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NRL's ASADA scandal threatens to drag on

Roar Guru
29th January, 2014
46

The ASADA scandal is threatening to cast a pall over another rugby league season with the Cronulla Sharks, Shane Flanagan and Trent Elkin submitting appeals against NRL sanctions on Wednesday.

Cronulla, suspended Sharks coach Flanagan, and banned trainer Elkin, now with Parramatta, all submitted their responses to the breach notices issued last month by the NRL.

All parties had previously indicated an intention to challenge the sanctions handed down on December 17 after the NRL completed its governance review of issues at the Sharks during 2010 and 2011.

Cronulla were hit with a $1 million fine, Flanagan with a one-year ban and Elkin with a two-year ban.

The NRL review handed down on December 17 said the “findings have identified serious failures on the part of the club and certain individuals who had a responsibility to safeguard the health and welfare of its players”.




In their response, the Sharks declared they would “vigorously” defend the charges.
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Earlier this month, Sharks skipper Paul Gallen told AAP that Flanagan intended to contest his ban.

Reports Flanagan has hired a high powered legal team suggest he is digging in for a long fight.

In announcing it had received the submissions on Wednesday, the NRL gave no timeframe for when it would make a final decision.

“NRL Chief Executive, Mr Dave Smith, has today received submissions from the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Club, Mr Shane Flanagan and Mr Trent Elkin regarding the breach notices issued on December 17 last year,” read the release issued on Wednesday afternoon.

“Now that those submissions have been received, Mr Smith will take as much time as is needed to give full and proper consideration to the responses made by the Sharks club, Mr Flanagan and Mr Elkin before a final determination is made.”

Once that decision is handed down – if it is not to the liking of the Sharks, Flanagan or Elkin – the matter could be dragged through the courts, and dragged on for much of 2014.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation into the issue remains ongoing almost a year since Australian sport’s so-called “darkest day” on February 7 last year.

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Canberra winger Sandor Earl, who was issued with a breach notice in August following his admission to the use and trafficking of a peptide, is the only player charged.

Under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, Earl was entitled to an expedited process after his admission but the length of his ban is still yet to be confirmed.

HOW THE NRL DRUGS SAGA UNFOLDED IN 2013:
* February 7 – Australian Crime Commission (ACC) announces a year-long investigation has uncovered widespread use of drugs in Australian sport. NRL appoints former Federal Court judge Tony Whitlam to probe the allegations

* February 12 – Cronulla, Manly, Newcastle, North Queensland, Penrith and Canberra announce they were implicated in the ACC’s report, and discuss possible amnesties with ASADA for players and officials who come forward early

* February 13 – Cronulla reveal part of their 2011 season is under scrutiny but that no players have tested positive for performance-enhancing substances

* February 14 – ASADA says it expects to interview about 150 people as part of its “unprecedented” doping investigation

* March 6 – Cronulla confirm meeting with ASADA. Bookies suspend betting on the Sharks’ season-opener against Gold Coast

* March 8 – Cronulla stand down coach Shane Flanagan on full pay pending a management review at the club, and sack football general manager Darren Mooney, head trainer Mark Noakes, club doctor David Givney and physio Konrad Schultz. Bruno Cullen appointed new interim CEO

* March 13 – Damian Irvine quits as Cronulla chairman following reports he claimed players were injected with horse drugs in 2011

* March 20 – NRL confirms ASADA will interview 31 players after completing the first phase of its investigation

* March 22 – Flanagan reinstated as Sharks coach following a second review by consultancy firm Grant Thornton

* April 3 – Cronulla appoint Steve Noyce as general manager of football

* April 29 – Sharks back-rower Wade Graham becomes first NRL player to be interviewed by ASADA. The authority later suspends interviews with NRL players, with lawyers from both sides at loggerheads over how much information players are required to divulge

* May 12 – Extracts of a report by ex-ASADA deputy chair Dr Tricia Kavanagh published by News Corp Australia, claiming the Sharks employed a systematic regimen of peptides in 2011 in a program of injections, tablets and creams over an 11-week period while sports scientist Stephen Dank was linked to the club

* May 30 – ASADA CEO Aurora Andruska tells a Senate estimates hearing 113 interviews had been conducted and more than 50,000 documents examined since February 7

* June 27 – Federal parliament passes laws that grant ASADA powers to compel suspect athletes and others to hand over documents and turn up for questioning, with a fine of up to $5100 for those who don’t – effective August 1

* July 22 – The NRL issues directives to 30 players and support staff – including 10 from Cronulla – to schedule interviews with ASADA. The league says it will step in to ensure cooperation between interviewees and investigators

* July 29 – Cronulla reinstate sacked trainer Noakes, reach a settlement with long-time team doctor Givney and physiotherapist Schultz and resume talks with axed football manager Mooney. The Sharks also apologise and publicly retract statements they made that might have caused damage to the reputations of the four men and their families

* July 29 – Interim CEO Cullen quits the Sharks

* July 31 – Cronulla appoint Steve Noyce as interim CEO

* August 1 – ASADA begins interviews with 30 NRL players and support staff

* August 6 – Sharks skipper Paul Gallen and Manly’s Anthony Watmough’s mobile phones reportedly seized by Customs at Sydney Airport

* August 20 – ABC’s 7.30 program alleges cash payments were made to Sharks captain Gallen outside the salary cap and the existence of a private bank account – operated by coach Flanagan – off the club’s books

* August 21 – NRL CEO Dave Smith confirms the “high performance unit” bank account is being investigated by the Integrity Unit

* August 29 – Canberra winger Sandor Earl is suspended and issued with a NRL infraction notice after admitting to using and trafficking the banned peptide CJC-1295. He is the first player, in either the NRL or AFL, to be charged as a result of ASADA’s doping investigation

* September 25 – Reports emerge the NRL is considering relocating Cronulla to Queensland if the club is burdened with a multi-million dollar fine arising from ASADA’s probe

* December 11 – ARL Commissioners and NRL integrity unit meet for 10 hours on the progress of the investigation into Cronulla’s 2011 supplements program

* December 13 – ASADA interviews supplement salesman Darren “The Gazelle” Hibbert

* December 17 – The NRL announces its provisional findings against Cronulla, proposing the club be slapped with a $1 million fine, coach Flanagan be suspended for 12 months, and the cancellation of former strength and conditioning coach Trent Elkin’s registration.

* January 29 – Cronulla, Flanagan and Elkin lodge their responses to the NRL sanctions

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