WADA chief Fahey slams NRL

RedB I am not arguing what WADA covers never have,guilty should be thus charged (but proven so) I am arguing the methodogly used by ASADA ,the nonsencial comment the ARLC is stalling,which Smith after reading the interview transcript stated his case supported by a Melburnian academic and lawyer. I am aware of the catch all,but regardles there has to be proof either by concrete evidence or admission. I am also stating the Sharks brought in experts ex ASADA employees to advise and indeed prepare a report.Essendon did not ,pure and simple ,they hired a high profile person who happened to be an Essendon fan. Essendon admitted they had a problem some time well before tehe Sharks were implicated,yet their(Essendon's) internal report was prepared well after the Shark's one.Yet the NRL are being accused of stalling by Fahey {"from afar.") You do understand ASADA has no law enforcement authority,yet at the interview just passed,there was according to A Jones on TV a threat of going to jail if answers were not supplied.This is outrageous and outside the authority of ASADA.That is co ercion big time.Jones has been a confidant of some of the sharks players of late,I suggest this is horse's mouth stuff. . The comment was made by our beloved (sure) Bec Wilson even the alleged murderer of Jill Meagher ,received better due process . And this from a journo who has little time for Cronulla. I am also doing a lot of reading re comments by lawyers,who happen to be experts.It is not a one way track,judging by their opinions.

You can't reasonably infer GoGWS, that has been just the problem with the media and with the critics.You were not at the interview,nor in fact examined the transcript.You are relying on media guff. Spinning it LOL.,I am citing quotes from lawyers not average joe bloggers like myself.I support any person who is likely to be charged or not ,having a lawyer as a backstop. I can assure you from first hand experience ,the necessity to have a lawyer on deck. Sheeesh!you are telling the players they are getting bad legal advice.You are a lawyer? FHS.One more time for the ignorant .There has been ONE repeat ONE only interview,and you come on board and say the players are receiving bad advice.Tell me sir,what advice has been given to the 10 Shark's players to be interviewed?I 'have no idea and ifollow the club. Are you suggesting comments made by Melbourne academic and lawyer Martin Hardie in today's Australian blasting the ASADA questioning methodology ,as being irrelevant or BS.Because if you are ,you must have have a great legal background.Another lawyer by the name of Conlan,spelt out a few home truths in an interview with Gould. If i carried on with comments like yours on the AFL ,thread I would be sent to troll central. You could go on ,and you sure as hell are are going on.Nowhere have I stated cheats should be let off . You call Smith an apologist, this coming from a code's supporter who invented spin and apologists.I take notice of the legal people who advised Smith,not some AFL propagandist.Smith responded to an outburst from Fahey and he had backing from a Melbourne academic and lawyer. You would be far better concentrating on the Essendon issue where disclaimer letters were signed by players . Your commment I wouldn't worry too much about entrenched principles of law,says it all for me.The lynch mob mentality exists in this day and age..Heaven help us. Check your facts ,Cronulla brought in ex ASADA people,the ARLC brought in people to help administer the club,the internal report was prepared by ex ASADA people.,not pat you on the back high profile supporters.That to my mind is being pro active to get to the bottom of the issue. The NRL admin is playing ball with the investigation,perhaps ASADA is not playing ball with the line of questioning. Memo: I want drug cheats out of the game,but I want it done under due process of the law,not by media lynch mentality nor by people from another code who slavishly follow the media (when it suits BTW)with inferences,perhaps,and apparentlys and by hearsay..It is the actuals that any fair minded person should be looking at.

