The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has been urged to overrule the “light” punishments dished out to past and present Cronulla Sharks players, it’s been reported.
Despite lawyers for the players saying they received a guarantee from ASADA that WADA would not interfere in the sanctions process, News Corps reports that WADA’s chief executive is yet to review the evidence from the 17 doping cases.
Former WADA boss John Fahey has said ASADA’s “light” penalties made a joke of anti-doping integrity in Australia and he has strongly urged WADA chief executive David Howman to review and overrule the sanctions.
Cronulla captain Paul Gallen and nine of his current and former Sharks teammates on Friday accepted backdated 12-month ASADA doping bans.
They reluctantly agreed to doping rather than face the prospect of an even-lengthier suspension over the club’s 2011 supplements program.
WADA’s Howman has said the matter was far from resolved.
“The matter is not concluded. WADA has not received a brief of evidence and is yet to determine if the sanctions are appropriate based on that evidence and the application of the code,” he said in an email to Fahey, News Corps reported on Saturday.
“If they are not satisfied, we will ask to take the matters to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.”
Fahey was angry over the backdated penalties.
“Nobody has had their record expunged … they did not hand back their earnings from this year nor did they have their names wiped from the record books as so many convicted athletes are forced to do under the WADA code around the world,” he said.
Tom Groggin
Roar Rookie
I think you will find no-one actually failed a drug test.
Tricky Ricky
Guest
Todd Carney had his NRL contract torn up over urine and his was clean. Gallen and co should get life bans over peptides in their urine.
JB
Guest
Go WADA, Backdated penalties are beyond a joke.
Grey nurse shark
Guest
Reni was done for anabolic steroids that he sort out himself!
Josh
Guest
Didn't Reni maitua get banned for two yrs for using recreational drugs. That's hardly performance enhancing. And these clowns get let off
fishes
Guest
Yes, they should overrule the sanctions with the PROOF that substances had been taken, the evidence that the sharks players haven't been pressured into any sort of pleas, they should also show that natural justice occured, that he NRL WERENT part of the interview process, they should prove that nothing was leaked to the media, in fact they should prove there was no trial by media at all, and they should somehow reverse the 'blackest day in Australian sport' press conference... YEAH RIGHT!!!
eagleJack
Guest
It's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. ASADA are clearly a dodgy and corrupt organisation if they have assured the lawyers, who would only have advised their clients to accept the deal after receiving confirmation,presumably in writing, that WADA would not intervene. This sorry saga gets more embarrassing each and every day.
c
Guest
unless they received a guarantee in writing from WADA then they had better see their lawyer
Wascally Wabbit
Guest
And Isn't John Fahey the former NSW premier ? I nearly fell off my chair when I saw his name and the word integrity in the same paragraph.
Tom Fitzgerald
Roar Rookie
The players haven't legally accepted guilt, they have accepted the sanctions offered to them by ASADA. If the case reopens, which is likely, WADA still have to make a decision based on the evidence presented to them
JoM
Guest
These guys only took the deal on legal advice and that advice came when 45 mins before the deadline the paperwork came through saying that WADA would be taking no further action. I don't see how they can change that now unless ASADA was telling them porkies and the paperwork was fake.
Daniel
Guest
Drug cheats deserve two years, regardless of the situation, they have admitted to cheating. Perhaps if everyone stopped being so defensive about their club we could all see this for what it is, cheating to gain advantage over the competition!
Ronnie
Guest
Absolutely spot on. Punishments for wrong doing have to meet the General Public's requirement for a sense of fair play, well I will tell you that even the GP in Australia think this is a crock. This whole affair should be the subject of a public enquiry.
The Barry
Guest
ASADA is an absolute joke! Please don't tell me they've offered these Clayton deals and told the players they're WADA approved when they're not. This is going to get uglier if the players have admitted guilt and WADA come over the top. Darkest day in Australian politics, not Australian sport.
Mike from Tari
Guest
If Danks has given no evidence then how does ASADA have any proof of what the players ingested, injected or rubbed on themselves, it seems to me that a court of law should have resolved all this as it is we have not seen or heard what evidence they have, we have Dank saying he gave them nothing illegal or banned, we have ASADA saying he did or if the peptides weren't on the banned list then they were illegal because they weren't on the approved list, the whole thing is like a "dogs breakfast". I can see why the athletes, cyclists & others are all upset.
Off To Mandy's
Guest
The players are saying they unknowingly took nothing, not that they didn't. To WADA that is guilt. Anyway these players have now legally accepted guilt so WADA can do what they want.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
Id be terrified if I was ASADA. It would be like getting sent to the principle. The deserve a good caning after this mess
Grey nurse shark
Guest
And what happens if wada review asadas findings and they find nothing, do the sharks get to sue the arse off everyone, i think asadas biggest fear is wada reviewing this mess!