Segeyaro out to save career

JAMES Segeyaro could be given the opportunity to front an anti-doping tribunal after the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (Asada) referred the matter back to the National Rugby League (NRL) for a final call on the former Brisbane rake’s future.
The Papua New Guinea Kumul has been sidelined since October last year after testing positive to di-hydroxy LGD-4033, a substance banned by the NRL and the World Anti-Doping Authority (Wada).
It is understood the matter has been finalised by Asada, which informed the NRL and Segeyaro last week that the issue was ready to be dealt with by an anti-doping tribunal.
Segeyaro is facing a four-year ban but his lawyer Tim Fuller told The Australian on Thursday that he remained hopeful that the ban would be reduced and the hearing could be heard within a short time frame.
“We think we have good grounds to have any sanction reduced based on a number of different factors,” Fuller said.
“The NRL anti-doping tribunal is not Asada. Asada takes as long as they like.
“I would expect the NRL anti-doping tribunal to be convened quickly.’’
The NRL’s anti-doping rules state that Segeyaro is entitled to a timely hearing before an anti-doping panel made up of a person qualified as a barrister or solicitor, a fully qualified medical practitioner, and a prominent citizen, including a former representative athlete who has succeeded in a career following retirement.
The former Cronulla rake will argue that any ban should be reduced because he has provided substantial assistance, he is able to establish how the contaminated substance entered his system, and similar cases around the world have resulted in reduced suspensions. His playing future depends on it.
At the age of 29, Segeyaro is long odds to return should he receive a full four-year ban.
But his hopes of a comeback will improve if he and Fuller are able to convince an anti-doping tribunal to reduce his ban to two years or even potentially 12 months. – The Australian