BREAKING: NRL announce Cronulla Sharks sanctions - $1m fine, suspensions

I agree rob .the sad thing is they suspected it all last year and still let them play. The storm got their just deserts and took it on the chin . I like to see hard fast games played with no crap.its unfortunate the cowboys had to suffer because of a few cheats. Bring back referees that make decisions hard and fast ,stop the flop penalize markers for standing too deep ,make it hard and fast like it use to be

World War 3?

I used to like Sharks but now their cheating by drugs and robbing my team Cowboys like they just don"t care

I am discussing the doctors situation different to Essendons,nothing more.Nothing to do what I supposedly wanted you to say FHS.

Read what I said, not what you wanted me to say. In any case, if Flanagan was in charge of a system where people were given experimental drugs that failed medical trails because test subjects got heart attacks, Flanagan has to go. And, yes, Im talking about CJC-1295. Between that and the warfarin, we're lucky theres only one corpse in all this.

Doesn't alter micka ,my comment the doc at Cronulla's position was different to that of Essendons.Call it out of the loop whatever.He was not penalised or found to have done anything wrong by the NRL investigation. So Ian's comparison(Essendon/Sharks) was IMO incorrect.

Seamus. Short term yes ,medium term no. http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1980921/sharks-vision-a-step-closer-at-woolooware bay/ http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1980887/shark-on-attack/?cs=1633 You conspiracy theorists are brilliant.One minute the Sharks are accused of having the press conference to take away the lime;light of the Oz cricket team winning.The next theory is it is hidden away in Joe Hockey's budget report. I will repeat one more time ,if any person is found guiltybeyond any reasonable doubt,they should feel the full force of the penalties.Got it? Just to illuminate you sarcasm.here are a couple of quotes from two lawyers on the matter which I repeat once more:- "if any of those so called findings before a packed press conference and published ,aired and released and televised are not proven,then the NRL will have a serious case to answer." On face value ,the club and coach can feel seriously compromised by the airings of any findings that are in an only preliminary stage." And another" There is a concept in safety called "reasonable reliance"-you are allowed to rely on competent people to undertake work.You don't have stand over their shoulder>The NRL don't seem to have factored this into their investigation." Now unless you are a lawyer,I will take your Harvey Oswald comment ,with the grain of salt it is worth.Remembering that recently a death row prisoner in the US after 30 years has been pardoned,(despite a huge amount of evidence),has been found innocent and another prison has been charged. As the saying goes,it aint over til the fat lady sings.

Try reading it again CC. He said the docs at Manly were in the loop "UNLIKE at Essendon and Cronulla".

What protections does the law offer for intellectual bankruptcy?

Seriously?

Then why did hit say Thurston?

Wrong Ian with a capital W. The doctor at Cronulla was not in the loop.He alerted Flanagan to the anomaly,once he spotted what was going on.The good Doc's name was not included in the NRL findings,further supports that view. His comment in today's Australian suggests his name has been cleared.

The club does not that have that genius bent,that Vlad( will go to my grave if Essendon are paying Hird) has. One of the best sucker punches in modern sport.

If admin interferes with investigation taking due course and offering incentives,then said admin is complicit. Penalties should not be anywhere close. If prosecution counsel interferes with any juror,case is finished.Thats another wonderful way of looking at it. tra la la tra la la. I'm surprise AR you have not ripped into the AFL admin on their handling of the case here .Sure had plenty to say on the NRL side of things here.

Jo M, A major change was made in WADA's rules between when Dank worked at Manly/Geelong (*) and when he worked at Cronulla/Essendon. This change - S0 - made all experimental drugs, and all drugs not approved by a government body for human theraputic use illegal. Lets take, for example, AOD-9604. Its an experimental drug. Without S0, does it fail S2 ? Dunno. Theres some indications of cartlidge building, but theres not enough to really know (same as we dont really know about side effects, especially when the stuff is repeatedly injected). If your stock in trade is the off-label use of substances at the fringe of pharmacy, thats an important change. Additionally, Manly used Dank as a consultant - he suggested stuff to Hasler, who took the suggestions to the medical staff for their OK - unlike at Essendon and Cronulla, the doctors were in the loop. (*) Technically, he never "worked" at Geelong. But him and Robinson talked a lot, mkay.

If Dank was only at the Sharks for 3 months, yet was at the Cowboys for longer and Manly for 2 years, as well as other clubs, why is it only Cronulla that are in strife for this? Don't really follow it, but am curious. I would have thought that the Manly boys would have been taking his supplements (or whatever they are) as well, yet are free and clear after having him for 2 years? Doesn't make sense.

ASADA now has the power to compel Dank to testify re Essendon. I would expect that the same holds true for Cronulla. The point is that they haven't yet interviewed him for the AFL inquiry. Until they bite the bullet and get him to testify, I believe ASADA cannot bring down its findings. Given the published 'evidence' in Victoria, Dank could well find himself in line for a huge libel payout, and ASADA knows it. My gut feeling is that this won't go much further. And the NRL 'sanctions' are right in line with those dished out to Essendon (without the Hird factor).

Flano gone into hiding gallen to follow suit with wade graham right behind him. It's gonna be a bumpy ride

agreed. Cronulla should lose some points next season. The club is responsible for players surely. A fine is not enough. A weak and sad response from the NRL. people will see through this but many league commentators are still in denial.

Muzz - The Sharks will not chuck in the towel - as I understand it they own their own ground - they could always use that as collateral to get finance if their financial position were to deteriorate.230 000 Central Queenland would struggle to have that many and to round up those kind of numbers you would be covering a vast area. Of course the people behind the bid are going to say they are ready to go - ready for a few years in a nice paying job - but the NRL are not that stupid it will never happen.If you are going to have a team in Rockhampton then why not Toowoomba? It has half as many people again as Rockhampton and if you are going to have Toowoomba and Rocky why not Tamworth and Wagga ?