http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...tion-and-winning/story-fni3gol8-1226646236289
NOBODY at Cronulla is calling it a watershed moment, but the infamous sight of Wade Graham fronting the ASADA interviews in thongs and backward baseball cap has been revealed as the unlikely catalyst for their reversal in form.
That was the moment, in early May, when the players held a meeting and decided to shelve all talk and concerns about the drug crisis devouring their club and concentrate on football.
First, they beat the Knights in golden point. Last week, they pumped the Wests Tigers. On Sunday, they extinguished a late-surging Canberra 30-20 before 12,130 fans at Sharks Stadium.
Weve just brushed it, said prop Andrew Fifita when asked about the ASADA investigation.
All the boys are on Twitter, they read the papers. But it never comes up at training. Thats the best part of it now.
"Ever since the Newy week (when the Sharks beat the Knights in golden point), weve put everything aside since they interviewed Wado, we just brushed it. Pretty much completely. And thats been good for us ever since then, weve been winning.
Asked if it could be considered a potential turning point in their season, Fifita said: It was a turning point for us. We sat down as a team and had a big session, and we said, 'What are we doing here? We brushed everything, from the Newy game, lets start everything from now.
ASADA is a dirty word in these parts.
Each day, the Sharkies open their eyes and must wonder which part of Trish Kavanaghs report will appear in the News Ltd press.
The Sunday Telegraph yesterday revealed sacked doctor Dave Givney has claimed two players contacted controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank after hed been axed in 2011.
Paul Gallen admits ASADA investigation took its toll on himCronulla skipper Paul Gallen admits the ASADA investigation took its toll on him with no coach or staff.(2:14 / 2.5MB)
Questions about who knew what of the supplement regime over 11 weeks in 2011 remain desperately unanswered.
Presented with the opportunity to address this week's reports about Danks involvement, coach Shane Flanagan offered simply one word: No."
Sharks football manager Steve Noyce also offered no comment.
Some of the new board members who swept to power in last months election were seen outside the victorious Sharks dressing-room, but there was no sign of vice-chairman Damien Keogh.
He is expected to be formally ushered in as chairman at a board meeting on Wednesday following the resignation last week of Glenn Coleman.
Whether the club likes what is being published or not, whether it has concerns about the validity of the Kavanagh report, it desperately needs a front man to start answering questions about the matter.
The most reassuring development, though, is that their football side has learned to win despite the black cloud that will linger for months to come, maybe even into next year.
As Canberra have shown, they can be lethal. Their outside backs, not least Blake Ferguson and Jack Wighton, are "specimens", as they say in the present football parlance.
When the video referee denied a spectacular chip-and-chase try to debutant Tyrone Peachey - the nephew of club legend David - the momentum swung the way of the Raiders.
But, after leaking two tries, the Sharks composed themselves and hung on. That's a team not lacking morale or belief.
The victory means they move into the top eight again, in seventh spot.
They also go into next Mondays clash against competition benchmark South Sydney suddenly bristling with an air of confidence that has not been seen in four months.
Our footy is back to being out priority, Flanagan said. Winning footy games solves a lot of problems.
Well leave the last word for Fifita, who deserves it after his bullocking display.
This is the start of Cronulla, he said. Weve got a fair team here so we can go a long way in this comp.
Not that anyone at the Shire is looking that far ahead.
