FORMER Northern Pride coach David Maiden says the club would never participate or condone the illegal activity outlined in the Australian Crime Commission's damning report into organised crime and drug taking in Australian sport.

Maiden, who coached the Pride in the Intrust Super Cup for three seasons and won a premiership in 2010, said his former club had zero tolerance for any player caught taking performance-enhancing substances.

"The Pride wouldn't stand for it. There's just too much riding on it," Maiden said.

"There are sponsors, staff and there are the fans that support you that you have to think about as well.

"We were tested three or four times a year when I was at the club and we never returned a negative (bad) result.

"And the testing was completely random. We didn't get any warning whatsoever when we were going to be tested, and that's exactly how I wanted it as a coach."

Maiden said the Pride were visited by an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority official before the start of every season.
"They'd talk to the Pride players, the under-18s and the under-16s about what would happen if you tested positive and also the health ramifications of taking drugs," he said.

"They would go through and explain what's involved in taking a drug test and what was required of them.

"I can only talk from my experience in my sport, but I can tell you there are a lot of awareness programs in rugby league."

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