The fact the interviews were stopped allows any bystander to reasonably infer that there was not full co-operation. Whether Smith agrees with ASADA's decision to stop the interview is beside the point - they interviews were actually stopped, and ASADA wasn't stopping them for the fun of it. The interviews were stopped because they weren't getting anywhere. Contrast the Cronulla player interviews with the interview conducted with James Hird that wasn't stopped - Hird went in and answered questions and now that part of the process is done and dusted. There is a difference between the level of co-operation from the AFL and NRL, at least so far. Spin it whichever way you like but the facts are that the Cronulla players have lawyered up, and they are not co-operating fully and openly. They seem to be closing ranks and showing some sort of misguided 'loyalty' to their club and to their team mates, a loyalty which comes ahead of doing the right thing by their fans and even their own health. Again, there are times to close ranks and the Cronulla players are chosing the WRONG time to do so...they are getting some very bad advice, including bad legal advice. And I wouldn't worry too much about 'entrenched principles of law' and onus of proof...they're just words and concepts quoted out of context that have no real place here... the NRL, and the clubs and the fans, surely just want a wide ranging investigation that turns up the truth...the whole truth... there's no criminal action here, or even a civil action...no laws have been broken...the investgation (or interrogation - who cares what you label it?!) should go as far and deep as it needs to to get to the truth.. The NRL (and AFL), and the fans, just want the drugs cheats out of the game..that's it. Here's some entrenched principles for you...what about the entrenched principle of fans not being subjected to rigged games, or games where some teams are full of drug cheats.... or the entrenched principle of player welfare, i.e. not pressuring players to use unproven drugs to distort performance and recovery... I could go on... Smith and other apologists can make all the noise they like to 'stick up for' NRL players but the end game of the investigation is to get the truth out there, and to rid the game of drug cheats. In my humble opinion Smith would be far better served concentrating on the end game that appeasing clubs like Cronulla by reacting the way he did. Perhaps behind closed doors Smith is actualy telling Cronulal to pull its head in. Who knows. If the NRL isn't going to play ball with ASADA then that's one way to deal with it I guess..

I think one and all should read the comment into today's Australian,courtesy of Brett Read. "A day after NRL CEO David Smith found no justification for ASADA's decision to suspend the interview process,Melbourne academic and lawyer Martin Hardie claimed the anti doping agency had no idea how to deal with athletes. Hardie also ridiculed comparisons with the Lance Armstrong case and suggested WADA president John Fahey had acted like a "spoilt brat"with his response to the NRL's handling of the ongoing enquiry." Some other Hardie points,which really hit home. " I think ASADA are really misreading the situation if the think they can walk in and start forcing footballers into saying stuff. It seems to me they have no idea what they are doing .It is an ENTRENCHED PRINCIPLE of the law that it is for the prosecution to prove their case. Courts have called it a human right.But when a footballer asserts that right,we get the minister and now people like John Fahey,who should know better,jumping up and down ,and carrying on like spoilt brats." And that has been my view all along as a mere layman, presumption of innocence , and onus of proof by the accusers.The media still don't get it,whether by design or plain ignorance.And some members of the public no names,seem to believe everything negative comment written about the NRL's handling of the issue..

Hang on, It was John Fahey that came out and accused the NRL of dragging it's feet and claimed that ASADA had been stonewalled by lawyers during interviews - that has nothing to do with "AFL fans" or what you think they believe. You then go for some "point scoring" by bringing up an alleged drink-driving incident (??) by an ex-AFL player, Liam Jurrah...seriously mate.

Once again AFL fans are following what's portrayed by the AFL (while the spit chips at some journos like Patrick Smith who aren't following script) and fed to them by a mostly complaint media, and they fall hook line and sinker at the media who love portraying league as a fumbling entity screaming & being dragged into the 21st century. On a side note, I read a banner along the news about Liam Jurrah again in the news AGAIN with drink driving but no verbal follow up on the news. The media just did the minimum to announce this./sneak it through. Had it been someone in the NRL it would have been a different kettle of fish and another chance to show this sport is in crisis. It is shameful when a sport is held up into the light as an example because its management handle issues better. All that is is SPIN SPIN SPIN. Those issues still exist, are not properly dealt with and continue because there are no vicious recriminations from a NATIONAL media.

