NRL commission unable to deal with drug cheat coaches!
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:08 pm
Once again the NRL prove they incapable of dealing with coaches that cross the line and even when presented with numerous opportunities since 2008 they haven't taken steps to bring those most responsible for transgressions to face the music!
An organisation without credability or moral fibre!
NRL coaches could escape ban if they have case to answer over drugs-in-sport crisis
JOSH MASSOUD AND JAMES HOOPER
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
AUGUST 15, 2013 12:00AM
Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan calls the shots. Source: News Limited
THE NRL appears powerless to directly reprimand any club coaches, trainers or doctors if it decides they have a case to answer over the drugs-in-sport crisis.
The AFL flexed its muscle on Monday night, sensationally charging Essendon quartet James Hird, Mark Thompson, Bruce Reid and Danny Corcoran with "conduct unbecoming" over the club's controversial 2012 supplements program.
Effectively, the four Bombers staffers have been charged with bringing their game into disrepute - a provision the NRL also has at its disposal.
The NRL Code of Conduct states that no person or club should "engage in any conduct that is detrimental to" or "bring into disrepute" the game's best interests.
But well-placed legal sources within rugby league suspect that players are the only individuals who can be punished under this rule.
Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan calls the shots.
Unlike the AFL, the NRL only requires players to be registered with head office.
The AFL rules also demand that the contracts of support staff to be registered, empowering its general counsel Andrew Dillon to charge the Essendon four this week.
But because there is no such relationship in rugby league, there appears to be no straightforward basis for those charges to be replicated in rugby league.
The NRL has made just two charges for bringing the game into disrepute over the past five years and neither involved a support staffer being sanctioned.
Video Quality 3GWi-Fi
In 2008, Melbourne Storm was fined $50,000 after coach Craig Bellamy and former CEO Brian Waldron made disparaging comments about the judiciary.
Although Bellamy led the tirade, he was not personally punished.
The same arrangement applies to coaches who unfairly criticise match officials, with their clubs footing the bill.
A resolution or interim ASADA report of the NRL investigation does not appear likely before the October 6 grand final.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has been sensationally sacked by the crisis-torn NRL club
The head coach under most pressure would be Sharks boss Shane Flanagan, whose club represents the code’s only possible case of systemic doping in relation to its 2011 supplement program.
Leaked e-mails have revealed Flanagan was aware that players were being injected and one ASADA witness has also claimed the coach saw them being administered.
But Flanagan has vehemently denied the witness’s claim and maintains he had no intimate knowledge about the supplement program, which was directly implemented by former trainer Trent Elkin.
Should the NRL be satisfied that Cronulla coaching staff jeopardised the health of players, let alone allowed a systemic doping regime to unfold under their watch, there’s doubt over what action the league could take against those responsible.
The NRL’s only fool proof option would be to punish Cronulla as a club, with fines, lost premiership points and disqualification all options under the game’s Anti-Doping code.
The Daily Telegraph last week revealed that Sharks officials were in frantic negotiations with the NRL to avoid those possibilities prior to Round One.
The former Cronulla board felt they could be left open to disqualification should any player or support staffer be involved in their premiership campaign.
They duly sacked four staff and stood down Flanagan on the eve of Round One.
Flanagan was reinstated two weeks later, after a secondary review.
An organisation without credability or moral fibre!
NRL coaches could escape ban if they have case to answer over drugs-in-sport crisis
JOSH MASSOUD AND JAMES HOOPER
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
AUGUST 15, 2013 12:00AM
Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan calls the shots. Source: News Limited
THE NRL appears powerless to directly reprimand any club coaches, trainers or doctors if it decides they have a case to answer over the drugs-in-sport crisis.
The AFL flexed its muscle on Monday night, sensationally charging Essendon quartet James Hird, Mark Thompson, Bruce Reid and Danny Corcoran with "conduct unbecoming" over the club's controversial 2012 supplements program.
Effectively, the four Bombers staffers have been charged with bringing their game into disrepute - a provision the NRL also has at its disposal.
The NRL Code of Conduct states that no person or club should "engage in any conduct that is detrimental to" or "bring into disrepute" the game's best interests.
But well-placed legal sources within rugby league suspect that players are the only individuals who can be punished under this rule.
Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan calls the shots.
Unlike the AFL, the NRL only requires players to be registered with head office.
The AFL rules also demand that the contracts of support staff to be registered, empowering its general counsel Andrew Dillon to charge the Essendon four this week.
But because there is no such relationship in rugby league, there appears to be no straightforward basis for those charges to be replicated in rugby league.
The NRL has made just two charges for bringing the game into disrepute over the past five years and neither involved a support staffer being sanctioned.
Video Quality 3GWi-Fi
In 2008, Melbourne Storm was fined $50,000 after coach Craig Bellamy and former CEO Brian Waldron made disparaging comments about the judiciary.
Although Bellamy led the tirade, he was not personally punished.
The same arrangement applies to coaches who unfairly criticise match officials, with their clubs footing the bill.
A resolution or interim ASADA report of the NRL investigation does not appear likely before the October 6 grand final.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has been sensationally sacked by the crisis-torn NRL club
The head coach under most pressure would be Sharks boss Shane Flanagan, whose club represents the code’s only possible case of systemic doping in relation to its 2011 supplement program.
Leaked e-mails have revealed Flanagan was aware that players were being injected and one ASADA witness has also claimed the coach saw them being administered.
But Flanagan has vehemently denied the witness’s claim and maintains he had no intimate knowledge about the supplement program, which was directly implemented by former trainer Trent Elkin.
Should the NRL be satisfied that Cronulla coaching staff jeopardised the health of players, let alone allowed a systemic doping regime to unfold under their watch, there’s doubt over what action the league could take against those responsible.
The NRL’s only fool proof option would be to punish Cronulla as a club, with fines, lost premiership points and disqualification all options under the game’s Anti-Doping code.
The Daily Telegraph last week revealed that Sharks officials were in frantic negotiations with the NRL to avoid those possibilities prior to Round One.
The former Cronulla board felt they could be left open to disqualification should any player or support staffer be involved in their premiership campaign.
They duly sacked four staff and stood down Flanagan on the eve of Round One.
Flanagan was reinstated two weeks later, after a secondary review.
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