Dumped Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has made the stunning claim that the club board misrepresented the investigator who delivered the report which eventually led to him being stood down as the Sharks’ NRL coach.
Flanagan was stood down and four other key staffers were sacked on Friday just two days out from Cronulla’s season-opener against Gold Coast as a result of an independent review which discovered ‘serious management failures’ during sports scientist Stephen Dank’s tenure at the club in 2011.
The internal review was conducted by Dr Tricia Kavanagh, a former deputy chair with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
But Flanagan told Sydney radio station 2GB’s Continuous Call program that he had been given the impression Kavanagh was helping the club with the ASADA investigation, not conducting a review.
“I was introduced to her as someone who was representing the club which I was a part of,” Flanagan said.
Asked if he knew Kavanagh was conducting an internal review, Flanagan said.
“No, I was of the understanding she was representing us as a club.
“With the ASADA investigation. She was representing us and the club before we were to be interviewed by ASADA. That was my understanding of it.”
Flanagan said he took part in a 15 minute interview with Kavanagh last week.