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TWO of Parramatta's best young prospects, Tom Humble and Brendan Oake, have been sidelined for the season after testing positive to a banned stimulant.
The Sun-Herald can reveal the players are serving a provisional suspension for testing positive to a banned substance, believed to be the stimulant dimethylpentylamine (methylhexaneamine). Both have denied knowingly taking any illegal agents and the charges will be defended at a NSWRL tribunal hearing, tentatively set down for May 19. The pair were drug-tested after playing for Wentworthville in the final round of the NSW Cup last year. It is alleged the players were given the substance by Wentworthville staff in the form of a supplement commercially known as Jack3d. The Magpies staffers are no longer employed by the club.
Eels chief executive Paul Osborne confirmed Humble and Oake had not been sighted this year for the Eels or Magpies because of the drugs suspension. ''It was an honest mistake; they were provided with it and there was no attempt on their part to take [a banned drug],'' Osborne said. ''We'd love to have them back on the paddock soon. We'll be defending it vigorously; [lawyer] Geoff Bellew will be representing us.''
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Bellew confirmed his clients would defend the matter.
''[They're] under a provisional suspension, which is normal for these types of matters,'' he said.
Oake, a product of the famous St Gregory's College nursery at Campbelltown, played 22 first-grade games for the Eels between 2008-10. Humble, who has played six NRL matches for the blue and golds, was expected to pressure starting halves Jeff Robson and Daniel Mortimer. Although Humble plays predominantly at fullback, legendary halfback Peter Sterling said last year that he was the club's best option at No.7.
''I'm a big fan of young Tom Humble,'' Sterling told The Sun-Herald in August. ''I believe he's a player of the future who can go to the line.
''He'll be in the equation [for a halves spot in 2011]. He hasn't played a lot of halfback - the club bought him as a fullback.
''I think in the brief glimpses he's had in the top grade through the year, he's looked pretty natural with the ball in his hands.''
The banned substance in question has bounced between the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's automatic two-year ban and specified substances list in recent years. It is now a specified substance.
Gold Coast under-20s player Kurt Foggo was initially banned for two years for testing positive to the stimulant last November. However, his appeal was partially upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week and he had that reduced to six months. The Titans youngster is now free to play, having been provisionally suspended since October 11, 2010. A source close to the Parramatta players said they were ''shattered'' that their careers had been put on hold due to a mistake made by Magpies staff.
The Sun-Herald can reveal the players are serving a provisional suspension for testing positive to a banned substance, believed to be the stimulant dimethylpentylamine (methylhexaneamine). Both have denied knowingly taking any illegal agents and the charges will be defended at a NSWRL tribunal hearing, tentatively set down for May 19. The pair were drug-tested after playing for Wentworthville in the final round of the NSW Cup last year. It is alleged the players were given the substance by Wentworthville staff in the form of a supplement commercially known as Jack3d. The Magpies staffers are no longer employed by the club.
Eels chief executive Paul Osborne confirmed Humble and Oake had not been sighted this year for the Eels or Magpies because of the drugs suspension. ''It was an honest mistake; they were provided with it and there was no attempt on their part to take [a banned drug],'' Osborne said. ''We'd love to have them back on the paddock soon. We'll be defending it vigorously; [lawyer] Geoff Bellew will be representing us.''
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Bellew confirmed his clients would defend the matter.
''[They're] under a provisional suspension, which is normal for these types of matters,'' he said.
Oake, a product of the famous St Gregory's College nursery at Campbelltown, played 22 first-grade games for the Eels between 2008-10. Humble, who has played six NRL matches for the blue and golds, was expected to pressure starting halves Jeff Robson and Daniel Mortimer. Although Humble plays predominantly at fullback, legendary halfback Peter Sterling said last year that he was the club's best option at No.7.
''I'm a big fan of young Tom Humble,'' Sterling told The Sun-Herald in August. ''I believe he's a player of the future who can go to the line.
''He'll be in the equation [for a halves spot in 2011]. He hasn't played a lot of halfback - the club bought him as a fullback.
''I think in the brief glimpses he's had in the top grade through the year, he's looked pretty natural with the ball in his hands.''
The banned substance in question has bounced between the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's automatic two-year ban and specified substances list in recent years. It is now a specified substance.
Gold Coast under-20s player Kurt Foggo was initially banned for two years for testing positive to the stimulant last November. However, his appeal was partially upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week and he had that reduced to six months. The Titans youngster is now free to play, having been provisionally suspended since October 11, 2010. A source close to the Parramatta players said they were ''shattered'' that their careers had been put on hold due to a mistake made by Magpies staff.
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