Most people i know who earn that money spend the majority of the week pished up

Its not just about showing professionalism for the sake of the club etc either. If I was a professional Sportsman I would want to be the best I could possibly be and if that meant making a few sacrifices then so be it. Even if you are selfish surely your own pride in your own condition and performance should push you to work hard and cut out the stuff that will have a negative effect. I've never understood the attraction of smoking anyway but if your career depended on you being fit and healthy why would you deliberately do something to jeapordise that? Its the same with drinking, no players should be getting tanked up during the season, thats what the off season is for. The odd drink here and there is not a problem but again why do it a function when you are representing the club? How hard is it to not have a beer?

Depends, if you have a dependancy it can be very difficult, believe me. BUT no players should have a dependancy, they have a big enough support mechanism if they do. I seriously hope it isn't alcoholism for any of them, it's a very lonely place.

Well there's a surprise!

I know what you are saying but I just think its more a case of a lack of professionalism rather than a genuine problem.

The problem is they are young guys, with money and time, without direction then they are bound to get up to no good.



It should be quite simple, random drug and alcohol tests during the season, if you can't handle that, then find yourself a new club. If it is good enough for train drivers it's damn well good enough for a RL player.

Its been tolerated for far too long so the players just see it as a natural part of being a rugby player. We should have a zero tolerance policy on things like this and have a players code of conduct that they all have to sign. Canterbury Bulldogs had massive disciplinary problems but they have managed to turn it around so why cant we?

Because the CEO gets as ed as a fart at every function he attends?

My point is that kids look up to them as heroes.. rightly or wrongly.I dont think it sets a good example to see their idols puffing away especially at an Under8s Rugby Tournament.