Neither did I. But then again I am stuck out in the sticks

Agreed. Plenty of talent but no sympathy whatsoever, doubt you'll be seen in a rugby shirt again with what's to come.

On the upside, he did well to not get busted until a far better player andbloke was fit in RHP.

At least thats a wage the club don't have to find for now. Have to be thankfull for small mercies. It's a real pity because we were a damn good team with him in it. Edited after second reading.

Glad he's been caught and banned.
Glad he won't turn out for the team I support ever again.

Just a pity he lowered the clubs reputation with his low personal standards.

The Watcher believes cocaine useage is widespread in a certain age group of our young people, anyone who thinks that rugby players do not indulge in this drug need to take their head from up their bottom.The most irratating thing about the Govin situation is that if he had told the club the truth & then taken their advice he would not be in the mess he is now.

I am with the Watcher on this.

How anyone can think this particular drug improves players performance on a RL field astonishes me.

Oh yeh sportsmen have to set an example to youngsters and if no sports person took recreational drugs then no youngsters would ever take recreational substances. How can anyone seriously believe that ?

I am just surprised players can' if they wish drink a bucket of red wine a day and still not get banned but taking a different addictive drug they can get banned' because one addictive drug is illegal and the other is not.?

Do I think taking addictive drugs is wrong is not the point in my view when it comes to sport. When it does not improve player performance so what. Anyone who tries cocaine does so because they want to not because Govin took it.

I would legalise all such drugs at least our Chancellor could tax them and maybe there would be less crime. Would you take cocaine if it was legal ? What has that do do with me or the RFL ?

Opium used to be legal when Queen Victoria was on the throne. I think they call it heroin now.

quite right Frank it was and is )Heroin), as was cocaine and hemp weed (Cannabis)

Are you two giving us an insight to your misspent youths in the Victorian era?!?!?

Well what a stupid thing to do just as he was getting his career back on track after years of injuries.

I was made up when we re-signed him and he was awesome before his "injury", such a shame because I'm sure he'd have got another contract next season particularly with Robbie retiring and Jamie off to Hull.

Very disappointed.

Sorry Frank I disagree with some of that. Younger people are influenced by the actions of people they look upto and if just one took drugs just because Mick their idol did it then it's one too many. Those are the people that need educating at an early age that both drink and drugs do them no good and a person in Micks position who is found to be doing it should have the book thrown at them. Not saying after he has paid his dues he shouldn't be let back in but for now he must pay the price. Its funny you should bring the victorian opium days up because they were allowed to happen to keep the lower classes stoned and quiet. It has happend in the gettos in the states and I think they let drug and drink misuse happen in the inner cities over here for the same reason. Doesn't seem to be working at the moment does it.

Stupid boy, i thought he'd knocked it on the head & realised what was at risk, some people only learn the hard way

Well it is an opinion like mine and you are entitled to it. When I was young I liked the Rolling Stones.We have fans on here who avidly followed the Beatles. Drug taking was rife in pop culture at that time ask your Mams and Dads.

I honestly think people take drugs because they are inquisitive. Some do some don't but it is nothing to do with pop stars or sports stars it is a choice thing.

George Best drank loads of white wine and eventually sadly it caused his premature death. He was much better known than Mick Govin but even though I am of that age group I prefer red. I do not for one minute believe people blindly foillow an individuals habits just because they admire an individual in a particular sport or a musical star.

I can't stand celery or aniseed but if Mick Jagger had extolled them 50 years ago it would not have made me want celery or aniseed.

One last word before I go and curl up in bed. Drugs and Rock and Roll cultures sort of go hand in hand. Do you think that a simillar relationship between sport and drugs is healthy? Goodnight Franky baby.

There, but for the grace of God, go many of us....or our kids!!

