South Sydney prop Jeff Lima expects the ongoing doping investigation of Cronulla to galvanise the players, having been a part of the NRL’s most recent club in crisis.
Lima hit rock bottom with Melbourne in 2010 when the NRL stripped the Storm of two premierships and declared they wouldn’t be playing for points in that campaign.
While the situation facing the Sharks is less dire at this stage, the spectre of Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s (ASADA) investigation is following every player under the microscope.
Recent recruits are also feeling the pressure, pondering no doubt what impact suspected doping practices at the club in 2011 could have on their 2013 campaign.
Lima, whose Rabbitohs will be the next side to tackle the Sharks when they meet on Monday at ANZ Stadium, felt for his opposition.
“I feel sorry for the players. I’ve been in a similar situation before a couple of years ago,” Lima said, referencing the Storm’s season that had nothing riding on it.
“But you just have to brush everything aside and worry about what goes on the football field.
“We showed it against the Warriors (in the first match since the salary-cap revelations) a couple of years ago. We brushed it aside and played our best footy of the year (in a 40-6 win over the Warriors).
“It’s always going to be in the back of your mind. But you’ve just got to not worry about it, otherwise it impacts your football.”
Lima suggested the NRL’s punishments, and the associated scorn and scrutiny, had brought the Storm closer together.
The former New Zealand international, who will play his 100th NRL match on Monday, expected that would also happen at the Sharks.
“It definitely did (bring us closer). Everything we did we stuck together,” he said on Tuesday.
“At the time it was pretty hard to take, but it made us a lot closer. We stuck together the whole year.
“I’m pretty sure (the same will happen at Cronulla). It showed on the weakened, the way they played – they stuck together. So they definitely will.
“They’ll turn up to play …we’re expecting their best team.”
