Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga and teammate Kurt Mann have been drug tested by the NRL after being kicked out of a pub toilet.
NRL 360 host Paul Kent revealed the pair were tested on Tuesday but the results are not yet known.
Ponga’s father and manager, Andre Ponga, claimed on Monday that his son had felt ill after drinking in the Newcastle pub and Mann had accompanied him to the toilet to check on his welfare.
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“The NRL has acted on the investigation they are currently conducting in relation to the two Newcastle players Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann,” Kent told NRL 360.
“The NRL sent their drug testers there today under the illicit and dangerous drugs policy and both players have been drug tested today (Tuesday).
“It’s confidential at the moment and the results will be confidential. But clearly the NRL is acting on the evidence they’ve already received.
“It’s a drug test for illicit drugs. I don’t think it’s performance enhancing. I think it’s social drugs.
“We all draw our own conclusions about what was going on in the cubicle and today the NRL reacted responsibly to that and sent their drug analysts over there to see if there were any social drugs involved.”
Knights respond following the video of Ponga | 1:32 p.m
Kent explained the NRL’s drugs policy when discussing any possible punishment if they test positive.
“The inquiry is about what happens next to these two players in terms of their punishment,” Kent said.
“It is clear that the game looks bad. There was a lot of talk about what was potentially going on in the cubicle.
“But the NRL have gone straight to the heart of it by drug testing them to find out if they have a case to answer.
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Put in hot water on incident cubicle | 06:38
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“Under the NRL drug policy, it’s a three-strikes policy. The first offense will not reveal the identity of the player. Under the first offense we will not be informed of any positive or negative findings. This basically results in a warning and counseling if there is a positive drug test.
“Once we get to a second offense and a second positive drug test, then it’s a mandatory 12-week suspension.
“But if someone already has a first strike against them and a second strike is about to come, then the mandatory 12 weeks will be enacted, which will cause a lot of speculation because the NRL doesn’t have to reveal the findings of that, but of course we’ll be watching with interest to see if these guys show up next season.”
Ponga asked to leave the toilet | 00:16
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio believes Knights head of football Peter Parr was affected by what he might say to the media on Tuesday because of pending drugs tests.
“This significant development gives reasons why Peter Parr was quite restrained and restrained in what he was able to say at today’s press conference,” Riccio said.
“He just couldn’t dig deep.”
“I thought I might have said more even than Dave,” Kent chimed in.
“Okay, fair enough, but I’m just saying if they’re being tested today Kenty, Parr would have known,” Riccio said.
“He was defending the Integrity Unit process. So he can’t come out and say we’re going to suspend them for this or that when the investigation is underway.”
“That’s true, but he was also asked more generic questions,” Kent replied.
“And rather than answering whether it was a bad look for the club or not, for example, he just said, I’m not here to assume anything.
“Well, you could rightly argue that it was a bad look for the club.”