Manly cleared by ASADA: report

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David Perry ... claims Manly has been cleared by ASADA. Source: Sam Ruttyn / News Limited

NRL club Manly say they have been cleared of doping by the Australian Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).

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Sea Eagles officials, including club chairman Scott Penn and chief executive David Perry, attended a meeting on Tuesday with ASADA and Tony Whitlam QC, who heads the new NRL integrity unit.

The club late on Tuesday night then released a statement claiming all its players been cleared.

"The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have been told by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) that none of the club's players, past or present, have tested positive to illegal performance enhancing substances,'' the statement read.

The six NRL clubs mentioned in the Australian Crime Commission's (ACC) report were briefed by ASADA in Sydney on Tuesday.

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Representatives from the Sea Eagles, Penrith, Cronulla, Canberra, North Queensland and Newcastle were spoken to both as a group and individually.

"ASADA outlined to Manly and five other NRL clubs the processes it is undertaking as part of its on-going investigation into the use of banned substances in Australian sport,'' Perry said in the statement.

"We will continue to assist ASADA in its investigation.

"Confidentiality precludes the Sea Eagles from discussing details of that investigation.''

Meanwhile, Penrith general manager Phil Gould says the NRL clubs mentioned in the Australian Crime Commission now have a greater understanding of the investigation being undertaken by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

The Panthers boss joined representatives from the five other clubs mentioned in the ACC report - Manly, Cronulla, Newcastle, North Queensland and Canberra - at a group briefing in Sydney on Tuesday.

The clubs were also briefed individually by ASADA.

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No specific details or players were identified by ASADA, though Gould - who was last week highly critical of the broad-brush nature in which the report was made public - was nonetheless encouraged by the update provided.

"I've been well informed of what they are looking at and how long this process will take and how serious it is and at the end of the day we totally support the process and totally support the work the NRL is doing,'' Gould said.

"I'm far clearer today than I was yesterday.''

Asked if the clubs had been informed as to what investigators were looking into, with allegations of illicit drug use and match-fixing mentioned in the report, Gould said:

"Basically we're bound by the same confidentiality (as the NRL) now.

"All I can say is that we're very clear on what ASADA has had to say and we understand this is a drawn out process and totally support it.''

Earlier on Tuesday, NRL chief executive David Smith said he could not give a timeline on how long the ongoing investigations would take or when specific details might be made public.

"It (the briefings will ASADA) will take the ongoing investigations to the next stage,'' Smith said.

"I can't pre-judge how long that will take.''

Investigators from auditors Deloitte visited the Knights last week, and seven-time premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett said they checked on records as far back as seven years ago.

Bennett, who only took over as Knights coach for the 2012 season, said he has quizzed all staff and players and was confident the current Newcastle set-up have nothing to worry about.

"They want us to confess to something. I'm racking my head what we've got to confess to,'' said Bennett.

"I've been through the staff, I've checked with all the players.

"Whatever they're looking for, it hasn't happened in the past 18 months. So after that I've got no idea.

"The information we're getting when they arrived here last week looking for records ... they were certainly talking about other years as far back as 2005 perhaps.

"We've just got no idea. We've complied with everything they've asked for and we'll continue to do that.

"We've got nothing to hide, not since I've been here anyway.''

Penrith captain Kevin Kingston said he was confident the club does not have a 'drug problem'.

"We trust our sports scientists. We don't take anything out of the ordinary. I barely take protein myself,'' Kingston said.

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