Newcastle Knights star Jarrod Mullen has tested positive to an anabolic steroid and faces a ban of up to four years.
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In a crippling blow for the embattled club, Mullen returned a positive "A sample" on November 29 last year to the banned substance drostanolone.
ASADA has notified the 29-year-old and the NRL today of his positive test. He has the option of immediately accepting the results or having his "B sample" retested.
A local junior, Mullen has played more than 200 matches for the Knights. His career has been cruelled by injuries in recent years.
Last April, he tore his hamstring off the bone, sidelining him for three months.
Then, last November, he tore the hamstring again. He was tested by ASADA soon after and his career now remains in tatters.
The club issued a statement at 4.30pm on Tuesday confirming Mullen was tested on November 29.
He cannot participate in rugby league during a provisional suspension while he awaits testing of his B sample.
Chief executive Matt Gidley, who spoke to the media at Mayfield on Tuesday evening, said the club was “obviously extremely disappointed.”
“The club has a strict governance program, the players are regularly educated and fully aware of the consequences of going outside our governance guidelines,” he said.
“From here, there is a formal process we need to follow under the guidelines.
“We need to respect the process and in the interim the club will continue to monitor Jarrod’s welfare.”
At a press conference on Tuesday night, Gidley wouldn’t go into the specifics of his “short” conversation with Mullen about the positive test.
But the chief executive repeatedly stated that the star five-eighth had “gone outside of the club”.
“We have lots of education, [players] are fully aware of the consequences. If they go outside the club and do things that we’re not aware of, there’s not much we can do,” Gidley told reporters.
“He’s gone outside of the club and taken advice from someone and now he’d going to pay the price.”
Gidley said Mullen returned the positive A sample after being tested at training.
- with Tim Connell and Matt Carr