Jarrod Mullen was injured, why can't he use medicine to get better?

You're deadset comparing horse racing with rugby league? Seriously? Do you recall the way Marshall played towards the end of his Tigers career? The offloads to no-one, the numerous passes ending up in the grandstand and the rest of his team not knowing what he was up to? That's what a player would be like on those drugs you have mentioned. They draw you away from reality and in to your own distorted bubble which would make any players job harder, let alone the one who's responsibility it is to direct the team across the park.

Illicit drugs are not performance enhancing drugs. Get educated before posting comments.

Illicit drugs are not performance enhancing.

eagle jack, A person can be partying for up to 12 hours on a single dose of speed. You have stated "He never took drugs before or during games".You know this? I think the odds of Joey taking speed to get himself up for a match would be very short considering the fact he admitted to taking them regularly throughout his career. I'm also confident in saying that Joey is the only current Immortal that has been caught and admitted to taking drugs. I have no doubt plenty of players even great ones have had a go at the recreational gear. I have only named players caught using drugs. You give me the impression it's acceptable practice and all players are doing it. I watch the Cowboys every week and no JT. does't run onto the field carrying on like a pork chop like Joey did towards the backend of his career.

Sorry Rob, with all due respect, that's a pretty dumb comment. JT is probably the most energetic player in the NRL. And I imagine he will be until the day he retires. Should we assume he is on the gear too? Star jumps? You're not indulging yourself by chance? Naive is believing that Johns was the only player to use recreational drugs regularly throughout his career. There are some massive names who were out with Johns regularly. Plus plenty before him. And plenty since. Remember the only reason most found out about Johns, was due to him being caught carrying in the UK. If not for that it would have remained a rumour. Just like it has for a host of others over the years. Some future Immortals included. The way these guys use/used recreational drugs was definitely not to enhance their performance. Simply to wind down after another week of work like tens of thousands of others do on a weekly basis.

It would be naive to think Johns who used drugs most of his career didn't feel the need to pop a pill to get himself going before a game.IMO Have you ever wondered how the greats like Lewis, Sterling, JT, Mortimer, Langer all came onto the field a little slower as they got older? Some walked out but Johns got faster and more animated, racing around slapping his players on the back and doing star jumps. Gould would comment how "Joey is fired up for this one".

All interesting information. But given the short-lived nature of the euphoria, I'm not sure how Joey taking drugs on Sunday night would help his performance the following weekend. He never took drugs before or during a game. He was just like dozens and dozens of players at the time, and still to this day, who took recreational drugs to celebrate another weekend of work done.

Hardly, steroids don't turn players into supermen any moreso than modern training; the guys who are more athletically gifted remain so regardless of what they take -- plus the actual game skills remain important.

You need to understand what certain illicit drugs do to the brain. Speed enhance the senses of awareness and increases heart rate, giving a feeling of euphoria and confidence, boasting the release of endorphins. The US army supplied soldiers during war with "Pep Pills" or speed so they could stay alert and operate at a higher than normal intensity with bravado. Most sane people would assume it wasn't for the soldiers personal enjoyment for an after party with the enemy? The Horse Racing industry test for amphetamines like dexedrine and speed because I suppose they don't want horses dancing down the straight i guess.

The trouble with your point 1 is that it becomes the new normal. It no longer becomes a personal choice, if you want to compete you will dope yourself up. And not just a little bit, because the winners are going to be the ones pushing the envelope. And it would start early too, kids not old enough to make complex decisions like this would also be involved. It's also worth noting that use of anabolic steroids (as the PED of choice here) are highly restricted even in medicine as their side-effects (permenant damage to liver& heart top the major side-effects) rarely balance their positive effects.

While it all comes under the broad heading of illegal drugs, Johns is basically irrelevant to this story. No sane person, regardless of their position on illicit drugs, has ever suggested Joey was popping pills and dancing badly through the night as part of a performance enchancing regime.

With what "Fancy Bears" hacked and found out is a hell of a lot of "top notch sports people" get TUE's anyway. Apparently most atheletes are asmatic. Who knew that being an asmatic meant you had a great shot at being a great sports person

The problem is it then becomes about the science rather than the players ability

Dave there is heaps of proof of the NRL staff being incompetent so do not have NRL employed Doctors as they will act in the best interests of their employer.

This incident raise two philosophical questions that constantly reoccur in discussions about sport. 1. Should performance enhancing drugs be banned in sport? 2. Should athletes be allowed to access the same drugs to treat illnesses and injuries as a member of the public (legally available drugs prescribed by a a doctor)? My view is: 1. Yes. If all drugs were allowed, athletes would use medically approved drugs and that would limit the risk of people harming themselves taking illegal untested substances. The playing field would be level because everybody could access them. At the moment, according to all the exposes that regularly hit the headlines (Russia for example), drug use is rife and being competitive means having the best chemist who can mask what you take. I'm over it. Take what you want and lets concentrate on who is best when everybody is allowed to use the same substances. 2. It flies in the face of logic that if I tear my hamstring playing amateur sport, I can get treatment that a professional, whose very living relies on them being fit, cannot. The idea that it could benefit the rest of their body, so therefore they shouldn't have anything, makes no sense. They are prescribed a drug for a localised injury and it is administered accordingly. If they take more than they are prescribed it will show up in blood tests. In any case, since they are injured, it will be difficult for them to train and get the benefit of the drug. A rest period after taking the drug could be imposed so the benefits have faded. For example, after taking a PED for a hamstring injury, you cannot play for one month after treatment stops so the drug has left your system and that is confirmed by blood test. The idea that "you aren't strong enough to be elite and so tough, no drugs for you" is such a simplistic, mean spirited view. Injuries occur to the toughest of people who are absolutely physically capable enough to handle the elite level. They may have been hurt in a motorbike accident, smashed in an illegal tackle or injured when gym equipment fails. Irregardless, they are hurt, show some compassion for a fellow human being and let them get the best treatment they can.

All true points. But pain killing injections aren't natural. Pain is the bodies response to something being wrong with the body. By masking that pain a player can do things they naturally wouldn't be able to do. If there's going to be a zero tolerance for P.E. drugs, and recreational drugs how can pain relieving drugs be okay.

Adam McDougal and Maria Sharipova say the same. " I have a medical condition" defence. Joey I was depressed. Paul Gallen "I don't no nothing about Peptides". BS

Agree.That would be acceptable approach IMO. I hate the blokes that take the drugs and play out of their skins while others do the right thing and bust their guts and struggle to keep up with the cheats. Unfortunately i will concede he wouldn't be Robison Crusoe. To watch Joey Johns be honoured and Paul Gallen playing rep football after admitting to taking drugs is ridiculous. That the biggest problem with glorifying cheats.

It is kind of ridiculous that we ban the use of these substances to begin with really; sure they might risk doing some damage to the players body but plenty about professional sport in general and rugby league in particular already does that.

And managed properly, pain killers do not have the horrific side effects Roids have.