Concerns over slew of casualties ease
Accused clubs have little to fear
- The Australian
- February 13, 2013
While ASADA declined to reveal the names of players under surveillance during meetings with the clubs in Sydney yesterday afternoon, concerns over a slew of casualties have dramatically eased.
Only Cronulla declined to comment on its talks with ASADA, fuelling speculation the club could feature heavily on the radar of the country's peak drug testing body. Sharks officials were locked in lengthy meetings last night and chairman Damian Irvine took to Twitter to say his club would be making no comment.
However, Manly chief executive David Perry appeared at ease with the Sea Eagles' situation and the club released a statement last night saying none of its players, past or present, had tested positive to performance-enhancing drugs.
The six accused clubs were yesterday given a joint briefing by ASADA before being taken through its situation on an individual basis. "They definitely didn't talk about any names," Perry said. "They didn't give us numbers but they did say (we were) small to medium risk."
Asked how his club's risk level was rated by ASADA, North Queensland chief executive Peter Jourdain replied: "We're lower.
"I am very confident that we will have no issues of concern going forward. ASADA has put together a complex web of involvement that has tentative connections with the Cowboys.
"We believe we can have this matter as it relates to us cleared up in the not-too-distant future."
Penrith general manager of football, Phil Gould, said he was comfortable with what he had been told, while Canberra's Don Furner said any concerns over the Raiders were "very isolated".
Newcastle, whose coach Wayne Bennett had ramped up the pressure on the ACC and ASADA earlier yesterday, released a statement in which chief executive Matt Gidley said he was confident the club had no issues in the months ahead.
That left the Sharks. It is understood club officials spoke to the players for nearly 90 minutes late yesterday afternoon before Irvine, football manager Darren Mooney and coach Shane Flanagan held further discussions in the club's boardroom.
None of the trio returned calls or text messages from The Australian last night. It is understood all the clubs featured in the ACC report were included because they or some of their players had connections with sports consultant Stephen Dank. In some cases, the link was tenuous at best.
Regardless, Dank -- who was sacked by AFL club Essendon late last year -- has steadfastly denied suggestions of any wrongdoing.
In what shapes as a major concern for the NRL, the clubs were yesterday told it could take months before the ASADA investigation is completed.
"It's not ideal for members and sponsors. From the club's point of view, we're in the low to medium risk," Perry said.
"We have faith that what we have done in the past, as far as our internal processes and protocols, have been above board." Jourdain added: "It could take some time by the look of it but I am as confident as before I went into the meeting about the processes we have at our club and the players we have at our club."
Representatives of ASADA are expected to attend each of the six clubs in the coming days and weeks as they inform the players of their rights and responsibilities.
Furner said he had already spoken to ASADA about speaking to his players, while Gould wants the drug agency's representatives to address everyone from the under 15s to the first-grade squad.
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