Lawyers for suspended Canberra NRL player Sandor Earl plan to launch a challenge this week against his ban after learning ASADA has dropped a peptide trafficking charge against him.
Earl - the only player to be banned under the long running ASADA drugs in sport investigation - was issued an infraction notice last August, after admitting to the use and trafficking of banned peptide CJC-1295, a substance that triggers the release of growth hormone.
In September, Earl broke his silence and did not name names, but said he was in no doubt other NRL players had been injected with CJC-1295 by controversial sport scientist Stephen Dank.
On top of the proposed Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority challenge, the winger's legal team also claim the NRL breached their client's rights.
Earl, who is facing a four-year suspension, is still waiting to learn the extent of his ban - 10 months after being hit with the infraction notice.
On ABC TV's 7.30 on Monday night, the program revealed Earl had been placed last Tuesday on ASADA's register of findings, meaning he can finally have his case heard.
And, 7.30 disclosed that the sports authority had dropped Earl's peptide trafficking charge, announced last year by the NRL.
Earl's solicitor Tim Unsworth told the program - in a letter dated May 26th - ASADA advised the matters which would be placed on the register of findings, while omitting the allegation that the player had trafficked CJC while injured in 2011.
Unsworth said a challenge to Earl's ban could be filed as early as Tuesday in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Earl - speaking from his new base at Phuket in Thailand - spoke of the frustration of living in limbo.
"I'm not trying to sugar coat that I did the wrong thing but, at the end of the day, everybody deserves to know where their lives are headed. Whether it be a suspension, jail, whatever it is, everyone needs to know where they're going."
Earl said he was working on keeping fit and still hoping to return to the NRL.
"I want to return to rugby league; I want to return to playing - that's what I know. So if that's the case, I'll do everything I can to at least make sure there's some changes in the system to help other people out."
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