Knights confirm they are 1 of 6 in AAC'S report

These conspiracy theories that Asada is playing some sort of political game are silly.
Of course they want to get it over quickly and cleanly by having all the guilty parties own up and get workable penalties. That is win/win.
If it turns into a full on court battle that goes on for years it is lose/lose.
We could put this behind us in a few weeks and see guys back for the finals - or we could see this dragging the sport down for years and the careers of all the guilty will be ended - those are the choices.
 
I don't know about referring to the players involved as drug cheats. When they started using the peptides in 2011 they were not on the list of banned substances. The players that continued using them after they were banned in 2012 possibly could be labelled but only then if they knew the substances were then illegal. I know ignorance is not a defense but there will be players who genuinely did not know they were breaking the rules. If the NRL had any guts whatsoever they would suspend the season until it all gets sorted.
 
Beaumont said:
I don't know about referring to the players involved as drug cheats. When they started using the peptides in 2011 they were not on the list of banned substances. The players that continued using them after they were banned in 2012 possibly could be labelled but only then if they knew the substances were then illegal. I know ignorance is not a defense but there will be players who genuinely did not know they were breaking the rules. If the NRL had any guts whatsoever they would suspend the season until it all gets sorted.
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I agree, how about getting rid of this Trent Elkin, ,he must of knew it was on the banned list while he was head conditioner of the sharks. Now that **** has hit the fan, he's dobbing everyone in to save his arse from a life ban
 
packo said:
The longer this keeps happening the less I'm concerned. If there is enough evidence on certain players then ASADA would be able to act, the intel they have is obviously weak and hearsay from a whistle blower, which if all these Sharks players back themselves and deny these allegations, the ball would be back in ASADA court to prove this beyond reasonable doubt.
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It's a lot more than 'hearsay' from a whistle blower!! He's a witness with direct (1st hand evidence) of events.. his evidence is admissible and any tribunal of fact has to take in on its value.. if they accept he is telling the truth, a lot of weight
will be placed on what he has to say.. that will be the advise the club and players have been given and explains the position they are now in..

It's naive and / or a silly to suggest they can bury their head in the sand, just 'stay solid' and deny it ever happened.. for a Senior Council (employed by the club) to give the advice he has, there has to be an extremely strong case, otherwise they would be saying so and fighting it strenuously!!!
 
Defender1 said:
It's a lot more than 'hearsay' from a whistle blower!! He's a witness with direct (1st hand evidence) of events.. his evidence is admissible and any tribunal of fact has to take in on its value.. if they accept he is telling the truth, a lot of weight
will be placed on what he has to say.. that will be the advise the club and players have been given and explains the position they are now in..
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Just read the following at http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...lty/story-fn2mcuj6-1226592906289#.UTkUE6CO7To

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 on Thursday, Elkin declined to comment on his own legal advice
 
Defender1 said:
For a Senior Council (employed by the club) to give the advice he has, there has to be an extremely strong case, otherwise they would be saying so and fighting it strenuously!!!
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Couldn't have said it better. In addition to the former ASADA senior councel's advice, there is also this...

Sharks board member Peter Kerr - a successful commercial lawyer - is leading negotiations on behalf of the club. Mr Kerr has also been a member of FINA's doping panel since 2000. When he addressed players and agents on Tuesday, Mr Kerr strongly advised them to accept the offer in the face of ASADA's evidence regarding inadvertent use of banned peptides in 2011.
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Hi All

Ive been following the forum for about 18 months, but this is my first post, love the forum.

I think the effect on the current knights that were former sharks during the time in question are dependent on how the sharks handle it.

If the sharks players were to sit out for 6 months, than i think ASADA would go after the remaining players at other clubs, as i don't think the players at other clubs would have any other choice but do the same thing.

However if the sharks players were to stand up and fight it so will the players from the other clubs. I think if they stand and fight it the players would win because:

1. If the substance/s in question were legal in 2011, they haven't done anything wrong. KS was at the sharks in 2011 and if it was legal then he is fine unless of course he kept in contact with Dank post 2011.

