Fallen NRL star eyeing unlikely comeback

3 years ago 354

Former Newcastle Knights playmaker Jarrod Mullen says he's assured his "body tin clasp up" if handed a 2nd accidental successful the NRL.

Mullen's infamous four-year prohibition for amerciable steroid use came to travel to an extremity earlier this year.

However, the exiled prima came nether further scrutiny erstwhile helium was sentenced to 300 hours of assemblage work backmost successful 2019 for supplying cocaine.

Having spent the 2021 play successful the Queensland Cup with the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Mullen is escaped present to instrumentality to the NRL.

"Obviously, it's been a agelong journey," Mullen told SEN.

"To get that last email from the [NRL] Integrity Unit to accidental that they've cleared me, to privation maine each the best, it was precise surreal.

"Karyn Murphy, the caput of the Integrity Unit determination was bully capable to ringing maine – she had heard astir each of the bully things I was doing up connected the Sunshine Coast with my younker enactment and each of that.

"For her to scope out, springiness maine a telephone call, congratulate maine and each of that, it was truly good."

Mullen said his instrumentality this play astatine Queensland Cup level showed him conscionable however accelerated the crippled has go since helium past played.

"I deliberation you bash request a calm caput retired there, the crippled has gotten truthful fast," Mullen added.

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"People request to deliberation truthful accelerated connected their feet, the young halves these days, astir of them are precise benignant of structured I deliberation – I'm not being captious of them – but they benignant of don't play what they spot and alternatively spell with acceptable plays.

"Playing the old-school benignant of mode and evidently the near ft kicking could beryllium a affirmative to a team.

"I'm sitting present trying to merchantability myself, but I astatine slightest deliberation I could beryllium a back-up for a team… I truly bash judge my assemblage tin clasp up."

Asked if helium had immoderate opportunities successful the NRL lined up, the 34-year-old said; "there's been a fewer nibbles, thing excessively large astatine the moment".

"I'm conscionable going to bide my time, I'm benignant of successful a win-win situation.

"I'm loving my clip up present connected the Sunshine Coast, and I tin play for the Falcons.

"If I'm playing bully capable here, with a bully pre-season, transportation windows and each of that, if I'm playing bully capable a squad could scope retired and instrumentality maine then.

"I'm not putting excessively overmuch unit connected it."

Mullen made his NRL debut successful 2005 and scored 39 tries successful 211 matches for the Knights.

He besides represented the NSW Blues successful 2007 for 1 match.

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