DRUG FURY Kangaroos coach Mal calls for life bans for wayward players
KANGAROOS coach Mal Meninga has called for life bans under a beefed-up NRL drugs policy and warned he will sack any Australian player caught using cocaine.
Meninga yesterday urged the NRL to ramp-up their fight against illicit drugs, insisting there were “no excuses” for rugby league’s biggest stars to be dabbling in drugs.
Meninga also backed New Zealand’s axing of Kevin Proctor and Jesse Bromwich THEY may not fight on the beaches but it’s where Stingray Boxing Club’s best prospects have been building strength.
Trainer Grahame Williams prescribes flipping tyres on the beach at Yorkey’s Knob and runs up the hill itself as part of their strength and conditioning, which have paved the way for Yungubaddijarri Yanner to earn a place in the Queensland team.
The 23-year-old, fighting at 69kg, won gold at the Queensland for the World Cup, outlining a similar zero-tolerance stance on drugs for his Kangaroos regime.
Under the NRL’s illicit drugs policy, players who return one positive test are ordered to undergo counselling, with a second strike resulting in a 12-match ban.
But under Meninga’s plan, a firsttime drug offender would be fined and banned for three months. A second drug-related indiscretion would see the player’s NRL contract torn up.
“If you’ve brought the game into disrepute, you should cop the consequences,” Novice Titles last month, as did Thomas Van Dijk (75kg) and Mathew Hangdi (54kg). Wazaga Miskin earned silver.
Van Dijk and Hangdi only missed out on the interstate trip as an opponent could not be found at their weight.
Williams said it surprised him how well they performed in Brisbane, putting their efforts down to their commitment and teamwork. “They all inspire each other. They love the training and they push each other every day,” he said.
“We just build up their skills with sparring and strength and conditioning.
“Pretty much the boys wanted to start doing a bit of boxing and we started getting them ready for some fights ... and I thought it would be good to start them at the Novice Titles and they did really well.”
The Stingray newcomers don’t need to look far for inspiration, with clubmate Jordan Bowly tipped to be a contender for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Meninga said. “Call me harsh, call me old-fashioned, but the game needs a stronger stance.
“The NRL’s drugs policy is too lenient because players keep doing it.
“We need a real deterrent. The first offence is you don’t play the game for 12 weeks and if you do it again, you should be deregistered.
“If a player can’t do the right thing by the game, armed with all the education the NRL provides, they shouldn’t be in our game.
“As soon as a player signs a contract with the National Rugby League, they are accountable for their behaviour. That’s where we need to take this.
“It’s a generalisation to say all NRL players don’t behave.
“It’s probably 1 per cent of the game that steps out of line, but if they do, the game should come down harshly on them. CONTINUED PAGE 36