The Serve

Gallop defends drugs policy

NRL boss David Gallop says the league’s drug policy is working, despite revelations that Andrew Johns took drugs for the bulk of his career and was never caught.

Johns spoke openly about taking drugs after a Friday night games. With no training on the weekend, the illicit drugs would be out of his system by the time he returned to training on the following Monday.

The NRL has recently implemented a new policy to allow random testing, albeit in limited numbers.

“There’s the opportunity to test at anytime. That’s the risk players are taking, is the potential to be tested Satruday morning, straight after a Friday night game.” Gallop said

Gallop acknowledged rumours of Johns’ drug use had been circulating for years.

“Certainly aware of rumours, and rumours involving a number of players.

“We can only deal with facts, we can only deal with positive results and we can only continue to re-enforce our message to players that they’re running a high risk.”

The league is lamenting the timing of the bombshell, just a week before the NRL finals series.

“I think he deserves an acknowledgement for his honestly, but also the realization that this type of revelation has damaged his standing of the game, and as a knock on, has damaged the image the game.

“I’m hopeful he can repair that,” Gallop said.