Cameron Smith has backed the NRL’s decision to wait for ASADA to complete their investigation before making any decision on Cronulla’s place in the finals.
The Sharks’ impressive win over the ladder-leading Sydney Roosters last Monday sealed their top-eight spot in a season dominated by the probe into the club’s supplements program during 2011.
The anti-doping authority has concluded its interviews with players who were at the club during the time controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank was briefly employed.
However, the infraction notice issued to Canberra winger Sandor Earl after he admitted using and trafficking the CJC-1295 peptide has once again put the Sharks in the spotlight.
An independent investigation by former ASADA deputy chair Trish Kavanagh on the eve of the season claimed the same injectable synthetic peptide hormone had been used at Cronulla.
Kavanagh’s report led to team doctor David Givney, football manager Darren Mooney, physio Konrad Schultz and trainer Mark Noakes being sacked and coach Shane Flanagan stood down.
The AFL this week booted Essendon out of the finals and fined the club $2million following details contained in ASADA’s interim report that allowed them to charge the club with bringing the game into disrepute.
But the NRL maintain they won’t take similar action against Cronulla until they have been presented with the evidence to do so by ASADA.
Melbourne skipper Smith said he felt sympathy for the Sharks players and hoped a resolution could be reached soon.
“You do feel sorry for the players because they are playing under so much pressure,” Smith said.
“But I don’t think you can sort of make a decision on their future until the report comes out and unfortunately in our game those interviews were prolonged and they’ve been put off.
“That’s what’s happened and everyone has to live by it.
“I know the NRL are doing a great job and they’re trying to get this thing over and done with as soon as possible which is in the best interests of anyone, not only Cronulla … but for the other teams and the fans as well.”
Despite his support for the NRL’s stance, the Queensland and Test skipper did concede it would be a nightmare scenario if the investigation was blown wide open during the finals campaign.
“You’d hate to see something rise up in the middle of a finals series,” he said.
“I think that is the worst case scenario but let’s hope it doesn’t happen.
“But there’s been one guy that’s been handed an infraction out of 400 NRL players, so we’re not talking about an entire club here.
“Those guys still have to finish their interviews and we have to see a report from ASADA until you start pointing fingers at certain players.
“At the moment no one’s done the wrong thing. No report’s come out saying that anyone’s done the wrong thing so let’s just leave it at that.
“Until we hear differently then I think we just need to worry about playing footy and enjoying a strong finals series that’s coming up in a couple of weeks.”
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary refused to comment on Earl with the club taking legal action against News Corp Australia following a report in Friday’s Daily Telegraph.
Earl left the club to join Canberra midway through the 2012 season.
