March 20, 2010 - WADA President John Fahey praised the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) for adopting blood testing for hGH and other banned substances out of competition.

"I welcome the decision and I congratulate the NRL," said Mr Fahey. "The most effective deterrent to doping in sport is the likelihood of being caught. The more comprehensive the anti-doping program, the greater the chances of catching and rubbing out the cheats.”

"I am particularly pleased about the decision to store the blood samples. Science and technology are making giant strides in the detection area and the opportunity to re-analyse samples over future years adds significant dimensions to the effectiveness of the NRL program."

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