NRL players' plea: speak out to spare innocent

The boss of the rugby league players' union says it will be in ''everyone's interest'' if police disclose fresh evidence about any other Newcastle stars with drug links.

After the game was rocked by more suggestions of a drug culture at the club following the arrest of Danny Wicks last week, Rugby League Players' Association chief executive David Garnsey believes every Knights player's reputation will be tarnished until they are either named as being involved or exonerated. It comes after The Sun-Herald revealed police were planning to interview and possibly charge players after several were caught on police surveillance allegedly attempting to buy drugs from Wicks.

But it was the prospect of the evidence not being aired until Wicks's next court date, on February 3, that had Garnsey concerned, for the sake of the reputations of the squad.

''If they [the police] have heard evidence, I hope they produce it soon,'' Garnsey said. ''It's in everyone's interest, isn't it? Every player is going to be somewhat under suspicion, and there will be assumptions made about them. That would be a terrible thing for them to have to endure.

''They're not able to speak too much about it, so they're in a defenceless position, and they'd be very interested in having their names cleared.''

One Knights player, speaking anonymously, made it clear he hoped any guilty party would step forward in the short term.

''We all get tarred with the same brush,'' the player said. ''It's not only the club, it's the players. At the end of the day, it comes down to the type of person you are, and what you're willing to do with your own neck; whether you come forward or let it come out in the wash on the third of February.''

The union has offered support to Wicks via the player's manager, Steve Gillis, but has remained somewhat at arm's length in response to the inferences against its players.

Garnsey said he would be ''jumping at shadows'' to do any more, noting that Newcastle players were more diligently drug-tested than most NRL players. ''Obviously it's a concern, and if there are further players involved, it's a major concern,'' he said. ''I wouldn't pretend that I'm anything other than concerned. We all know the history of Newcastle, and they've done an enormous amount to turn things around. My understanding is that has happened.''

The club has had to deal with a drug stigma since retired halfback Andrew Johns admitted to a drug habit through most of his career.

When it comes to Wicks, who has been effectively sent to Coventry by Newcastle, with teammates banned from contacting him, Garnsey said: ''At the moment, we're not doing anything other than helping out when we can.''

Newcastle chief executive Steve Burraston said he and his chairman, Rob Tew, planned to meet police today to discuss the Sun-Herald story and its ramifications. If police came forward with evidence, he said he had the ''will and courage to follow that through''.

''I am prepared to speak with police directly, and if they want to throw some names and evidence to me directly, I'll take whatever action is necessary,'' Burraston said. ''These are enormously serious allegations … but we would need to be very clear that the evidence is there, and that that evidence points to a particular individual, to take any action. Because the action that follows the allegations that are made would be of the utmost seriousness.''

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