NRL braced for ASADA surprise
by: BRENT READ AND MARGIE McDONALD
From: The Australian
September 10, 2013 12:00AM
NRL chief executive Dave Smith is not anticipating any bad news from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority during the finals series but if something does happen, he insists the game is equipped to handle it.
Smith, speaking yesterday at the launch of the finals aboard HMAS Leeuwin, remains in constant dialogue with ASADA as the anti-doping body continues its investigation into supplement use across the code.
The investigation has cast a shadow over the entire season and it threatens to do so throughout the finals, particularly with the ongoing involvement of Cronulla - the Sharks are the one NRL club accused of systematic doping.
Nevertheless, Smith is confident the game is well placed to handle anything that comes its way.
"I think what we have done is we are not managing to a specific date or specific outcome," Smith said.
"What we're doing is making sure things go quickly but at the same time it is done properly. Nothing has changed there really.
"I couldn't give you something that is going to say it is going to drop in the finals or the international tour.
"We're going to get through it and we're getting through it as quickly as we can. It is going according to plan so there's no surprises from my perspective.
"If anything happens at any point in time we deal with it. I think our rules cater for the ability to deal with any issues that may or may not come up.
"But it has to be fact based and as we have said all along, we will only respond when we have factual corroborated information to deal with.
"The process continues. There are no surprises I am aware of."
ASADA has completed its interviews with players, a number of whom are involved in the finals series. As it stands, only one player has been held to account - Canberra winger Sandor Earl.
"I work closely with ASADA, have been for several months, and I am very, very clear as to where they are, what point they are in their investigation," Smith said.
"But I am not managing to a specific outcome. I don't think that's the right way to approach it."
Sharks captain Paul Gallen was among the players at yesterday's launch and made it clear Sharks players would not use the ASADA investigation as either a motivation or an excuse.
Cronulla has been front and centre since the February announcement by the Australian Crime Commission that it had evidence linking NRL clubs to the use of peptide hormones.
Despite the heavy glare of attention on the Sharks, the club finished the year with 14 wins from 24 games to arrive into the finals in fifth position on the ladder.
Gallen said that regardless of how deep his team made it into the finals, nobody at the club would be claiming the ASADA intrusion has had any effect on team results.
"Absolutely. No matter how far we go in the finals, it'll never be an excuse," Gallen said.
"It's week-to-week footy now and we have to perform every week. One thing we've been good at this year is getting up for big games. We have to do that every week now."
Gallen said it was difficult to gauge how the ASADA investigation had galvanised his team.
"At times it does feel like it's made us tighter and at other times it's a real pain and it tears you apart," Gallen said.
"It's just a problem we've had to deal with and we'll keep dealing with. It's not an excuse and we've never used it as an excuse."
Being the highest-profile player at Cronulla, the club captain, a Test forward and NSW captain, Gallen has had to shoulder the brunt of media exposure.
He said one way he had kept body and soul together was to shut the door on the outside world and go home to play with his young son and daughter.
"I'm fine, I just get on with it. I've got two little kids at home and family I've got to look after, so it's just everyday life for me," he said.
