I’ll help mate Chase to sort his life out
JESSE OFFER AS DRUG BAN LOOMS
COCAINE shame star Rangi Chase needs help to deal with his demons, says exteam-mate Jesse Sene-Lefao.
Widnes Vikings halfback Chase is facing a probable two-year ban after testing positive for cocaine last month.
It is likely to signal the end of the 31-year-old New Zealand-born player’s controversial career.
But former Castleford team-mate Sene-Lefao says it is important that his close friend gets help.
“I am just devastated and really gutted to hear what’s happened,” he said. “He needs real friends around him.”
Problems
On and off-field dramas have dogged Chase’s career and he only joined Widnes three months ago because Cas lost patience with him.
The former England ace had been dropped for two off-field incidents and Cas jumped at the chance to loan him to the Vikings, who were ravaged by injuries.
But Widnes announced on Thursday that Chase had failed a drugs test after their match against Wakefield on July 14.
He is suspended until the UK AntiDoping authority decide over the next few weeks on a possible ban – likely to be two years.
Sene-Lefao had introduced Chase to his Church Fellowship Group earlier this year and Chase admitted it was helping him cope with problems.
Speaking in May, Chase said: “I got to a point where I felt a bit lost.” But he claimed the group helped him “talk about struggles in life”.
After going to Widnes, Chase stopped attending the weekly meetings but Sene-Lefao said he is still in their hearts. He said: “I am pretty close to Rangi and his family. He has a lot of problems but people do not know what happens inside rugby league.
“Before you judge, you need to know the real story. When he left here I know he had a few demons.
“He has not come to our group recently but he is still part of it and we still pray for him. I will have to talk to him. I want to be there for him.”
Former England star Gareth Hock was banned for two years for cocaine in 2009 and has also urged people to help Chase.
On Twitter he said: “Hope people don’t give Rangi a hard time. It’s wrong but I’ve been there and you can go in a dark place. He needs support.”