Will we be implicated in this doping scandal?

[perverse]

Here is my feel on the subject:

ASADA don't have enough to pin the players themslves. They have informed the Sharks about what they do know in hope that the Sharks would take action and/or draw these players out. The Sharks have reacted to said information as they have.

My reasoning is that if ASADA had enough evidence on the players themselves, they wouldn't be playing this ridiculous game of cat and mouse in the media. Players would already be banned. The investigation seems to centre around Dank, and to the best of my knowledge he has had zero to do with our club. Whether individual players have sought him out or not is irrelevant to our stance on it as a club, and we should rightly back our players before we back circumstantial evidence from a 3rd party. In the Sharks case - ASADA can probably say look, we know Dank was using this, we know he had supply, we know he was working for you at the time... whatever evidence they do have. I doubt they have such a case on us.

All circumstantial at best, but I just cannot imagine why players heads arn't already rolling if they actually had some real evidence.

 

[Serc]

All circumstantial at best, but I just cannot imagine why players heads arn't already rolling if they actually had some real evidence.

x2

Just read an article that says Flanagan talked to Kavanagh (the ex-ASADA chick in the media conference yesterday) on the assumption she was being hired by the club to represent them and therefore talk to them before they spoke to ASADA - NOT as someone who was running an internal investigation, and one that lead to him and his staff being given the sack! (yes I know the rest have been sacked and he has been stood down for the time being)

This whole thing seems to be not just silly exercise in trying to scare everyone into admitting 'something', but the way that everyone is going about it (from the fed govt, to ASADA, to the Sharks) looks like one epic stuff up!

 

[Byron Knight]

This whole thing seems to be not just silly exercise in trying to scare everyone into admitting 'something'

This seems to be the usual approach doesn't it? Just look at the Lance Armstrong situation. Here's a guy who passed 1000's of drug tests yet was the mastermind/ringleader behind one of the most sophisticated ped programs ever seen. As has been mentioned on a number of occasions, there are a number of drugs that can't be detected, so the only way to catch the cheats is through whistleblowers and athlete admissions.

I hope we're ok but either way, I hope we can get some closure on this as soon as possible.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

The question for me is whether the Club (Cronulla) had a duty of care to ensure players were not being injected with an illegal substance or whether the players should have ensured they weren't being injected with the same.
The Players association is putting all the responsibility back on the club. Surely if you are a player you don't just let the club inject you with whatever they want or do you put trust in them?
Regardless, it would seem that some players from a club in 2011 were playing while "using" a banned substance. The simple fact that it was in their blood stream might mean they are "guilty" regardless of how it got there or whether they knew what they were being injected with.
If anything positive comes from this it should be that contracts require the club to act responsibly and to accept full liability if they administer an illegal substance to a player. Law might already make them liable.
I'd be surprised if we had any direct involvement in this. We might have 2 players who were effected.
I reckon the offer made to Cronulla players to stand down is a copout to avoid any actions regarding their liability.
This was 2 years ago. Take action against those who were directly involved and had knowledge of what they were doing and get on with it.

 

[undertaker]

Rodney Howe is not a current, top-tier player.

They are clearly 2 different discussion points in the article.

It's strange.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...cheats-for-years/story-fndujljl-1226579145288

Even this article implicates Howe as the player Smith was referring to, yet Howe never played for any Brian Smith sides. However, I can't think of who else Smith maybe referring to (only O'Davis, MacDougall and Richards were the other three players of the late 90s that got 22-match drug suspensions and neither of them were front rowers).

Edit: Now I note that the supposed match was played at the SFS, although I don't if this has anything to do with it (as in, the teams that were using SFS has a home ground back then)

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Anyone else think strike action might be a possibility if this blanket accusation protocol from ASADA goes on? The player's association needs to give these players proper protection. I find the treatment of the Shark's players disgusting. They seem to have been left completely in the dark. All we know is the name of the peptide drugs allegedly on the banned list. It will be a sad day if player's sue the club they play or.

