Thomas Minns offered support from Rugby Football League

Hull KR centre Thomas Minns has been offered support by the Rugby Football League after his failed drugs test.

The 23-year-old former Leeds and London Broncos player is facing a possible two-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited non-performance enhancing substance on March 15.

Minns says he took the drug four days earlier, on Mother's Day, to help him overcome the distress brought on by the memory of his mother's death last year.

"I was low and depressed on the day and I felt at the time I needed to do it to get through," Minns said in a statement.

"I now totally accept that it was a huge mistake which could cost me my career. I can now only ask for forgiveness and for my arguments of mitigation to be heard and understood."

Minns, who has been placed on extended leave by his club, says he will use the opportunity of a UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) hearing to "make everyone aware he did not take this substance to enhance his performance at rugby in any way".

Hull KR say they will provide their player with all the support he needs and a RFL spokesman confirmed its player welfare unit has already been in touch with him.

"When we were made aware of the failed test last week by UKAD, our player welfare unit immediately got into touch with the club and the player," the spokesman said.

"They are working closely with Hull KR to provide the player with all the support he needs at this difficult time."

The RFL has a close relationship with the Sporting Chance charity and it is now compulsory for all Super League clubs to employ full-time player welfare officers.

Suspension is not an automatic punishment and Minns may well look to the case of former England international footballer Jake Livermore who avoided a ban after testing positive for cocaine in April 2015 while playing for Hull.

It later emerged that Livermore and his partner Danielle lost their son at birth prior to the failed drugs test and he was suffering from depression at the time.

He was suspended by the FA and Hull but an independent FA panel ruled that the loss of his son was an overwhelming mitigating factor behind his drugs use and he was subsequently allowed to return to training.