2. Surely pleading ignorance is a defense for players, as it seems to be a defense in every other situation. The club/medics etc. owe a 'duty of care' to their players/employees to ensure they are taking the correct supplements.

3. The way that ASADA have offered these 6 month suspensions indicates they do not have strong evidence and need to make someone accountable, otherwise they look like a bunch of clowns (which they already do), because this situation would be a complete farce if nothing comes out of this. If all the evidence they have is Elkin as a whistleblower, well its just not enough.
 
Gunner said:
Sharks have rejected the 6 month ban offer. Looks like they are going to fight it.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...ced/story-fn2mcuj6-1226592916152#.UTkbLaCO7To
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And I think this is the right thing to do. I am obviously not one to support drug cheats, but this is a real grey area, and the players put all their trust into the club/sport Dr's to be doing the right thing. I know that ignorance is not an excuse, but you can see why they are going to fight it. Different story if these players sourced these supplements away from the club environment. Good on them I say.
 
If i was 1 of these players i would fight this all the way seems to me that all this is based on Elkins word only and asada have no other proof what so ever that it was happening no blood tests no urine tests just the word of 1 bloke who allthough blowing the whistle on these guys is still saying he did nothing wrong .
The players should say ok take me to court and prove it, IMO thats why asada have said step forward and you will only get 6 months because if they dont step forward asada can't acctually prove anything and in this country you are still innocent untill proven guilty .If a player on the list says no i never took this supplement how do asada prove he did .
Going by Hadleys interview with Rothfield yesterday it was'nt a banned substance at the time , the club pays specialists (Doctors and sports scientists )to make sure this does'nt happen so Dank , Elkin the doctors and the club should be held responsible.
How many times have any of us been given tablets or injections by our doctors who have said this is what you need but we have no idea what he is giving us but we take it because he is the specialist and we trust him.
The other thing is for years now the players are drug tested all the time so if 30 or so players were taking a banned substance why were'nt they sacked at the time the NRL prides itself on its drug testing so how did this get past them and take a whistle blower to bring it all into the light.
 
Gunner said:
Just read the following at http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...lty/story-fn2mcuj6-1226592906289#.UTkUE6CO7To

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 on Thursday, Elkin declined to comment on his own legal advice
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Yeah mate I did read that, what are you trying to say?
 
If I was John Morris and the guilty plea included a year's contract extension then I'd definitely take it! :lol:
 
Beaumont said:
If I thought I had done nothing wrong be f***** if I'd take a reduced penalty for an early plea.
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Exactly, I don't think anyone would.. the problem is; no one (outide of those involved of course) knows what the evidence is. For very senior council (QC) who would have all the evidence available to give that advise, there's a reason.
 
Gunner said:
I just don't get what he 'blew the whistle' about if that statement is true. Maybe just players that continued using them after Dank left?
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Phill rothfield wrote it, which obviously needs to be considered when evaluating it. From what I've read in other media reports (and again I don't know how much any of them really know) he's given evidence of players going to see the sports scientist named, stephan dank, after the particular peptides were banned, ie after he was dismissed by the club. We probably just need to wait and see how it pans out.. maybe he told them why stephan dank was sacked?? Untill we hear what he's put on paper, we'll never really know I guess.
 
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I don't know how to cut and paste on this stupid smart phone, but I thought Paul Kent's article, "ignorance no help to sharks" was a really good read and offers an incite in to the issues facing the sharks.
 
jamesgould said:
If I was John Morris and the guilty plea included a year's contract extension then I'd definitely take it! :lol:
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This a win win, Morris gets an extension and is made the scape goat. All the Sharks should come forward and say John Morris in the mastermind hahaha.
 
packo said:
This a win win, Morris gets an extension and is made the scape goat. All the Sharks should come forward and say John Morris in the mastermind hahaha.
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Lol... I'd be saying some one your dirty on for leaving and is now playing for another club (except Snowden or Smith)...
 
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