WIDNES Vikings are remaining tight-lipped over the identity of a player who has failed a drugs test.
The club says it is aware of the speculation' about one of its playing staff but declined to confirm or deny if the allegation was true.
The World understands that it is and the matter now rests in the hands of the Rugby Football League who said it was policy' to neither confirm nor deny anything whether guilty or not guilty until after the hearing'.
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When that hearing takes place is a mystery. Although the RFL follows the guidance of the World Anti Doping Agency its spokesman could not say within what time period the player would face an RFL advisory panel.
Widnes will make no further comment until the RFL and anti-doping organisation UK Sport have spoken further with the player.
"(Initially) the club has no part to play in this process," said general manager Pat Cluskey.
Last season fans waited three months until scrum half Jamie Durbin's sudden disappearance from the side was explained by confirmation in June of a failed drugs test in March.
The Widnes-born 22-year-old was found with anabolic steroid Stanozolo in his system and banned for two years.
The club said Durbin had taken the drug, which can exit the body at unpredictable rates, before he joined in February
