• Podcast
  • ARL
    • Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars
    • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • NRL
    • 2025 NRL Draw
    • 2024 NRL Draw
    • 2023 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Podcast
    • 2020 NRL Draw
    • 2015 NRL Draw
    • 2014 NRL Draw
  • ESL
    • International Origin
    • Challenge Cup
  • World
    • World Club Challenge
    • World Cup
    • Rugby League 9’s
    • NRL Auckland Nines Draw
  • Sports
    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
  • Guest Writers
  • League Freak
    • NRL Tipping Experts
    • Web Site News
    • Sponsorship
    • Uncategorized

The Glorious League Freak – Covering Rugby League World Wide – LeagueFreak.com

  • Home
  • Podcast
  • NRL Rumours
  • RL World 9’s
  • Features
    • Player Profiles And News
  • History
    • History Books
    • The Super League War
      • The Super League War – The Clubs
      • The Super League War – The Freak
      • The Super League War – The Extras
  • Quotes
  • Look-Alikes
  • Teams
  • Rankings
  • Media
  • About
    • Bio
    • League Freaks Commentary Career
    • Contact
    • League Freak On Twitter
    • I Am Not A Journalist
    • Contribute To LeagueFreak.com
    • League Freak Mentions In The Media
    • Advertise On This Website
    • Rugby League RSS Feed
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Cronulla Sharks Players Were Ready To Make A Deal With ASADA

Jul 23, 2013 League Freak Cronulla Sharks 0


The Daily Telegraph has revealed that 8 Cronulla Sharks players were in negotiations with ASADA to cut a deal that would see them banned for just 6 months if they admitted to being part of a performance enhancing drug regime that was allegedly put in place by the club itself.

Players are reported to have been negotiating financial safety nets in exchange for cooperating with ASADA. Negotiations are reported to have broken down when the Sharks players found out about preferential treatment towards Essendon AFL players.

The Telegraph has named 8 players…

Paul Gallen, Wade Graham, Nathan Gardner, Nathan Stapleton, Matthew Wright, Stewart Mills, Jayson Bukuya and Bryce Gibbs. Bryce Gibbs is the surprising name on that list as he was not at the Sharks in 2001, the time that the allegations of performance enhancing drug use program was in place.

The shocking revelations out of this report surround the alleged financial requests players had made to cover losses they would incur if they had be banned. These included contract extensions and payments to cover representative payments and third part sponsorship.

The problem I see coming out of this is that during this negotiation process the Sharks players would have needed to open up to ASADA to a certain extent. Because ASADA is effectively judge, jury and executioner, that doesn’t put the Sharks players in a very good position once negotiations fall apart.

When these players found out that Essenson AFL players were getting a better deal that had been negotiated by the AFL, they must have been pissed!

Had players take a 6 month ban, they would have been available to play in September. It is unlikely the Cronulla Sharks would have made the NRL finals without these players though and obviously it would have seen this season turn into a write off for all and sundry.

I feel really sorry for the players. Going by reports, they trusted the club and the club is alleged to have let them down. While all players may not be dealing with the same circumstances, there is little doubt that many players have found themselves court up in a bad situation through no fault of their own.

The reports by the Daily Telegraph have been sensational. They have been getting some fantastic information to publish over the last few days.

I’ll be interested to see if we get to seasons end and find that a number of players take their medicine (So to speak) and cop a six month ban. If that option is still on the table of course. At this stage ASADA may be looking to ban players for the longest period possible. Especially when there is a feeling that the Sharks players have not cooperated with ASADA.

Why would they though?

If Sharks players felt they were being treated differently to AFL players in a very similar, if not worse situation, why would they treat ASADA as anything other than an opponent?

That this is all still dragging on is ridiculous. It really shows that ASADA is not up to the job it is funded to do. With all of the information that is now public, you would think that ASADA should have been able to make a case by now.

The Sharks will now have to deal with this at possibly the most important point of the season. As the club prepares to the run in to the NRL Finals series, interviews with ASADA are about to start again.

Lets hope this is all sorted out soon. I am very concerned that players are alleged to have unknowingly been put in this situation by people they should have been able to completely trust to not provide them with any banned substances.

In my opinion, that is the biggest issue regarding this whole investigation. This can never be allowed to happen again.

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

Related


  • Bryce Gibbs, Daily Telegraph, Drugs In Sport, Jayson Bukuya, Nathan Gardner, Paul Gallen, Wade Graham
  • tweet
Blake Ferguson Set To Be Reunited With Josh Dugan, On The Field... Daniel Nichols - NRL: A 4 Team Competition

League Freak

A well known Rugby League writer, League Freak has established a reputation among supporters of the game for his fearless commentary and unmatched insight. With a reach that spans both sides of the globe, League Freak has produced an independent network that allows him to distribute content to his many thousands of followers. He is the owner and main author of LeagueFreak.com

Related articles
  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 350 – Olay Oshay And The Great NRL Cake Bake Off
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Sep 30, 2021 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 241 – The Daily Telegraph Ruins The 2020 Dally M Awards
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Oct 20, 2020 0

  • This Is The Last Thing The Cronulla Sharks Needed….
    This Is The Last Thing The Cronulla...

    May 27, 2020 0


You must log in to post a comment.

League Freaks Social Network

Follow League Freak on:

Become a Patron!

