National Rugby League side Canberra Raiders winger Sandor Earl on Thursday "became the first player from either of the major codes to be stood down as a result of the ongoing Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. Both his lawyer and the NRL "played down suggestions it would lead to a slew of infraction notices." Earl, who accepted a provisional ban for the use and trafficking of banned substance CJC-1295, has already indicated that "he will provide substantial assistance to ASADA as he targets a return to rugby league, possibly as early as next year" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/30). In a separate piece, Reid wrote the immediate reaction was that "his sanction represented the start, rather than the end, of an already painstaking process." Players "would now fall like dominos." This is "not so." Earl "will provide substantial assistance, but not in relation to fellow players." Earl will not be bringing Cronulla down, "but CJC-1295 just might." An independent report into Cronulla, commissioned by the club, alleged that "Sharks players were found to have used the substance before the club's round-four game against New Zealand Warriors" in March '11 (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/30).
SEEKING REDUCED PENALTY: In Sydney, Massoud & Hooper wrote Earl "threw himself at the mercy of ASADA after text messages from several mobile phones framed him for a network that distributed peptides and other prescription drugs." Earl faces a ban of four years to life, "but is striving to have the penalty reduced to 12 months after electing to stand down immediately and provide ASADA with extensive information about his activities" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 8/30). Also in Sydney, NRL COO Jim Doyle said that "Earl faced the possibility of a life ban from the game." Doyle: "It's clearly stipulated in the rules. From a use point of view it is two years and from a trafficking perspective it is four years to life. Obviously [the suspension] will be in line with the rules" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/30).
