Sharkies, sharkies, sharkis, oh boy oh boy oh boy.... - By Mary

What is going on at the Cronulla Sharks?

Happy Friday to everyone. @LadiesWhoLeague can certainly be accused of not having covered what has probably been the biggest talking point of the NRL season this year - the Cronulla Sharks.

I must admit that this is a topic I have been avoiding because the Sharks have always been a team I have had a soft spot for. This is partly because so many Parramatta players move to Cronulla. Players like Jeff Robson and Josh Morris have left Parramatta to go to the Sharks and have found very happy homes, so I have found the happenings of this season very troubling.

I found it especially troubling because despite the problems the Sharks have had in relation to financial instability and lack of Premiership success, 2013 looked like it would be different. The long awaited $300 million development program that was going to assist the Club financially was about to begin. On the field, the team had never looked stronger, with new recruits Beau Ryan, Luke Lewis and Chris Heighnington joining a team which already fielded talent like Paul Gallen, Jeff Robson and Todd Carney. It looked like the Sharks had turned a corner.

However, this quickly changed with the Australian Crime Commission's report on the use of banned substances in the NRL. Cronulla was named as one of 6 clubs to be mentioned in the report. Following this came rumours that 14 Cronulla Sharks players could be suspended by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) based on a period in 2011 when Stephen Dank was employed by the Club.

Dank was the key figure involved at the Essendon Football Club, instituting a supplement program which has now seen James Hird, Mark Thompson, Danny Corcoran and Bruce Reid facing charges. These charges relate to engaging in practices that have exposed the players to risks to their health as well as using substances which are banned by the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code.

The season began in absolute turmoil, with Shane Flanagan being stood down before the opening game of the season with his players and the Cronulla fans rallying around him. Another four senior staff members were also sacked.

Unfortunately, the resolution of this matter has not come quickly.

In the interim, the Sharks have seen Damian Irvine quit as Cronulla NRL club chairman amid the anti-doping investigation, Shane Flanagan reinstated to the Cronulla coaching box at the end of March, Steve Noyce being installed as General Manager of Football, debate between the Sharks and ASADA in relation to how much information players are required to divulge following the failed interview between Wage Graham and ASADA, ASADA announcing it had suspended further interviews with Cronulla Sharks players, Glenn Coleman quitting as Sharks chairman and then there was quiet… until July when the NRL stepped in to ensure that there was co-operation between players and ASADA investigators, with threatened sanctions for anyone not giving reasonable assistance. Bruno Cullen then stepped down as CEO with Steve Noyce replacing him all amidst the belief that interviews had started between ASADA and the players again.

It is now looking increasingly likely that similar to Essendon, the Sharks will end up in court.

What a tragic season for the Sharks.

Now to where I stand on this.

Firstly, I am disappointed in how long this investigation has dragged on for. The longer this continues, the greater the damage to Australian sport, the greater the damage to the NRL brand and the greater the damage to the Sharks. The longer this investigation goes for, the more likely it is that the ramifications of any findings will continue well past the 2013 season.

I feel for Sharks fans tremendously.  Over the years Sharks fans have been tremendously loyal and their Club is one which has proven, time and time again that it will not give up. This is not the first time that the Sharks have been embroiled in a scandal. Names and words like Reni Maitua, Matthew Johns and financial difficulty are not unfamiliar to NRL supporters or to Sharks fans who have been tremendously resilient through what has been another period of instability at their club.

In regard to performance enhancing drugs, if the Sharks players have been injected with banned substances, then they must accept the penalties which are handed to them, even if this involves a two year ban from the sport. While some players will argue that they had no idea what was going on, ignorance cannot be used as an excuse.

These players are professional athletes and must have an understanding and must take control over what is being done to their bodies. While this is difficult, particularly for players who are contracted by a club who then hires professionals to assist them with their training and with ensuring their bodies are in peak, physical condition, ignorance cannot be an excuse. However, those involved at a management and administrative level must also be held accountable, no matter the cost.

I would love to hear your thoughts,

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague