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Rugby League
Brisbane Broncos Talk
Darren Lockyer set to be named 9th immortal
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[QUOTE="Huge, post: 2752368, member: 1992"] I'm not real flash with the computery thingys ! It's newsstore.fairfax.com.au if that's helpful. [TABLE] [TR] [TD][IMG]http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/img/mh/sunherald.gif[/IMG][h=2]Risk vs reward[/h][TABLE] [TR="class: grey"] [TD]Author: IAN HEADS Date: 21/06/1998 Words: 489 [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Publication: Sun Herald Section: Sport Page: 111 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: justify"]TWENTY-ONE years on, Graham "Shovels" Olling understands the temptation factor that leads footballers over the edge and into the world of steroids. In 1978, the Australian prop made history and the headlines when he revealed that he had undertaken a course of anabolic steroids.In rugby league, he was the first. "I don't condone it," he said yesterday. "With the rules as they are now, they are risking careers. "But with the rewards that exist in rugby league today, I can understand some blokes weighing it all up - the health risks, the cheating aspects of it - and deciding to take the chance. "There's such a lot on offer in sport today - money, prestige - that it will keep happening." Olling, the former Easts, Parramatta and Australian prop forward, has looked on with a quizzical eye at league's growing drugs storm during the week. Now living in Brisbane, he had an inkling that his phone might ring one day and he would be pitchforked back into the news. By today's standards, as footballers confront a bewildering range of "supplements", some OK, some not, some borderline, Olling's was a modest affair. Under strict medical supervision he undertook a six-week course of steroids in the off-season of 1977-78, five milligrams a day. Olling did nothing illegal: steroid use was not banned in league then. "I didn't understand it at the time, but knowing what I know now, I realise that I was only on therapeutic doses," Olling explained yesterday. "It was just something I tried. A lot of people try different things through life." The program, supervised by a doctor associated with Sydney's City Tattersall's Club, went hand-in-hand with an intensive six-week training program. In 1978 he had the best season of an admirable, hard-working career, playing four Tests, two of them on the Kangaroo tour where he proved a fine team man and strong performer. Olling has no idea what effect the steroid program had on him and his career. "I honestly don't think it did too much for me," he said. "I put on a little bit of weight. "But I was training six days a week then, and I'm inclined to think that anything I got, I reckon I got through the work I did." Olling believes he suffered no health after-effects of the comparatively light steroids program. Today, while understanding the mind-set of players who do stray in the '90s, he counsels them against it. "With the way the game is today, with interchange, if blokes do the right training they will have the endurance to do what has to be done," he said. Olling is still bemused at the fuss his own actions caused. "It was just something I did," he said. "I didn't think it was any drama. "Honestly, I thought it had all blown over by now." SUNDAY SCOREBOARD NRL LADDER P W D L F A Pts Melbourne 15 12 1 2 373 202 25 Newcastle 14 12 - 2 330 187 24 Parramatta 15 12 - 3 306 202 24 St George 14 11 - 3 311 232 22 Sydney City 14 10 - 4 366 231 20 Brisbane 14 9 - 5 396 204 18 North Sydney 15 9 - 6 382 269 18 Canberra 14 8 - 6 314 251 16 Balmain 15 8 - 7 277 252 16 Cronulla 15 8 - 7 244 243 16 Illawarra 15 7 1 7 313 314 15 North Qld 15 7 - 8 259 332 14 Canterbury 14 6 - 8 266 252 12 Auckland 14 5 - 9 221 301 10 Penrith 14 4 - 10 310 359 8 Manly 14 4 - 10 220 335 8 Wests 14 4 - 10 252 387 8 Adelaide 15 3 - 12 193 403 6 Gold Coast 15 3 - 12 172 416 6 South Sydney 15 2 - 13 203 336 4 TOP TACKLERS L. Ricketson (Sydney City) 406 J. Goddard (Gold Coast) 405 S. Bonetti (Sydney City) 378 L. Swann (Auckland) 367 T. Norton (Canterbury) 359 J. Schloss (Souths0 359 M. Stimson (Balmain) 356 MOST OFF-LOADS R. Kearns (Melbourne) 53 S. Kearney (Auckland) 51 D. Pay (Parramatta) 47 P. Harragon (Newcastle) 44 Ken McGuiness (Wests) 41 D. Furner (Canberra) 41 A. Johns (Newcastle) 38 MOST HIT-UPS R. Howe (Melbourne) 278 M. Bai (Melbourne) 269 C. Smith (Illawarra) 261 C. Schifcofske (Parramatta) 242 P. Carige (Parramatta) 237 C. Pearson (St George) 236 R. Kearns (Melbourne) 234 MOST LINE BREAKS D. Lockyer (Brisbane) 21 T. Brasher (Souths) 19 S. Jones (Auckland) 19 S. Renouf (Brisbane) 18 M. McLinden (Canberra) 17 S. Menzies (Manly) 16 J. Ainscough (St George) 16 Statistics correct after Round 14 I&T League Stats. [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [HR][/HR] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/QUOTE]
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Brisbane Broncos Talk
Darren Lockyer set to be named 9th immortal
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