Brent Naden free to return to Penrith training Jan 1 following backdated drug ban

Am amazed at how many mobile phones with incriminating photo's get "stolen" and the offending pictures released on the internet!!

So BB you think it is more sensible and straight forward to treat something they determine wasn't performance enhancing in either intent or effect as performance enhancing? All that has happened here is the charge, for want of a better word, went from a PED to recreational drug use. Mainly because they looked at the policy for things like cocaine and realised it wasn't sensible to treat it like PEDs with a lasting benefit Also your loophole/can of worms still cops a one month ban for the first strike - (which is actually consistent with PEDs for US sports) so it's hardly the best loophole to deliberately rub yourself out for 4 weeks. It really only works for the grand final, then you've got to ask the clubs and sponsors - do you want a guy that gets on the gear the week leading up to the GF. I'm really struggling how this finding suddenly makes it any more likely to have open season on the nose candy. the kind of person who would risk 4 weeks on the sideline is likely already making the judgement assuming they'll never get caught - changing the punishment doesn't move the dial on their assessment.

Hayne's just a dud root - didn't his defense lawyer say "To be frank, his sexual prowess turned out to be terrible — it was terrible."

Fair enough, but suspending tik Tok Cleary for a breach of Covid protocols then letting him remain eligible for the DallyM's again makes a neutral ask if there are rules for some & not for others. Maybe Naden should have 'found Jesus' like Hayne has when in trouble.

All clubs have had their issues over the years however your wish that players “learn from history” will unfortunately fall upon deaf ears. Some members of “the entitled generation” will follow the template of: doing the wrong thing, hoping nobody films the incident, some clubs will cover it up if they are a star player, if found out, read from a prepared script wherein they say sorry for letting everybody down including the family dog, say they are remorseful even though they don’t know what the word means, let alone spell it & indicate they want “to move on & be a better person”. Until they reoffend! BS.

No, not saying that. To your post I’m saying the players you chose to compare Naden with were given just penalties for far worse transgressions..Pangai in particular was abhorrent, and you flip it on the NRL as a mere ‘wrong barber’. To Succhi, I’m asking what foundation could one be using for singling the Penrith culture out as ‘another concerning...’ above many other clubs in the league. I used Melbourne as an example but could have used half a dozen others who are far worse. My point, if you’re going to go after someone, do it fairly.

Sorry Souvalis, don't get your point. Are you saying it's ok because other clubs do it. As a bronco fan I've been regularly disgusted at the number of second chances James Roberts got when here, also agree TPJ was out of control but apparently if you can win games you're exempt from rules. Last time Penrith had an outstanding batch of kids who excelled, they had the Ben Alexander tragedy. Hope they learn from history.

Which club has a crystal clean culture ? Melbourne ? Little over a year ago Nelson and Suli were throwing haymakers in the streets of Bali. JAC was shooting guns. Welch broke the bubble mid year, and it wasn’t that long ago Jessie B. was doing the same thing on the streets of Canberra that Nadens gone down for..then there’s Munster. Titans have had a coach arrested for cocaine distribution. Who’s played up at Penrith the last couple of years ? Cleary, May and Naden.. Sharks, Dragons, Raiders, Manly, Broncos have more known and serious villains than those 3 to name a few but Penrith are concerning ?

Firstly, I hope this young guy gets his life in order sooner rather than later. There are some real worrying signs. Secondly, another confusing ruling by the NRL and a really poor standard being set. Thirdly, another concerning sign reflecting the culture at the Panthers.

Going to the wrong barber ? The poor little angel. He had multiple, multiple, breaches of the code’s bio security protocols. Not just at the Mongols Bikies ‘barber shop’. Ignored them, threatened the game not to mention the entire community in doing so. Dreadful, intentional, criminally spiteful behavior. Not in the same universe as a player suspended for recreational drug abuse.

Todd Carney has his contract ripped up for (alledgedly) drinking some warm piss & now the NRL is more thanhappy for players totake illegal drugs as long as it's "out of hours"

Reading elsewhere, "in competition" means that there is a sufficiently large enough quantity of the drug in your system on game day. So, get on the gear during the week, stop on game day, and it's all good. There's a can of worms opening here.

BB, "Naden entered a rehabilitation facility in Sydney to deal with drug and alcohol issues after fronting Panthers staff in the days following the grand final loss to Melbourne, admitting recreational drug use." If you enter rehab I would have to presume you have a problem therefore this is not the only occasion hence would have been taking it in season, probably all season but not tested until after the GF. Clearly the drug was in his system "in season" unless he ran a sneaky line betweeen the final whistle and the sheds.

"“Brent has come to understand the significant impact of his actions on his family, our club and the game of rugby league." Penrith needs to take a lot of responsibility for it's failings, if it's taken 2 seasons for Naden "come to understand the significant impact of his actions".

& Naden being Indigenous, most indigenous in the position as role models say they want to do the best for "their people" - so he is saying "ok kids - go out & snort a line & when that no longer works - get some harder drugs"

The timing's good for the NRL, Barry. Sneak this little titbit into the quiet time between Christmas & New Year and hope that most won't see it or if they do, won't care.

So basically Naden served a 'claytons' or 'Cronulla Sharks' suspension, Jimmy the Jet needs to engage his legal team as it will save him a lot of time out of the game. Consistency has never been an NRL quality but a few guys like Payne Haas who served time for not answering integrity unit questions or Tevita Pangai Junior who almost got drummed out of the game for going to the 'wrong' barber might be better off just getting on the gear. Will we reach a point with this precedent where those league players who've done time out of the game for domestic abuse argue it happened out of competition & they should not be suspended, this decision is ludicrous.

I understand Gray-Hand. There is an endless list of reasons why drugs are good, drawn up by those who have an interest in promoting the cause. It matters little whether they are spurious or not. Why, in just the past couple of weeks a “safe injecting room” in Richmond (Melbourne suburb) was shut down when a “rehabilitation counsellor” was busted for dealing. Harmlessly. “Policing players personal conduct off the field is already pretty borderline” is as good as any, trot it out, use it to encourage the impressionable children, you are offering a valuable community service and leadership … sort of.

Not necessarily.

yes, allow the role models of today to tell the kids that it's ok to not only do drugs, but to do illegal drugs