Ziad Warwar
Nadine
Coojee
Adam
Andy
jamescunni
Lisa
Rugby League Project
Karsten Brumme
Samuel
Sandy
Katey
Jack
Terry
Gibbo

RSS Fergo and The Freak Podcast

  • NRL Round 12 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • NRL Round 11 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • The Canterbury Bulldogs New Coach, Magic Round and NRL Expansion
  • NRL Round 10 Preview - Magic Round
  • Nathan Brown vs Trent Barrett vs Matthew Elliott
  • NRL Round 9 Preview
  • #AskKenty - Volume 10
  • NRL Round 8 Preview
  • Shut Up You Losers!
  • Rugby League In Adelaide With Guy Wilson
  • NRL F***, Marry And Dump With Jayme And Jamie!
  • NRL Round 7 Preview
  • NRL Round 6 Preview
  • NRL Round 5 Preview
  • Damn It Feels Good To Be A Panther With Jack Martin

Polls

In The On Field Quality Of Super League Games Getting Better Or Worse?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Latest Rugby League Articles

  • Tips to Win More Money When Betting in Rugby
    Tips to Win More Money When Betting in Rugby

    May 23, 2022 0

  • Video: The Non Event “Brawl” Between Brisbane Broncos Players
    Video: The Non Event “Brawl” Between Brisbane...

    Apr 03, 2022 0

  • Julie – The Hottest Rugby League Players In 2022 (NRL and NRLW)
    Julie – The Hottest Rugby League Players In 2022 (NRL...

    Apr 03, 2022 0

  • VIDEO: Mitchell Barnett Sent Off After High Shot In Penrith Panthers Victory
    VIDEO: Mitchell Barnett Sent Off After High Shot In Penrith...

    Mar 27, 2022 0

  • The New Zealand Warriors One Step Closer To Returning Home
    The New Zealand Warriors One Step Closer To Returning Home

    Mar 23, 2022 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (345) ARL (62) Australia (158) Benji Marshall (89) Billy Slater (78) Broadcasting Deal (68) Cameron Smith (60) Channel 9 (74) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (75) Drugs In Sport (58) Eligibility Rules (64) England (142) Expansion (84) Fergo And The Freak (421) Greg Inglis (100) Guest Writer (335) Israel Folau (71) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (82) League Freak (493) Leeds Rhinos (59) Marketing (67) Matthew Elliott (71) Mitchell Pearce (64) New South Wales (101) New Zealand (140) NRL Finals (61) NRL Salary Cap (96) Paul Gallen (64) Player Movement (132) Podcast (447) Queensland (79) Referees (78) RFL (144) Rugby League History (78) Rugby Union (199) Sam Burgess (62) Sonny Bill Williams (91) State Of Origin (174) St Helens (66) Todd Carney (62) Wayne Bennett (83) Wigan (59) World Cup (177)
As featured on NewsNow: NRL newsNRL News 24/7

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Blogroll

  • The Glorious League Freak.
  • League Freak on Twitter
  • League Freak on Facebook
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours
  • RLWorld9s.com

Facebook Pages

  • NRL Gossip
  • NRL Infinite

Features

  • King Of Rugby League
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • Biggest Winning Margins In Rugby League History
  • Biggest Crowds In Rugby League History
  • Rugby League Quotes
  • Rugby League Dictionary
  • The Super League War
  • The New Zealand Haka
  • Funny Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League Rankins Lists
  • NRL Rumours
  • IHateRugbyUnion.com
  • NRL History
  • NRL History Books
  • Record Books
  • Player Profiles

NBA Links

  • NBA Rookie Of The Year
  • NBA MVP Winner List
  • NBA Finals MVPs

Other Links

  • Submit Your Australian Blog
  • Best Junk Hauling Virginia
  • Gutter Cleaning Service Virginia
  • Best Lawn Mowing Service Virginia
  • 2020 NRL Draw
  • Hot Toys Australia

Other Sports

  • Clutch Fans
  • Sportette

Players

  • Cameron Smith
  • Kalyn Ponga
  • Sonny Bill Williams
  • Jarryd Hayne
  • Andrew Johns
  • Semi Radradra
  • Sam Burgess
  • Benji Marshall
  • James Tedesco
  • Cooper Cronk
  • Johnathan Thurston
  • Anthony Mundine
  • Sam Tomkins
  • Greg Inglis
  • Jamie Peacock
  • Ntahan Cleary

Rugby League

  • Rugby League Project
  • Era Of The Biff
  • Darryl's Rugby League
  • Jamie Lyon Web
  • Rugby League Review
  • Rugby League Ratings
  • NRL CEO Fantasy League
  • QLD Panthers
  • Andrew Ferguson's Website!
  • Black Swans RLFC
  • InternationalRL
  • 2021 Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby League Mums
  • Player Profiles
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • Watch NRL Games Online
  • NRL Tipping Experts

Rugby League Podcast

  • Best Rugby League Podcast
  • Best NRL Podcast
  • Best Super League Podcast
  • Best Australian Podcast
  • Best Sports Podcast
  • Funniest Podcast
  • Best Comedy Podcast
  • NRL Radio
  • 2021 NRL Podcast
  • Spotify NRL Podcasts
Google+
  • National Rugby League
  • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Canberra Raiders
  • Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Cronulla Sharks
  • Gold Coast Titans
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • Melbourne Storm
  • The 2029 Rugby League World Cup
  • New Zealand Warriors
  • Newcastle Knights
  • North Queensland Cowboys
  • Parramatta Eels
  • Penrith Panthers
  • Redcliffe Dolphins
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • St George/Illawarra Dragons
  • Sydney Roosters
  • Wests Tigers
  • The King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Rugby League Player Profiles And News
  • Fantasy Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League World Rankings
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • International Rugby League News
  • National Rugby League
  • European Super League News
  • Featured Guest Writers
  • Other Sports
  • The 2021 NRL Draw
  • The 2022 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Listed For You!!!
  • The 2023 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Is Here!!!
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • NRL Player Profiles
  • NRL Instagram
  • The 2025 NRL Draw – Every Game, Every Venue, Every Club!
  • NRL Tipping Experts
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming
Copyright LeagueFreak.com 2022 / All rights reserved
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming