WESTS PAIR TEST POSITIVE TO ECSTASY

TWO Wests Tigers players have tested positive to cocaine and ecstasy and
face two-year suspensions by the NRL.

They are also liable to have their contracts, worth hundreds of thousands
of dollars, terminated by the club.

Both players, who were in the Tigers side beaten by the Brisbane Broncos at
ANZ Stadium on Saturday, were caught by the Australian Sports Drug Agency
during routine post-match testing for the NRL.

The players were informed of their positive tests last week but it is not
known whether they informed club management.

It's understood they opted to play against the Broncos because only the "A"
sample of the tests had been made available with results of the "B" sample
not due to be released until next Friday.

Wests Tigers management were unavail able for comment last night, but
first-grade coach Terry Lamb said he had not been informed of the positive
tests.

Confirmation of the drug bust is a major embarrassment for the
joint-venture club and the NRL only four weeks into the premiership.

The game has not had players failing drug tests for more than two years,
since a spate of performance-enhancing steroid scandals and ecstasy cases
of 1998.

At that time players were banned from the game for 22 matches, the then
equivalent of a season but since then the NRL has beefed up its penalties.
Players are now banned for two years for a first offence and face life
suspension for testing positive again.

So-called recreational drugs, cocaine and ecstasy are on the International
Olympic Committee's banned list.