Cronulla Sharks reach settlement with 13 players over club’s 2011 supplements program

CRONULLA’S seven year drug saga is officially over after more than half of the club’s 2011 playing squad successfully reached a settlement with the club.

The Sharks ASADA saga is finally at an end.

CRONULLA’S seven-year drug saga is officially over after more than half of the club’s 2011 playing squad successfully reaching a more than $1 million settlement with the club.

Two years of ongoing courtroom battles has ended with the Daily Telegraph now able to reveal that 13 players from Cronulla’s 25-man squad had reached a confidential settlement with the club. However, while neither party would confirm the figure, it is understood that the payout was about $1.2 million with the reparation different for each player. One player received as much as $300,000 while others received about between $10,000 to $50,000.

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Anthony Tupou was one of those to take action. (Brett Costello)

It has been learnt that the payout was covered by Cronulla’s insurance company with the club only needing to foot the about $100,000 spent on legal fees.

A string of high profile players including Anthony Tupou and Ben Pomeroy were joined by Albert Kelly, Scott Porter Dean Collis, Broderick Wright, Josh Cordoba, Isaac Gordon, Paul Aiton, Nathan Gardner, Stewart Mills, Nathan Stapleton and Stuart Flanagan in taking action against the club. Legal proceedings commenced as far back as 2016 with Gordon, Wright and Cordoba leading the charge before a string of other players joined them in seeking compensation. The latest was Porter in June while Gardner, Tupou and Kelly were among 10 players to accept an ASADA deal and given a back dated 12-month ban in 2014.

Stephen Dank was the man behind the program.

Players 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. Gordon claimed he had suffered severe bruising, leading to tests for cancer as a result of the possible side effects he experienced.

All players were represented by Shine Lawyers.

Shine Lawyers NSW general manager James Chrara, said some players had struggled since the ASADA investigation became public.

“This has been a difficult period that has impacted and in some instances halted the lives of these players and their families since the revelations of the ASADA saga surfaced,” Chrara said. “The resolutions reached were fair and equitable and will provide relief to the players, who have undergone considerable stress and reputational loss as the NRL scandal played out.

“The players and their families can now breathe a sigh of relief as they put this saga behind them.

“The new Sharks administration have been cooperative in working with us to deliver the best possible outcome for all parties involved. The players have demonstrated great strength of character throughout the legal process and have been supported throughout by their dedicated families.

“The resolutions achieved will bring an end to this chapter and will allow all parties to move forward with their lives.“

None of the players who took legal action against the club remain, with the only current Sharks from the 2011 squad being Paul Gallen and Wade Graham.

The Sharks also reached a settlement with Todd Carney for an unfair dismissal claim brought against the club by Carney last year.

Originally published as Cronulla Sharks reach settlement with 13 players over club’s 2011 supplements program