 

[The Showstopper]

An eye opener of an article. Read the line about WADA's rules on the potential for club suspension from competition if two or more players are caught doping. WADA require strict guidelines to allow sports to compete at an international level.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/sharks-allege-coverup-20130309-2fsj7.html

 

[God-King Dean]

The MOLE on his twitter account has said the next team implicated will lose a already won premiership. I doubt this goes back 12 years.

Clearly referring to 1997 & 2001.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

An eye opener of an article. Read the line about WADA's rules on the potential for club suspension from competition if two or more players are caught doping. WADA require strict guidelines to allow sports to compete at an international level.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/sharks-allege-coverup-20130309-2fsj7.html

That'll end the Sharks if the club is suspended.
if 2 or more of our players are found to have been effected I can't see that our club would be held responsible.
Might be a few Sharks players that weren't there in 2011 on the market soon.
They'd have to find places for them.
Do we want any?
Geez, I was born in Cronulla but left when 4. I don't like seeing this happen to any club but have a little more empathy for Cronulla.

 

[The Showstopper]

James Hooper wrote an article yesterday that sounds like the Sharks are on their knees. Sad. Luke Lewis allegedly wants out. All happening. It is another fairytale premiership story that could be but seemingly won't. As a knights fan that feeling you slayed Goliath, like in 1997, lives with you forever. It was a Rocky finale without peer that day in September!

 

[Spot On]

Is anyone hearing some very horrible news that is about to break?

 

[perverse]

Is anyone hearing some very horrible news that is about to break?

Are you hearing it from any sort of reliable source?

 

[Burwood]

I'd only find the news terrible if it was not related to Cronulla, Dank and two of our forwards. Would be pretty devastated if we were somehow involved in match fixing or anything similar.

News in relation to Cronulla would be very disappointing, but not reflect poorly upon the club.

 

[cram]

Are you hearing it from any sort of reliable source?

Ive heard stuff but like you point out pervy its far from a reliable source and it seems a bit fanciful to be true, so I am prepared to dismiss it.

The most disappointing part of all of this for all of the clubs involved and even for those that are not involved is the continuing speculation and rumours.

As a footy fan I am finding the whole situation distressing and upsetting I can only imagine how those directly involved are feeling.

 

[Burwood]

Ive heard stuff but like you point out pervy its far from a reliable source and it seems a bit fanciful to be true, so I am prepared to dismiss it.

The most disappointing part of all of this for all of the clubs involved and even for those that are not involved is the continuing speculation and rumours.

As a footy fan I am finding the whole situation distressing and upsetting I can only imagine how those directly involved are feeling.

So are these rumours unrelated to Cronulla?

 

[cram]

So are these rumours unrelated to Cronulla?

The ones I have heard over the past 24 hours don't relate to Cronulla but two other clubs, us included. Like I said, I don't give them much credibility.

 

[Burwood]

The ones I have heard over the past 24 hours don't relate to Cronulla but two other clubs, us included. Like I said, I don't give them much credibility.

Cheers!

 

[Spot On]

Ive heard stuff but like you point out pervy its far from a reliable source and it seems a bit fanciful to be true, so I am prepared to dismiss it.

The most disappointing part of all of this for all of the clubs involved and even for those that are not involved is the continuing speculation and rumours.

As a footy fan I am finding the whole situation distressing and upsetting I can only imagine how those directly involved are feeling.

These were my exact thoughts about it. I'm still finding it very, very hard to believe.

 

[Spot On]

Are you hearing it from any sort of reliable source?

There have been occasions where info has been incorrect but a lot of times it has been on the money.

I personally find this particular "rumour" to be hard to believe and can't work out why an individual mentioned would do what he may have done. It's out of left field.

It is closely related to Cram's last post.

 

[perverse]

Interesting, will just have to keep fingers crossed, I guess. I've heard nothing, but am completely out of the loop on 99% of everything these days anyway.