by the NRL. A move to Phuket in Thailand over the past two years has allowed Earl to stay away from the Sydney media scrum pack and learn the trade of running a business, something that will set him up post-career.
Not many players have a ‘Plan B’ once they hang up the boots. Earl, through trying circumstances, does.
Earlier this year Martin Kennedy joined Earl on the outer after being stood down by the Roosters. His notice was issued in late 2013 with reports suggesting he didn’t let his employer at the time, Brisbane Broncos, know about his situation. He is facing a two-year ban which could see an end to his time in the game.
The Cronulla club have been the main focus of Stephen Dank’s time in the NRL where several leading players including Paul Gallen and Wade Graham were issued with show cause notices and received short bans at the end of 2014.
The best result Earl could get from this week’s judgment is a two-year ban dated back to August 2013. This would see him free to return to the game immediately. Worse case scenario would be that the soon to be 25-year-old would serve a full four-year ban.
Already speculation of Earl’s return has seen him linked with Parramatta Eels or his previous club Canberra. One rumour flying around on social media this week was that the NRL would order Earl to play with the Gold Coast Titans as part of a condition to return.
Earl has a pocket of support from the rugby league community. In particular, Raiders fan Ben Buckley has set up a donation page for Earl to help with covering legal costs.
Buckley said he was inspired to set up the donation page after hearing Earl’s mother Jan on Triple M‘s Grill Team in Sydney.
“She detailed a lot of what happened,” Buckley said.
“She sounds like a really great woman and I thought ‘how could the average person/fan help out his legal fees and get Sandor back on the paddock’.”
Earl has thrown his support behind the page in posting: “really appreciate this mate if it is a bad result would love to fight this with a higher power.”
You can donate to Sandor Earl’s legal fees here.
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