12 February 2013

Raiders in the drugs and match fixing frame

| johnboy
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The ABC reports that the sports doping scandal is coming home to Canberra:

North Queensland, Penrith and Canberra have become the first NRL teams to come forward as the hunt to find the clubs involved in the Australian Crime Commission’s probe into the use of illicit drugs began in earnest.

The NRL put the heat back on its sides after the ACC granted the league permission to notify the clubs referred to in the ACC’s Project Aperio report.

The Cowboys outed themselves late on Monday night, while Penrith and Canberra reportedly confirmed they were also clubs in the spotlight.

The report is very light on for detail.

With the links between the tattoo industry and organised crime it does throw Sunday’s weird splash into a different light.

The team’s unpredictable form in recent years take on a different complexion as well.

[Photo by ZaldyImg CC BY 2.0]


UPDATE: The Daily Telegraph explains a little more.

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According to the SMH today, ‘it is believed ASADA is investigating whether players at the Knights and Raiders who play for clubs where Dank was previously employed have maintained an association with him’.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/dank-the-link-in-nrl-doping-probe-20130213-2edfs.html#ixzz2Kq01Oicq

If this is the extent of criminality at the Raiders, surely they are justified in going right off about how they have been dragged in to ‘the darkest day in Australian sport’.

According to the information contained in the SMH article, to me anyway, it’s starting to look not very dark at all.

ACC should be ashamed for slandering Australian sport on a the world stage.

Kerryhemsley said :

Can they get their money back?

Haven’t your “Toiges” only been to the finals three times since 2000?

That’s hardly a record to gloat about.

Roundhead89 said :

Keijidosha said :

The beatup by the ACC and the media seems almost desperate.

Well it worked. Craig Thomson and Eddie Obeid were pushed off the front page for a few days …

I keep hearing this. I didn’t know the ACC was run and directed by the office of PM and able to be used for party political purposes. The things you learn.

And you know ill see Ray Lewis’s face again…

Gungahlin Al4:40 pm 12 Feb 13

bundah said :

RadioVK said :

So…

Not only do they suck at football, they also suck at cheating.

The burden of proof rests with the ACC and until then one is innocent until proven guilty so let’s not jump the gun.

Since when has that ever held anyone back on RA? Oh wait – this is sport…

Keijidosha said :

The beatup by the ACC and the media seems almost desperate.

Well it worked. Craig Thomson and Eddie Obeid were pushed off the front page for a few days …

The beatup by the ACC and the media seems almost desperate. Is there a significant number of Australians actually surprised or outraged by drug use and match fixing in professional sport? We’re talking about a multi billion dollar industry built around gambling on easily manipulated outcomes, how could anyone not expect widespread corruption?

I guess that the collective rustling of jimmies is caused by our cultural identity as a proud sporting nation, which when you think about it is a pretty flimsy ideology.

Kerryhemsley1:46 pm 12 Feb 13

Can they get their money back?

If the Raiders are using performance enhancing drugs perhaps they should stop buying them from discount internet sites.

watto23 said :

the drugs don’t … work!

…they just make you worse…

johnboy said :

If one is cheating to throw a match (not saying they were) then one would look bad while cheating.

I was thinking more along the lines of performance enhancing drugs, but now that you mention it, you have a very good point.

watto23 said :

Seriously though if its widespread among players on the team, its a good advertisement for the fact that the drugs don’t bloody work!

Like!!

As a leaguie this whole saga troubles me deeply.

I am in total agreement with those saying that as there are no actual allegations being put as yet, I would council that people should just hold their horses.

The broad nature of the report could mean that either players, staff or clubs themsleves are involved in drugs, corruption, have a few shadowy links that might be better severed, or a combination of these.

The odd player taking ‘supplements’ on the quiet is not that surprising, a systematic culture of drugs on the other hand is concerning. Links with neferious individuals can be managed quite easily.

Anyone found to be involved in corrupt practices involving gambling should have played their last game already.

As the judicial processes can take an eternity to work through there’ll be plenty of time to spit venom. Don’t wear yourselves out just yet.

bundah said :

RadioVK said :

So…

Not only do they suck at football, they also suck at cheating.

The burden of proof rests with the ACC and until then one is innocent until proven guilty so let’s not jump the gun.

Quite right.

I’d suggest that if they were cheating, they would probably have done a better job of it. Either that or as I said above, they suck at cheating as well.

I hope that more details are released soon, before wild speculation runs rampant.

If one is cheating to throw a match (not saying they were) then one would look bad while cheating.

watto23 said :

I’m, quite surprised myself, given the hard line stance they’ve had with regards to many issues in the past. Then again, the way this has been handled, who knows what is actually suggested that the Raiders have done. It could end up being a single individual, that they haven’t identified yet.

Seriously though if its widespread among players on the team, its a good advertisement for the fact that the drugs don’t bloody work!

It could also mean that the other teams have better drugs. There are no “salary caps” on drugs.

johnboy said :

well, nothing is proven yet.

Indeed; and nothing specific has even been alleged.

Billy_Shears9:47 am 12 Feb 13

The Raiders haven’t made the finals in consecutive seasons since 2002-2004, so I’d suggest they might want to concentrate on that first…

They will have the advantage of flying under the radar given their skinny FTA schedule though!

Surely we deserve some details.

You can’t just put accusations like this out there and then not back them up because of privacy or whatever they’re talking about now.

They need to release the full details of the report and they need to do it fast.

I’m, quite surprised myself, given the hard line stance they’ve had with regards to many issues in the past. Then again, the way this has been handled, who knows what is actually suggested that the Raiders have done. It could end up being a single individual, that they haven’t identified yet.

Seriously though if its widespread among players on the team, its a good advertisement for the fact that the drugs don’t bloody work!

RadioVK said :

So…

Not only do they suck at football, they also suck at cheating.

The burden of proof rests with the ACC and until then one is innocent until proven guilty so let’s not jump the gun.

well, nothing is proven yet.

So…

Not only do they suck at football, they also suck at cheating.

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