Mullen’s massive ban for doping

JARROD Mullen’s NRL career is all but over after he was suspended for four years for doping offences.

The governing body yesterday rubbed out the former Newcastle and one-time NSW Origin playmaker until 2021 after he was found guilty of taking banned steroid Drostanolone by the NRL’s antidoping body.

The 30-year-old has 21 days to appeal the decision and take the NRL to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mullen delivered a positive result for Drostanolone after a routine swab test during preseason training last year. In March ASADA recommended Mullen be banned for four years however he chose not to accept the punishment and appealed to the NRL anti-doping tribunal.

He pleaded for leniency, arguing he was not attempting to gain a competitive advantage but was hoping to repair his body after suffering a second serious hamstring injury.

Mullen, who played 211 games for the Knights since 2005, was provisionally suspended on January 17 and yesterday banned after the antidoping tribunal found he had violated the game’s policy.