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News Former NRL player Jarrod Mullen suspended

Hello, I'm The Doctor

Hello, I'm The Doctor

First Grade
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9,124
LeagueUnlimited News said:
Convicted drug dealer Jarrod Mullen ‘keen’ to revive league career after avoiding jail

He’s now a convicted drug trafficker, but after an “extreme wake-up call” ex-Newcastle Knights NRL captain Jarrod Mullen wants to return to professional rugby league.

The 32-year-old was on Wednesday spared a jail sentence of up to 15 years for trafficking more than $10,000 worth of cocaine.

Mullen was instead given a two-year community corrections order and 300 hours of community service by Wollongong Local Court magistrate Jillian Kiely.

Ms Kiely noted Mullen’s turnaround since a near fatal overdose in 2018 and his aspirations to become a role model for young league players.

“Not only has he personally and professionally hit rock bottom, he almost died from an accidental overdose and now suffers from permanent hearing loss,” Ms Kiely said in her sentencing remarks.

“That would have served as an extreme wake-up call.”

Mullen pleaded guilty in December to supplying cocaine, after police surveillance captured him purchasing 39 grams of cocaine over four separate occasions in November 2018.

Defence lawyer Paul McGirr earlier told the court Mullen’s fall from grace was an “extremely sad situation”.

“He was one of Newcastle’s favourite sons. He now doesn’t even want to return to the area,” Mr McGirr said.

He told the court Mullen was “shattered” by his offending, and it made him sick to think of the impact it had on his family.

The former halfback played 211 matches for the Knights after debuting in 2005, represented NSW in a State of Origin match and was once tipped to be the next Andrew Johns.

Instead, his injury marred career was cut short in 2017 when he received a four- year ban after testing positive for steroids, prompting his downward spiral. The drug suspension ends in January 2021.

Mullen started selling cocaine for $300 per gram to finance his heavy drug habit, which culminated in his parents finding him overdosed on their couch in the weeks before Christmas.

In arguing for a community based sentence, his lawyer told the court the former star hopes to begin playing professional football again next year.

“He still is keen to get back into rugby league, and at 32 years of age he has his work cut out for him.”

If that doesn’t work out, Mr McGirr said Mullen aspired to become a role model and counsellor for trouble young rugby league players.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...g/news-story/4c9f0b1581e5c07e60d21635373247ac
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I think the ARLC should be trumpetting RLs ability at reforming and rehabilitating players....

Welcome these guys back into the NSWRL/QLD; out of the spot-light but still involved in the game. They have lost the privilage to play first grade and need to work hard to get back to that point, but the sport game should not abandon them if what they are looking for is a regualr commitment and a group of guys for social support.

What they did with Todd Carney about 10 years ago was perfect (forced him to spend a year in QLD cup as a kind of penance). It would would for a situation like Jack De Belin; the kid is left in a pergatory before his trial while suspended. While he waits, keep him out of the NRL just let him run around and train with the NSW Cup team.
 
B

betcats

Referee
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23,965
Hello said:
I think the ARLC should be trumpetting RLs ability at reforming and rehabilitating players....

Welcome these guys back into the NSWRL/QLD; out of the spot-light but still involved in the game. They have lost the privilage to play first grade and need to work hard to get back to that point, but the sport game should not abandon them if what they are looking for is a regualr commitment and a group of guys for social support.

What they did with Todd Carney about 10 years ago was perfect (forced him to spend a year in QLD cup as a kind of penance). It would would for a situation like Jack De Belin; the kid is left in a pergatory before his trial while suspended. While he waits, keep him out of the NRL just let him run around and train with the NSW Cup team.
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Mullen was banned for drug cheating and then caught selling coke and somehow gets off with a slap on the wrist, the game didn't rehab him, there is a better argument to say it ruined him. The guy is a cautionary tale about pissing away a promising career.
 
T-Boon

T-Boon

Coach
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16,045
No need for us to kick this man while he is down. I am betting he only sold drugs to people who were piece of shit drug uses (cocaine is a piece of shits drug). Hope he gets his life together.
 
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Apey

Apey

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Had a lot of talent but seemingly a mental midget. Would still take him over Kurt Mann..
 
carcharias

carcharias

Immortal
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43,120
Hello said:
I think the ARLC should be trumpetting RLs ability at reforming and rehabilitating players....

Welcome these guys back into the NSWRL/QLD; out of the spot-light but still involved in the game. They have lost the privilage to play first grade and need to work hard to get back to that point, but the sport game should not abandon them if what they are looking for is a regualr commitment and a group of guys for social support.

What they did with Todd Carney about 10 years ago was perfect (forced him to spend a year in QLD cup as a kind of penance). It would would for a situation like Jack De Belin; the kid is left in a pergatory before his trial while suspended. While he waits, keep him out of the NRL just let him run around and train with the NSW Cup team.
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it worked perfectly for Carney.
 
davi

davi

Juniors
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1,933
betcats said:
Mullen was banned for drug cheating and then caught selling coke and somehow gets off with a slap on the wrist, the game didn't rehab him, there is a better argument to say it ruined him. The guy is a cautionary tale about pissing away a promising career.
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He did piss away the last couple of years of his career away. But 'promising' is kind of misleading, by the time he had tested positive for a banned substance he was heading to the twilight years. He had two years left on his contract and the Knights were either shopping him around or waiting for his contract to expire. Age and injury had taken its toll and the best he was looking for after the Knights was a cheap buy for an NRL club or a stint in English Superleague. The days of being considered for state of origin well and truly past him.

Some have mocked him on here for suggesting a comeback. I think it probably needs to be read in context. Maybe it won't be first grade in NRL but a shot at English Superleague. Even then it's probably out of the question- but if he plays in lower level state league and gets back into a normal routine and keeps him out of trouble then that will be a success in it self. I hope he can turn his life around
 
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betcats

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davi said:
He did piss away the last couple of years of his career away. But 'promising' is kind of misleading, by the time he had tested positive for a banned substance he was heading to the twilight years. He had two years left on his contract and the Knights were either shopping him around or waiting for his contract to expire. Age and injury had taken its toll and the best he was looking for after the Knights was a cheap buy for an NRL club or a stint in English Superleague. The days of being considered for state of origin well and truly past him.

Some have mocked him on here for suggesting a comeback. I think it probably needs to be read in context. Maybe it won't be first grade in NRL but a shot at English Superleague. Even then it's probably out of the question- but if he plays in lower level state league and gets back into a normal routine and keeps him out of trouble then that will be a success in it self. I hope he can turn his life around
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You are not wrong but I was also of referring to how he was built up as the next Joey when he was young and obviously never that good, he had a solid career but he never lived up to his potential, always injured etc given the choices he made that ended his career and since then I think he was probably making bad choices for lot of his career.
 
T-Boon

T-Boon

Coach
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Mullen was kind of a Nathan Cleary except with a slightly better running game and less of a myth around him.
 
I

Incorrect

Coach
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13,068
Always kind of felt sorry for Mullen. Way overhyped when he came in to grade and no fault of his own. Was expected to be Joey Pt II. The constant injuries and that aforementioned pressure must have weighed heavily on a young fella from a 1 team league mad town.
 
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