Who stated there was no comment,you have info provided by an ASADA leak?.The NRL have read the transcript of the interview ,and made an informed response. Neither you nor me have one iota ,of what transpired,the type of questioning whether coerced or implied.Again you have no idea if the NRL players have decided not to co operate.Reading too much Bec Wilson or Rothfield methinks. You are doing nothing more than carrying on like some of the media ,who want results NOW. Matt_S asked a fair questiuon was this an interview or interrogation?None of us knows,so climb down from the ivory tower for the moment. the Sharks employed former ASADA people to get to the bottom of procedures within the club and prepare an internal report.Essendon get a high profile Bomber's fan to do something similar.Which appears to be more or less impartial? In fact the sharks arranged their report before the Bombers put pen to paper.This the club that admitted a long time ago ,they had a problem. Any decent minded NRL fan wants this resolved,where the guilty take their punishment and the innocent remain so.The notion that lawyers are an impediment,suggests justice should only seen to be done ,for expediency's sake.

I don't disagree with your point marco.Tom Waterhouse's ever present mug on NRL broadcasting of NRL matches ,is the biggest turnoff since dentists used a drill. I know first hand what gambling does,seeing a mate go down the tube. The fact of the matter,channel 9 has financial backers who have put in a whole heap of the paper stuff,and want a return on their monies.ch9 is seeking to maximise their income in order to do so.The economy certainly in retail and building is hardly setting the world on fire,so ad income streams need to be sourced from whatever,wherever. Bit hard for them to pick and choose in today's economy. ch9 has paid a huge sum to secure NRL broadcasting,they need a source to justify the spend.ATM they are getting this from gambling.The NRL therefore would have no say in where the station sources it's ad funding. I think it is fair to say few people would lose any sleep if there was no such thing as gambling. Until such time gambling is banned ,as was cigarettes for advertising,that is where the Fed govt has to make a decision. You say don't seem to be getting the message,because the media says so? or Fahey? they are not at the coal face. The NRL in fact have the message,they have involved themselves as has the Cronulla club with legal procedures from day one on the ASADA issue .The media and Fahey have difficulty in recognising the fact. One suggests the media have behaved like amateurs ,and at times the presumption of innocence is treated like a toy.the Jon Mannah headline was one of the all time lows, the print media hs come up with,during my many years reading their stuff.and boy have there been some ordinary ones. A lot also could happen long term for the NRL.such as 4 teams in Brisbane:Bombers.Ipswich,Broncos,Dolphins,or Perth,2 in melbourne,Wellington NZ,Adelaide,Central Qld,the scope and availability is almost endless.Yet you do not hear or read some NRL admin or coach make constant outlandish predicitons in order to gain a headline. Sydney people like innovations and progress ,they have difficulty continually listening to snake oil salesmen,who whilst well meaning come across as loony.

Well if you keep answering "no comment" and consulting your lawyer these things can drag out.... look what they have to do is very basic... tell the truth - that's it. No half-truths, no omissions, no lies and no covering for mates. It's very very simple. And if that takes 3 hours or 13 hours just do it!! It's that simple!!...and the worst thing is that NRL players seem to think they're somehow going to be better off by not co-operating - good luck with that..

Hey remember this interview was called off after 3 1/2 hours. Was this an interview or an interrogation?

Tell the truth..the whole truth with no omissions, no half answers and no non-answers. It is that bloody hard. Forget lawyers for the players - just go in and tell the damn truth. There are times to circle the wagons and this just isn't one of those times. Who gives a stuff about player's legal right to silence here (if in fact they have one) - morally the right thing to do (for the game as a whole, for the club, for the fans and for the long term health of all players) is for players to co-operate frankly, honestly and completely....and despite Smith's revision of history, full co-operation by NRL players interviewed was not forthcoming. Interviews were not called off for the fun of it. Get rid of the lawyers and send the Cronulla players back there to be interviewed (after telling them to pull their heads in).

Yes Oikee Brisbane does deserve a second team.Not sure about you other thoughts though. NRL will always be the main competition in Qld and Nsw.Don't worry about that. The AFL just wants a presence in these two states. Its not such a bad thing to have two major winter sporting codes in Australia. Keeps things interesting.

