The seven-year Cronulla drug saga is reportedly over, with 13 players from 2011 finally reaching an apparent $1.2 million settlement with the NRL club.
News Corp Australia is reporting two years of courtroom battles have ended with just over half of Cronulla’s 25-man 2011 squad coming to a confidential settlement with the Sharks.
It is understood players will receive vastly differing amounts, ranging from $10,000 up to $300,000.
According to the News Corp report, the payout is covered by Cronulla’s insurance company with the club only needing to foot about $100,000 spent on legal fees.
A string of high-profile players including Anthony Tupou joined together to take action against the Sharks.
They sued for negligence, breach of contract and intentional tort during a period in 2011 when sports scientist Stephen Dank ran a supplements program at Cronulla.
The scandal first broke in 2013, where Cronulla were knocked out in the preliminary finals against eventual grand finalists Manly-Warringah.
Their 2014 campaign was derailed by the scandal, with coach Shane Flanagan suspended for the entirety of the season. Cronulla eventually finished with the wooden spoon after going through the year with just five wins under interim coach Peter Sharp, who later resigned and was replaced by James Shepherd.
The Sharks rebounded in 2016 to win the side’s first ever premiership, a 14-12 win over the Melbourne Storm.
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