However much anyone wants to take the moral high ground, the fact remains that addiction is an illness. We aren't talking about a 'drug cheat' here - the use of cocaine was never going to improve performance. We're talking about a young lad who, for whatever reason (and none of us really know - unless we have personal experience - how the mind of an addict works) could not control this urge.
As Frank points out, there are plenty of people who have a 'need' to get pished up every weekend.....and the tales of some of the best players ever to pull on a Leigh shirt, and their pre/post match drinking habits are the stuff of legend!! The only difference is the use of this drug is considered acceptable in the eyes of the law.
It would be a shame if this ended up being the ruination of another career. Govin, on form and injury free, is a quality player.....and no one can deny his contribution to the fantastic start we made to the season. I'd like to think that some way could be found to rehabilitate Mick - get him on a programme, then get him 'paying his dues' by going round the schools and youth organisations of the area, and educating the kids to not go down the same route. And who's to say that in a couple of years time, he couldn't find a role back within the game (he'd still only be 2icon_cool.gif? Gaz Hock has managed it, and (and you won't here this from me very often!) the 'umbles are to be congratulated on how that situation was handled.
I'm sure any of us with any compassion would sooner that, than another Terry Newton.

whats more suprising is how long he has been getting away with it

If Govin asks for help with this problem then i'd hope the club would be there for him.

And you have evidence of this accusation ?

He's been taking illegal substances, and he got caught. End of .... Govin, you t!t ....

And if any of the squad have been doing the same, then I hope they stop. Otherwise, they'll get theirs as well.

Whino Woy can you substantiate that.............

Well, as a lot of people were aware of his "actions" when he was playing elsewhere, i find it surprising no one within the club "high up" were tipped the nod.

the 'casual drugs' thing is more widespread than you think

last season a Toulouse player was approached after their home game by a couple of Championship players (no names) asking where they could by some 'fixes' for the nighs' entertainment - there are quite well known/recognisable players

who knows how big the problem is ?

Just like everyone knew Hock was doing it years before getting caught, same with Govin Im afraid!

The club have stuck by him, when his first sample tested positive he admitted to the charge. That was quite a while ago and he has been around the club since including the final and the celebrations!

On a side note so thats breaking the cap and having a druggie, maybe you will win the grand final to

I thought the same thing yesterday,then i thought 'wow' we'll fit nicely into Sl after all this.

Last words I am going to say about this. Walt the moral high ground is where we should be where drink and drugs are concerned. These two things are the biggest problems in areas of poverty and in the middle classes. I very much doubt that Mick is an adict as he would probably need to spend about £350 a week on the stuff and I don't think he has that much disposable income. I would say that players today drink nowhere near as much as bygone days because the game has changed and fitness is paramount. To keep using the drinking habbits of players from 20 years ago is wrong. I'm not talking about 16 and 17 year old kids being influenced by this I mean the U10s, U12s, U16s teams at the Miners nad at East who have players who look upto Mick as a role model. These are the people that need to be taught the lesson that what he has done is wrong and bad for them, and not just at the clubs there will be kids who come to watch RL that don't play that think he is great. When Terry Newton did away with himself I wrote that the RFL should make sure that this never happens ever again and players caught should not just be cast aside but they must be punished and severly. He should have nothing to do with RL for 12 months and in that time he must pass a co run by the RFL which he must take random tests to make sure he isn't using it anymore. The second twelve months he should be made to a second part where he went round to local clubs and hammered home to the kids the horrors that come from drinking and taking drugs. I don't think this should have anything to do with the clubs community dept either. What amazes me about using cocaine these days is that it isn't cocaine. It is anything but and it is riddled with cancer causing chemicals. Just because he pulled on a Leigh shirt and it is only a recreational drug should not cloud anyones judgement. It is wrong and very wrong.

When Govin first went missing from the team, it was stated/rumoured that he had an injury and I thought;here we go again the injury prone thing had struck! Personally i'm bitterly dissappointed that Drugs is the reason he wont be playing. I have always been a great admirer of his play, he is a gifted player and competent goalkicker who is able to play in many positions. The team have performed fantastically this season and players like Ridyard,Ellis,Duffy and Hill have been at the forefront however, when introduced into play Govin has made a signifcant difference to our play and, never more so than the two thrashings handed out to Widnes where he totally changed the direction of play! Its interesting that Mick Nanyn has not figured as much, in Govin's absence!
I obviously dont know Mick Govin however, at twenty six years old he still has time to change his life around, should he want too? My advice would be, get some help Mick change your life around and come back in two years time and help Leigh into Super League! Penky,Hock and Hudson are all examples!