its more the players that continued taking it after 2011 so as far as i can understand douglas isnt included ?
its more the players that continued taking it after 2011 so as far as i can understand douglas isnt included ?
If winning isn't everything, then why do they keep score?
yeah thats a good point.
also, if he was in any way involved, we as a team would have likely been named as one of the teams the other week, but we were given the all clear, so i guess we are fine.
Nobody outside of the sharks and Asada really knows the status.
The game will be played for certain. I've had that confirmed by the Nrl. And we are expecting their strongest side.
Aside from that all I think we can do is prepare to play what is certain to be a great game of football.
Db
I don't think anyone really knows what the boundaries of the investigation are. Have heard three or four inside stories and they are all different.
We spoke with all our players when the acc report came out. We have also audited all our processes, systems and compliance and have great confidence that we are as good as we can be with regard to the execution of the wada and Asada rules that govern our sport.
Titans expect fired-up Sharks
AAP | 11:12am March 7, 2013
GOLD Coast players are preparing to meet a full-strength and fired-up Cronulla in their NRL season-opener on Sunday amid speculation a number of Sharks players could be stood down.
As many as 14 Cronulla players have reportedly been urged to accept six-month suspensions over an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA) investigation which stems from the report the Australian Crime Commission released last month.
Betting has been suspended for Sunday's match because of the uncertainty.
Titans players and officials said on Thursday they knew no more than anyone else about how their opponents would line-up on the weekend.
But veteran backrower Ashley Harrison warned his teammates not to take anything for granted despite the possibility of facing a severely-understrength Sharks team.
"You have a look at all the teams that have faced a bit of adversity in the past, they usually come out on the weekend and play some really good footy," Harrison told reporters on Thursday.
"We have to be right on our game, whoever they throw on the paddock."
Titans chief executive David May said prop Luke Douglas and halfback Albert Kelly, who were both at the Sharks during the 2011 period under investigation, had not been contacted by authorities, nor had the club, and there was nothing to suggest they had cause for concern.
"There's nobody at the club, be it myself, any of the executives, any players past or present or any coaching staff who have been contacted by anybody," May told ABC Radio.
"Nobody's been contacted, whether it's by the police, ASADA, the ACC (Australian Crime Commission) or the NRL."
Titans fullback Will Zillman said he had full faith in the club and believed he and his teammates should be confident any supplements they were given were within the rules.
"You can't turn a blind eye to it but the Titans are great, all the protocols they follow are spot on and I've never had to second-guess anything," Zillman said.
#itaintweaktospeak
Online article from todays courier
Gold Coast Titans are wary of a backlash from Cronulla when they meet at Sharks Stadium on Sunday.Mystery surrounds the makeup of the embattled home side after 14 of its players were targeted for investigation by the Australian Sports Doping Authority.With the threat of heavy sanctions hanging over the club, it could be a severely depleted Sharks outfit that lines up in round one.The Titans have absorbed more than their share of off-field blows during their six-year existence and will not be underestimating their stricken opponent."That's out of our control,'' said lock Ashley Harrison."If you have a look at all the teams with adversity that we've faced in the past, they come out on the weekend and play good footy."We'll have to be right on our game whoever they throw on the paddock.''Fullback William Zillman said the unfolding drama would not distract Gold Coast from its opening assignment of the new season."It's business as usual for us. It is important not to get caught up in that, but it's not too difficult to stay focused,'' Zillman said.The Titans' depth and stability means they are likely to arrive in Cronulla as warm favourites when betting, suspended by many bookmaking agencies on Wednesday, are reopened.Even if the Sharks are reduced to a second string team Harrison has been around the NRL too long to be seduced by names and reputations.That is why the Gold Coast and Queensland backrower is withholding excitement about his side's chances until after the game on Sunday night.There has been little hype about the Titans during the pre-season and rightly so after their sub-par performances over the past two seasons.But the addition of forward Dave Taylor and utility Brad Takairangi to a fully fit list has delivered a big and aggressive pack to the club.Such is their depth, club favourites Mark Minichiello and Steve Michaels missed selection for round one and 18th man Luke O'Dwyer is set to be omitted."On paper it looks great. But we're yet to perform on the footy field,'' the straight-shooting Harrison said."If we do our job on the weekend we might be able to get excited after that.''The Titans have four representative players - Harrison, Greg Bird, skipper Nate Myles and Country prop Luke Douglas - in their starting pack.On the bench they can choose from Test forward Taylor, former international Luke Bailey and 114kg hitman Ryan James who excelled in last month's NRL All Stars match.Gold Coast sought dry turf for training yesterday at Kingscliff but lost fringe first grader Cody Nelson to a knee injury inside the first 15 minutes.
Hopefully Codys knee isn't too bad and makes a swift recovery!!
Nathan friend my all time favorite titan
Welcome Toddy!
I think we indeed need to be focused on our game. The Shadks will field their strongest side. And it is unknown how they will react to the crisis.
PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!
Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER
we're going to cut off their fins and shove them up their djins.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
Peter Sharp to coach the sharks against us on weekend after Coach Flano stodd down along with other staff.
Cronulla as a club will do well to survive from this.
NRL rescue package is an amazingly pro-active move by the ARLC/Dave Smith ... excellent administration.
Last edited by Titanic; 08-03-13 at 05:32 PM.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
AAP Fri, Mar 08, 2013 - 5:47 PM
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has been stood down by the under-fire NRL club.
The Sharks are at the centre of an investigation by the Australian Sport Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
Fairfax reported that football manager Darren Mooney, head trainer Mark Noakes, physiotherapist Konrad Schultz and club doctor David Givney have also been told their services are no longer required at the Sharks.
It is understood that those sacked were not given reasons for being let go but the club is set to hold a media conference at its Cronulla headquarters at 6pm (AEDT) on Friday.
Former Northern Eagles and Manly coach Peter Sharp is set to take over as Sharks coach for Sunday's clash with Gold Coast.
Flanagan had been coach of the club since late 2010 when he took over from Ricky Stuart.
He expressed surprise at the decision.
"I'm shattered," said Flanagan, who was questioned by ASADA officials on Friday.
"None of us had any knowledge of what was happening.
"I've got the support of the players here.
"I still believe that the players have not done anything wrong.
"I don't oversee anything. My involvement, I've got no idea, bar being coach at the time."
His standing down and the sackings come during a tumultuous few days for the Sharks.
Fourteen Cronulla players had reportedly been offered full pay by the embattled NRL club if they stood down for six months in return for waiving their right to sue the Sharks over the drugs scandal, according to a News Ltd report.
The deal reportedly included an automatic one-year extension with a repeat of any representative bonuses earned last year.
The offer came in the face of ASADA's evidence regarding the alleged use of banned peptides at the Sharks in 2011.
Players are believed to have been encouraged to accept a six-month ban over the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs with the alternative being a two-year ban.
It's understood Sharks players are claiming if they did take banned substances, they did so unknowingly.
It's been reported the products were not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list at the time but both were included in the Australian Crime Commission report into doping and match-fixing under the heading "Performance and Image Enhancing Substances".
It's not yet known if the Sharks' players will be stood down from Cronulla's season opener against the Titans on Sunday.
cheers guys glad to be apart of the forum team
Nathan friend my all time favorite titan
I reckon our team is walking into an ambush on Sunday evening. The crowd is going to be seething with anger, and the Sharks will look to take it out on their first opponent.
I hope I'm wrong but I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about this one - I had been so confident up until this afternoon when the excrement hit the fan well and truly...
Agreed karnage hope our boys a bringing some protection with that crowd too they will be loathing