Three former players sue the Cronulla Sharks club and former coaches Shane Flanagan and Trent Elkin over supplements
THREE former Cronulla Sharks players have taken aim at suspended coach Shane Flanagan and former head trainer Trent Elkin with the trio suing them personally over the clubs controversial supplements program.
In the case, which is potentially worth millions, Josh Cordoba, Isaac Gordon and Broderick Wright have filed a statement of claim in the Downing District Court listing Flanagan and Elkin as defendants.
Cordoba and Gordon launched legal action against the club late last year claiming they both suffered damage as a result of being exposed to the 11-week program of injections, creams and tablets three seasons ago.
Lawyer James Chrara from Shine Lawyers confirmed Wright had joined the action in February.
The statement of claim lists the Sharks club as the first defendant and sports scientist Stephen Dank, who implemented a supplement program at the club, as the second defendant.
Flanagan and Elkin are listed as the third and fourth defendants respectively.
While no defences have yet been filed, Danks, Flanaghan and Elkin have all previously denied wrongdoing in relation to the supplements program.
The move to add Dank, Flanagan and Elkin personally means the three could be liable to pay damages out of their own pockets if they lose the action
Though that is a long way off and the court has not heard much of the evidence or made a decision
Equally, if the players lose the action they could be looking at paying hefty court costs for the opposing legal teams.
The district court hears matters worth up to $750,000 with court costs potentially pushing the number higher.
The court allows the amount for each plaintiff, meaning a successful case could be worth millions.
Last December, the NRL suspended Flanagan for 12 months
Elkin had taken a job with the Parramatta Eels, but the NRL cancelled his registration with the league before he won an appeal to have it downgraded to a 21 month suspension.
The club was fined $1 million.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...987266948?nk=e27a40ab6164cbe5e011a900fc3eaf60