United front for players facing ASADA investigation
by: Stuart Honeysett
From: The Australian
April 10, 2013 12:00AM
THE 31 players at the centre of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation have been encouraged to join forces in a show of solidarity over the frustrating way the investigation is being handled.
A well-known player agent is understood to be leading the push for a united front but there have also been talks between the various legal representatives over whether some players would be better off being banded together to deal with any potential charges.
It has already been reported that lawyers are considering taking their case to the Supreme Court to determine what level of assistance players are required to provide under the NRL's rules. The game's integrity unit has already issued letters to the 31 players that ASADA wants to interview and they are expected to take place soon.
"We've got to protect the integrity of the people that are the assets of the game and the assets of all our businesses and if that means these people coming together to present a unified front, even better," a source said.
"This is unprecedented for Australian sport. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors in the media as to what the evidence may or may not look like and given that (ASADA is saying) 'we want to come and test you'. That testing in my eyes is extremely unfair.
"The way that these players have been put on notice in such a general way defies logic."
Under its code of conduct the NRL has the power to stand down any player who refuses to co-operate, but there is a growing sense of frustration over the way ASADA has handled things since the Australian Crime Commission announced in February that doping, organised crime and match-fixing were rife in sport.
Clouding the issue is that no player has returned a positive sample, with ASADA basing its inquiry on information obtained from the ACC's investigation coupled with any evidence that may be provided by officials or players from NRL clubs during interviews.
Sports scientist Stephen Dank and associate Darren Hibbert, who worked together at Cronulla and Manly during a time under scrutiny, have declined to talk to ASADA but are adamant they have never administered anything illegal to players.
"Clearly this is not a normal situation for the game or the players," a source said.
"There's a lot at stake in terms of the accusations. I'm not sure that anyone involved is sufficiently equipped to conduct the style of investigation they're trying to conduct. There's deficiencies at multiple levels.
"The cornerstone to the whole situation is that it's unprecedented because there's no positive swabs so we're dealing with something that is circumstantial in terms of whatever the evidence may look like and we don't even know what that is right now."
It is also believed there has been dialogue behind the scenes between the various legal representatives over whether they should join forces if players are found to have a case to answer.
Former ARL chairman Colin Love is believed to be advising a player and former Cronulla trainer Trent Elkin. The Sharks have engaged Richard Redman and Manly hired Tim Unsworth.
The players' union has also recruited Andrew Coleman as a consultant for all players.
It is believed the united front from the lawyers is not a defiant move but a means to simplify the process.
For example, if some players want to challenge an infraction notice they could be dealt with as one. Likewise, any players who wish to co-operate and provide evidence can reduce a ban by 75 per cent.
