CRONULLA Sharks won’t consider re-hiring their four sacked football staff members until the long-running ASADA saga is finally played out.
ASADA interviews with Sharks players have been suspended after a two-hour interview with Wade Graham on Monday.
Because the ASADA Act does not compel any player to a coercive examination, nor compel players to even attend interviews (see Tuesday’s Leader), investigators failed to gain the necessary information from Graham — with a lawyer beside him — to go to the next of the planned 10 interviews.
It is believed Graham, who later offered an unreserved apology in relation to his casual attire for Monday’s interview, only told investigators what he definitely knew — and not what he may or may not have suspected was given to fellow players back in 2011.
Unless investigators can prove they have evidence to show players knew they were being given a supplement, and that supplement was banned under the WADA code, the NRL will be given legal advice that further interviews should not be organised.
In fact the Cronulla Sharks lawyers and players legal representatives could consider taking action against the NRL itself if they believe the NRL failed to protect the players’ fundamental human rights, and players have suffered as a result of that.
Sharks’ chairman Glenn Coleman said yesterday while the ASADA matter was a stalemate, the club had decided it could not make any decision to review the case of the four staff sacked.
‘‘In any case most of the new directors have not had the time to read up on all the relevant matters pertaining to the Sharks,’’ Coleman said of the new board voted in last week. ‘‘They have a pile of catching up to do, and not just on ASADA.’’
The Sharks have to overcome a big Knights hoodoo when they play Newcastle on Sunday.
They have only beaten the Knights four times out of their 18 clashes at Hunter Stadium.
‘‘But we’ve trained pretty well since bombing all those chances against the Bulldogs,’’ said coach Shane Flanagan yesterday.
An unchanged team has been named to the one which bombed against the Bulldogs, young utility Tyrone Peachey is believed close to making his first grade debut.
SHARKS: 1 Michael Gordon, 2 Nathan Stapleton, 3 Ben Pomeroy, 4 Jonathan Wright, 5 Beau Ryan, 6 Todd Carney, 7 Jeff Robson, 8 Andrew Fifita, 9 John Morris, 10 Ben Ross, 11 Luke Lewis, 12 Wade Graham, 13 Paul Gallen (c). Interchange: 14 Chris Heighington, 15 Jayson Bukuya, 16 Isaac De Gois, 17 Anthony Tupou, 18 Sam Tagatese
What do you think of the Sharks decision?
