Sports doping: Sharks players have little option but to plead guilty

SHARKS officials have confirmed the season-opener against the Titans will go ahead - but the make-up of the starting line-up remains a mystery.

SHARKS officials have confirmed Sunday's season-opener against the Titans will go ahead - but the make-up of the starting line-up remains a mystery.

The entire first-grade squad trained last night and are expected to take the field on Sunday unless ASADA intervenes today.

The players, who have been offered six-month suspensions by ASADA in return for keeping their contracts and staying on full pay, remain undecided.

The Sharks have hired a crisis public relations company and are expected to call a media conference today.

EARLY GUILTY PLEA

IT could almost be described as bullying or intimidation.

It's a tactic ASADA uses to lure players to accept a six-month ban up front, even if they genuinely believe there is nothing to hide. That way the players remain an employee of the club on full salary. Most have mortgages, families and other commitments.

They cannot afford to run the risk of a two-year suspension because it would mean their contracts are terminated.

Legal costs would be well over $100,000 to fight it in court. It's a lot of money when you're not getting paid.

Under six-month bans the players are forced to sign confidentiality agreements and cannot publicly discuss the case.

Take Wade Graham, for example. Let's say he's on a three-year contract worth a bit more than $300,000 a season.

If he takes a six-month break, he gets the lot. If he genuinely wants to fight it, he puts a $1 million contract at risk, plus his legal costs.

THE PREMIER

BARRY O'Farrell says players who took substances in 2011 when they were not on the banned list should not be punished.

"I am concerned at allegations that players who didn't know they were taking these substances are going to be punished, not the people who provided them," he said.

"My argument all the way through has been those who are guilty should have the book thrown at them.

"I think once again the issue has been mishandled and I am incredibly sceptical about the timing of these revelations on the eve of the NRL season."

Mr O'Farrell said the federal government had mishandled the press conference last month about the use of peptides in Australian sporting codes.

"This trial by rumour, this trial by innuendo, and this trial which apparently involved declaring illegal today things that weren't illegal two years ago, I don't think passes the common-sense test or looks particularly fair."

TWO CATEGORIES

IT is believed the Sharks situation is similar to Essendon in the AFL in that the players were on a group supplements program. They are understood to have been given beta thymosin and CJC-1265.

It was a legal supplement at the time and not banned until late in 2011.

THE IMAGE

THE Sharks have hired crisis public relations company Cato Counsel to protect their image.

The corporate spin doctors have looked after high-profile clients such as former David Jones boss Mark McInnes and controversial photographer Bill Henson.The boss Sue Cato is a former adviser to Nick Greiner and Andrew Peacock.

Her last involvement in rugby league was during the Super League war when she was hired by John Ribot to "sell" the breakaway game.

Image is everything because the Sharks have no major sponsor on their jersey or the home ground.

Commercial and marketing boss Pat Woods has been in daily contact with the sponsors they do have.

He says, at this stage, they are all sticking solid.

A major company that was about to sign a $2.5 million deal for the Shark Park naming rights was scared off two weeks ago.

THE TRAINER

TRENT Elkin was at the Sharks for almost a decade before joining Ricky Stuart at Parramatta in the off-season.

He was in charge of strength and conditioning in 2011 over the period that is now under investigation.

Elkin has been interviewed by ASADA and co-operated with their investigators a number of times in recent months.

He still swears he did nothing wrong and that the players were given nothing that was on a banned list at the time. When contacted yesterday, Elkin declined to comment on his own legal advice.

THE COACH

SHANE Flanagan's job at the Sharks is safe for now. The club parted ways with sports scientist Steve Dank after doctor David Givney raised concerns about players' supplement programs.

Whatever the Sharks were on, it hardly helped their performances.

The club finished 13th on the ladder and lost their last nine games straight.

Yesterday the embattled coach was trying his hardest to keep it business as usual. But players say he is looking depressed.

They had a gym session at midday, videos at 3pm and a field and scrimmaging session with the NYC team at 4.30pm.

At the beginning of the day, Flanagan couldn't confirm the make-up of his side for Sunday. But by the end of last night's 90-minute session with the NYC team, he was confident they would start as selected.

OTHER CLUBS

TWO of the players in the Titans side that play the Sharks on Sunday are part of the ASADA investigation.

Halfback Albert Kelly and front-rower Luke Douglas were both first graders at Cronulla in 2011.

Two Knights forwards, Jeremy Smith and Kade Snowden, were also at the club over the period ASADA is examining.

Taulimo Tautai is now playing at the Parramatta Eels.

The rest have retired or moved to England to play in the Super League.