Titans forward Luke Douglas rejoined his teammates on the training paddock on Tuesday hoping to move forward from the ASADA-imposed suspension that brought his consecutive streak of NRL games to an end after 215 straight appearances.
Douglas's suspension that he accepted as a consequence of the Sharks' supplements program of 2011 came to an end over the weekend with the Gold Coast front-rower eager to close the chapter on the difficult period as quickly as possible.
Speaking to Titans Media, Douglas conceded that having to willingly step down was a difficult decision and that he is now determined to win back the respect of rugby league fans.
“It’s obviously been a very tough period, first watching the boys play the last three rounds and not being part the great win against Canterbury to finish the season, and then when they returned to training which was a bit of a fresh start at TSS with new coaches and teammates,” Douglas told Titans Media.
“I pride myself on doing the right thing and having a good lifestyle and being a role model. But despite believing I had done nothing wrong, my reputation has been tarnished to an extent. That’s been the hardest thing to accept.
“But I can’t change that now and I just want to rebuild respect in how I conduct myself on the field and in the community, which is important to me."
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