Marco, Sheedy is making white noise. Look, the code who is going to be growing over the next 5 years is going to be the NRL, and it is very easy to see how and why this will be the case. We are yet to announce any expansion. After all this Asada nonsense blows over, then will the NRL set into expansion mode. This is where every sports persons interest will be from NSW, Queensland, Melbourne who care, and AFL Melbourne because something this big cant be ignored, and Perth. These are all the majors all coming into line and all interested in wanting a team, and must haves. AFL has never been wanted, never. I have never seen anyone crying out for a Team, unlike Brisbane who are begging, yes Begging for another 1, 2 or even 3 teams if we could have them. Brisbane is a powerkeg of international growth. Whoever gets a team into Brisbane first will win the code war. Tick tock, the clock is ticking, forget Sydney, it is a saturated basketcase, full of treachery and lies. Brisbane is the new kid on the block, the wonderkid, the powerhouse, the new world city. The rest is fluff, white noise, and no growth as no money is forthcoming. Brisbae is about to explode under the weight of international money. 3 commercials being built right now, not toomoorow, not promised or given the OK, but building has commenced. I can run off a whole list of facts and figures, truths and porkies, but i can sum it up for you in one. Ferris. Brisbanes has been turning for years, making nice profits now after a few lean years. Do i need to say more. ?

The next 2 new expansion teams should be a second team in Melbourne and a second team in Brisbane. Perth needs to have the Sharks relocate and call them the Pirate Sharks. I think it is time the NRL took out the dagger and trust it into the east coast of Australia once and for good. The Storm are being sold off, this leaves a perfect opportunity to grow Brisbane and Melbourne at the same time, in one mighty thrust, with minimal colatoral damage. We will then own the east coast and have games every week from 3 major capitals. We will own the east coast. Let this be written in blood. It is the best idea i have ever come up with.

crosscoder many of your comments are correct but gambling is more in your face on a NRL telecast than an AFL telecast. I enjoy both sports.It would be great if the NRL could take the lead on this issue and say no to gambling on NRL tv. The NRL don't seem to be getting the message through that they are keen on co-operation with asada. Kevin Sheedy has always made controversial statements.A third Sydney team is a very long shot but knowing the AFL,it could happen one day.

CC, Check this out. http://www.lawinsport.com/articles/anti-doping/item/the-wada-prohibited-list-catchalls-and-consistencies

Crosscoder, The circumstances for the review and the respective briefs are very different between Cronulla and Essendon. Cronulla went kneejerk sackings, stood down the coach (later reinstated), the Chairman resigned and they had to review those actions as much as anything. You would admit it was handled poorly. Crisis management gone wrong. Ziggy review was about bringing in someone without an office in the club to review existing governance and management structures in place. ASADA and the AFL focus on the PED investigation. They are two different issues but clearly the Ziggy review was not able to compromise the ASADA investigation in anyway. The call for an amnesty is not about the innocent, if you are innocent you have nothing to hide or let off for. I read most of the Gould interview. I like you beleive in the players rights "innocent until proven guility" and I also beleive WADA/ASADA have failed miserably in their charter to educate. (I will find a link to a brillant article) However, why the angst with the ASADA interviews in NRL remains a mystery??. Essendon has not reported a problem with the ASADA interviews or range of questions. I'm not saying that as a "we are better than you", just an observation. Are the Sydney ASADA team more aggressive?? who knows. There is smoke that the NRL could be doing more and Fahey it seems has called them on it.

