Cocaine Zero

[bondi.boy]

Daily Telegraph article today:

Roosters chair Nick Politis has vowed to kick out any player in his club caught using cocaine, regardless of the NRL's two-strike policy.

"My view is if somebody's caught doing cocaine or leaning over snorting something, we're going to get rid of them," Mr Politis told The Sunday Telegraph.

"Our stance is zero tolerance."

"We are very strong on it. Trent (Robinson) is very strong on it."

Mr Politis said under the strong stance the Roosters will take, he considers bringing the club into disrepute with a "white powder" scandal was enough of a reason to sack a player.

"That's enough to do damage to a club," he said.

".....we want to send a message to kids, and to mums and dads, that our club has that sort of stance towards this sort of thing."

#####

All good.
Roosters Chairman is 100% correct with this policy.

[Roosterfarian]

I applaud Uncle Nick for taking this approach.

Looks like they’ve already enacted the policy in some shape tbh.

[mightyrooster]

Meanwhile if you play for the Broncos you can even drive a car and cause an accident, injuring a young child while under the influence and still keep your job. Well said and done Nick.

[OMR]

Well done and bravo for having the testicles to say it out loud. Unlike the piss weak nrl and drongos.

[Kentucky_Fried_Rooster]

Yet we signed cheese after he was alleged to have used it while with Melbourne.

While I agree with Nick, will the club follow through if we ever have a couple of rep players fail a test for coke.
I doubt the club would sack them but if an average first grader gets caught out they will be made an example of.

The NRL shouldn't give players a second chance if they fail a test.
That sends the wrong message, and the players know nothing will happen to them.

[Thirteen]

So anyone who wants an out just needs to sniff a line.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

So anyone who wants an out just needs to sniff a line.

They'll have to also want to sacrifice their contract money for the rest of that season, have no guarantee of ever being signed by another club in the future, forever be known as someone who was sacked because of drugs, likely lose whatever individual sponsorship arrangements they might have, and probably face some sort of police investigation.

[Vasco]

This could be interesting. I wonder if they will adopt a three-strike rule as opposed to an instant dismissal.

[bondi.boy]

Yet we signed cheese after he was alleged to have used it while with Melbourne.

While I agree with Nick, will the club follow through if we ever have a couple of rep players fail a test for coke.
I doubt the club would sack them but if an average first grader gets caught out they will be made an example of.

The NRL shouldn't give players a second chance if they fail a test.
That sends the wrong message, and the players know nothing will happen to them.

Follow through, no matter who?
I say the club would follow through.
It would have to...given this very public policy statement.
A very foolish thing for any player to do would be test the club's resolve.

Cheese?
That was then, this is now.
No excuses in future given the Chairman's strong message today.
Basically..."No one is more important than the club".

[JAF]

This is what I call strong leadership - well done Uncle Nick and Robbo!

[ism22]

I applaud him for this, though I'm sure it'll bite us temporarily at some stage when we have to release a solid performer as a result of this policy.

My reasoning is...

- Drug users are sourcing their gear somewhere, which means engaging with the underworld. This is bot something our club should associate with.

- It has the potential to impact players' performance, possibly in ways that we simply don't know about yet due to a lack of studies. What we do know is that usage artificially ages your heart health to the point where 30 year olds can have hearts that are comparable to 60 year olds (see https://www.unsw.edu.au/research/nda...f-60-year-olds).

- It's a cultural thing. Cam Smith was gutted when various Storm players were implicated as he'd worked hard to build their reputation. I feel the same about our reputation and TBH which players have gotten into trouble recently for this sorta shyte? Ezra Maaaam, Reece Walsh, Ben Barba, Paul Carter, Finchie... d!ckheads whose behaviour I'm certainly not gonna defend.

Sadly one can also include guys like Jenko, Fergo, LOD and Gordon too, who all farked up their finances & families. You can add SKD to that list too... not for using but for getting involved with a user. Maloney's possibly the most successful example but even then, he's sh@t away some huuuge opportunities and ruined his reputation behind the scenes now! Not saying cocaine was the only factor but IMO it's too much of a coincidence that prominent users so commonly f@rt away the gifts that they've been given so easily (and stupidly).

Onya Nick!!! Hard call but the right one IMO. Though... we'd probably be without our most recent 3 premierships if you punted LOD, Maloney, Jenko and Fergo... I dunno what to say about that other than that none of them were caught using while with us, so to the best of our knowledge this all happened afterwards. Serves as a warning for post-Roosters careers TBH! If we're about building men then IMO part of that includes Nick keeping them on the straight, which includes not having regular business dealings with drug dealers, who are the absolute farkin' scum of society.

[ism22]

So anyone who wants an out just needs to sniff a line.

I see no problem there unless you're suggesting that we should be trying to retain players who are actively seeking to p!ss off?

Makes it easier for us if we can just tear up their contract and say 'BYE!!!' instead of sticking behind humans who just so happen to be of low intelligence and moral fibre (in no way due to their respective ethnicities, which their actions have disgraced) such as Walsh and Maaaam.

[Bates]

I applaud Nick!

I've always been of the view that the NRL are making a rod for their own back. The punishment handed out to Ezra Mam beggars belief. The 2 strike rule is a farce!

Those that want jeopardise our great clubs reputation and derail all the hard work that goes into a season can pack their bags and fark off.

Up The Chooks.

[Billy Gunn]

So anyone who wants an out just needs to sniff a line.

True, but is Nick re-establishing the baseline for acceptable behavior at the Roosters and a big F..k you to the Broncos?

[Mr Whippet]

True, but is Nick re-establishing the baseline for acceptable behavior at the Roosters and a big F..k you to the Broncos?

Yes ! I was thinking the exact same thing.
Huge kick in the balls if there ever was one.