It’s been over two weeks since Jarrod Mullen was provisionally suspended by the NRL for testing positive for an anabolic steroid, and the world is yet to hear from the man himself. A move that is expected to end his NRL career, Mullen’s slip up was a big one, but he did so with good intentions.
Jarrod Mullen has had it rough in recent years. He’s missed 32 NRL games in the last three years through injury, a frustrating time for a player who made his State of Origin debut at only 20 years old. It would prove to be his only foray into the Origin arena.
Mullen has been under pressure since day dot of his career. He was introduced to first-grade as an 18-year old, being hailed as ‘Andrew John’s replacement’. To replace an immortal is near impossible, even more so as a teenager. But despite all the pressure, Mullen stood up in the face of tough times. Newcastle hasn't fared too well in recent years, yet the five-eighth has led the Knights to four separate finals campaigns.
So for a professional rugby league player to have exceeded in his career, from representative games for New South Wales and for Country, to leading his side into the finals, and even captaining them occasionally, the constant injuries become frustrating. Very frustrating. To not be able to take the field for his childhood team is shattering for Mullen, so he tried an alternative method.
An anabolic steroid is a drug used to both grow and repair muscle and tissues within the body. Such a steroid could potentially fix Mullen’s infamous hamstring issues, even strengthen it. That was the plan.
During the current pre-season, Mullen suffered another hamstring injury. The same hamstring that has plagued him for several years now, chopping his career ever shorter. While it’s not his only injury in recent years, its reoccurrence must haunt his mentality. Whether it be a twinge or a tear, spending more time on the sidelines is never a thought far from Mullen’s mindset. Any opportunity to make the pain stop, to give him strength, physically and mentally, Mullen was willing to take it. He refused to just accept his fate and disappear into the background.
What Jarrod did wasn’t by the rules. And it wasn’t okay. But in a debate about morals, it wasn’t all that bad. There’s a lot of footballers out there who when injured would simply sit on the sidelines, cash their paycheques and be done with it. Jarrod Mullen isn’t one of those people. He can’t watch his teammates run out without him. He can’t watch the faithful Newcastle fans cheer and not be about it. No, Jarrod Mullen loves his football. So much so that he would go outside the rules to be a part of it. So much so that he risked the biggest contract of his career just to run out of that tunnel for Newcastle fans again.
Mullen’s dreams made him an NRL player, created his career, and unfortunately, those dreams would be its downfall.
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