I agree Marco the AFL has been more pro active in the past.But who was leading the NRL then? Mr Reactive. The other code has been hardly pro active on the tanking issue,when the CEO reckoned it did not exist,and Mr Mc Lachlan had never heard of it.The 3 strikes issue is still being criticised in some quarters. Anycase it's a lot easier to be pro active when you have the financial resources behind you,and the ARLC will bank $40m this year into a future fund. Grant has already stated expansion will be revisited end 2014.The code should they expand will not be spending $20m pa to the new clubs.The new clubs will have to have the required funding and support base.The NRL will not be wasting money on high profile AFL players as a marketing tool. Please Sheedy talking about a 3rd sydney side is like ET and rl in China and as silly as suggesting Melbourne has a 2nd NRL side.It is going to take a hell of a long time to get his current side to anywhere near a popular level ,such as the Swans(and their Tv ratings here are ordinary),without contemplating a 3rd.Lets fill in Botany bay and have a 4th. This was the same guy who was sprouting a California side to eventually play.There are dreams and there are pipe dreams.The guy whilst a great coach and spruiker,still does not understand the Sydney market.The WSW club spelt out part of the story to him. Read David Smith's comment in the D.T and the Australian today.the D.T has almost done a u-turn on the matter,when compared to their earlier reporting. His comments" We need to get to the bottom of the matters raised by the ACC and there are clearly going to be differing circumstances in each sport.Anyone from ASADA or WADA who is party to turning this into a wedge between the sports is doing a disservice to the fans ad losing sight of the need to resolve the issues." He then goes on" This investigation needs to be conducted in as thorough and timely manner possible and it needs to be conducted in a way that RESPECTS LEGAL PROCESS." That is Smith being pro active and a shot across the bows to Fahey who appears to be wanting to speed it up,for whatever reason. The gambling assoc is on the AFL also on TV,even the ARU gets money from gambling.Matter of fact on the Roar is an ad opposite to my post,for sports bet.

You have already got 3 stadiums in Sydney,why not fill in Botany Bay meILF

The LOL was not directed at the procedure,but the comment about a two bit operation,which was an expected dig at the code for point scoring.. I suggest you read David Smith's response after reading the transcript of the player(singular ) interview..It's in both the D.T and the Australian today. In fact the very point was made the issues for both codes are different and comparisons should not be made. But Sydney media have formed their opinion based on the info they have,which they have been pumping out day after day,with no one as yet charged. John Marshall resignerd from ASADA,so Smith may have a view of why.I give Smith credit over a half dozen journos shooting for stories,and b..ger the consequences. I further suggest you read Gould's interview with a top line lawyer by the name of Conlan a couple of days ago in the SMH. You are right about the Sydney press,yet this very same press was supposed to be rl central according to the knockers. The NRL can coerce the players!!!The NRL cannot coerce the players ,they can ask them to answer questions reasonably put to them,without incrimination.The law is funny that way.They can be deregistered if they do not respond to reasonable questioning.Not a new set up BTW. The NRL based on info/evidence can issue an infraction notice ,and a seperate tribunal can then make adjudications. The NRL as i have alluded to in another post have acted upon hearing the info from the public announcement on that fateful day.The integrity unit was set up,clubs were questioned,and the ASADA mob then revealed 5 of the clubs had no sytemic case to answer.And ASADA cannot be questiuoned on their methodology. They have been under resourced for ages by this Govt,whoi have finally decided to pull their finger out. The call for amnesty is silly for the guilty,not the innocent.Anycase John Marshall's resignation as a by product of alleged deals with Essendon,may have created a precedent.I am not game to even speculate on that. Fahey is indeed ARL man as is a lawyer by the name of Paul Conlan.Lawyers have had different views on the subject matter,and this has been expressed publicly.The NRL paranoia or the press going off at different tangents. Fahey did not acknowledge the fact an integrity unit had been set up,that the sharks had brought in people once involved in ASADA(lawyers by trade).he made the comment on one interview "from afar." For him to comment about the code trying to sweep it under the carpet is nonsense. I have expressed my criticism of the way the Shark's CEO/Chairman handled the matter,the way Graham was dressed.I also respect the law ,where a player has representation,yet Fahey finds it unhelpful it would seem.Strange indeed. The Sharks called in an independent source for a report,Essendon called in a high profile fan. If anyone is found guilty at the sharks,then throw the proverbial book at them,but remember they have as much right to a fair hearing as the axe murderer.