ASADA has dropped its peptide trafficking allegation against former NRL player Sandor Earl, the only player to be banned under the anti-doping agency's long-running, drugs-in-sport probe.

Earl admitted being injected with the peptide while recovering from a shoulder injury at the Penrith Panthers in late 2011.

Last year, the sports doping agency claimed that Earl trafficked the peptide CJC-1295.

7:30 can reveal ASADA has placed Earl on its register of findings over his use of peptides, meaning his legal team can challenge his ban.

Earl's lawyer, Tim Unsworth, is now preparing an appeal to be launched in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

"We got a letter on the 26th of May in which ASADA has told us the matters which are going to be put in the register of findings and it has omitted the allegation that Sandor trafficked CJC in August or September of 2011," he said.

He has labelled the latest developed as "huge".

In an exclusive interview with 7:30 from his new base in Phuket, Earl, who was the first player to make confessions in the supplements scandal, says he is working on keeping fit and is 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," he said.

Earl has been frustrated by the delays in his case – he was suspended on August 29 last year – and could not challenge his ban or have the case against him heard until he was placed on ASADA's register.

He says it has been difficult being in legal limbo.

"It's annoying. I'm happy to move on, make no mistake, and I'm not trying to sugar coat that I did the wrong thing," he said.

"But at the end of the day, everybody deserves to know where their life's headed, whether it be a suspension, jail ... everyone needs to know where they're going.

"So, that's the hardest thing, not knowing what I'm going to be doing."

Earl's legal team disputes NRL's release of admissions

Earl's legal team are alleging the NRL should never have publicly announced admissions made to ASADA, when NRL chief executive Dave Smith held a press conference last year.

"Sandor says that the admissions that he made on the 27th of August by law must have been kept confidential until ASADA's process had been completed," Mr Unsworth said.

"That didn't happen. On the 29th of August, the NRL chose to publish allegations that had been made against Sandor in the investigation.

"It now seems that those allegations have been abandoned but it's too late, they've been put in the public domain by the NRL and that's what wrong about what the NRL did."

In a statement to 7.30, the NRL says: "Sandor Earl had admitted to using banned substances and agreed to stand down."

"The NRL's infraction notice alleges 20 anti-doping rule violations involving multiple prohibited substances."

Earl made his admissions after ASADA presented text messages between him and sports scientist Stephen Dank.

7:30 has obtained one of those conversations that discusses Earl's doctor, Ijaz Khan, and the peptide CJC1295.

Earl: hey mate just seen ijaz he was saying wear almost out of cjc as well... sandor Dank: O.k Earl: cheers mate, talk to ya soon Dank: cheers

ASADA also had messages between Earl and friend Ben Darcy, a former NRL junior who is also being investigated by ASADA.

Mr Unsworth has defended his client's association with Darcy.

"Ben is the new breed of colourful character," Mr Unsworth said.

Earl believes the text messages may have been taken by customs, and his lawyer will be challenging the legality of their use.

"It's the first and only time they've ever asked me to take my phone and I was like, 'oh, what for?' and they said, 'we just need to check for child pornography and stuff like that'," he said.

"It was strange at the time and obviously, now, when I look back, it was really weird but actually done on purpose."

ASADA has told 7.30 it is within its rights to "use information (including text messages) that is disseminated to it by law enforcement agencies."

Earl sheds light on Dank's role at Penrith

Earl has also set out for the first time what he says was Dank's full role at the Penrith Panthers.

The Panthers have previously denied Dank had any role at the club.

But Earl says Dank organised for a number of players to have blood tests at training and a private hospital, as well as sitting in the coach's box in a game against the Melbourne Storm in 2011.

"If you go through his credentials and role, it was supporting our GPS program and designing stuff like that," he said.

"Hypoxic training and hypoxic units for the team, he brought them in - showed everyone how to use it.

"He organised blood tests for the whole team. He organised some testing, some Vo2 max testing at a private hospital to be done. I guess you'd categorise him in the sports science department."

The Penrith Panthers declined to comment.