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Sharks ... faced disqualification from the NRL competition. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited
CRONULLA officials were in frantic negotiations with the NRL to avoid the prospect of disqualification just a month after the ASADA investigation was launched.
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The Daily Telegraph has sighted correspondence between Sharks officials and NRL boss Dave Smith, which revealed the club's desire to stand down all affected coaching staff and players prior to round one.
Cronulla were of a belief that if any of the affected persons were later found guilty of an anti-doping violation, the club could be exposed to retrospective loss of competition points or wholesale disqualification.
The Sharks even went as far as to seek assurances from Smith against any such penalties.
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"On the basis this is achieved and the ASADA affected players are removed from or playing ranks, then it is in the best interests of rehabilitation of the club that we obtain an assurance from the NRL that season 2013 will not be subject of future penalties or sanctions arising from this matter," the Sharks wrote in early March.
"We seek this assurance from the NRL in advance of (round one) so it can be communicated to our supporters and season seat holders."
The secret negotiations have emerged as the AFL considers whether to disqualify Essendon prior to the finals.
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The NRL last night confirmed all options were being entertained, but that no decision would be made until ASADA finalises its report into the Sharks.
Interviews with 11 Cronulla players over the club's 2011 supplement program only re-commenced yesterday and won't be completed until August 28.
The NRL finals start a fortnight later, meaning there's virtually zero chance that any findings into Cronulla will be made before the season's biggest games.
Currently sixth, the Sharks need just two wins from their remaining five matches to be assure a top eight finish.
But a disturbing can of worms could be opened should ASADA find any coaching staff or players guilty of anti-doping violations that support a case of systemic drug use at the club in 2011.
Under that scenario, the NRL would be under enormous pressure to not issue infraction notices against individuals but only penalise the club as a whole.
And because the penalty would be applied retrospectively, it would come as no consolation to the ninth-placed team that missed-out or any sides that Cronulla might eliminate during the finals series itself.
Over the past week, Cronulla has done little to endear itself to the NRL.
The club's new board re-instated sacked trainer Mark Noakes against Smith's wishes, while skipper Paul Gallen this week bemoaned the level of support from the NRL.
NRL insiders found Gallen's comments curious, given he recently engaged an independent lawyer. The NRL claims it has been helping Cronulla fund the players' legal representative, Richard Redman.
But the NRL has otherwise kept a much greater distance from the ASADA probe than their AFL counterparts in Melbourne.
First, the AFL and ASADA reached a written understanding that contemplated Essendon players escaping ban under the "No Fault or Negligence" defence.
Smith was furious when he learned of the unilateral negotiations, which were immediately ceased in favour of a set of equal conditions for both codes.
Next, the AFL has attended all ASADA interviews while the NRL was not present when Sharks back rower Wade Graham was questioned in April. That absence has now been addressed for the second round of interviews.
But the most striking difference is the timing.
The deliverance of the interim findings into Essendon has given AFL boss Andrew Demetriou an entire month to decide Essendon's fate, while keeping in mind the sanctity of his code's finals series.
Because their clubs and players failed to co-operate the first time around, Smith and the NRL don't enjoy the same luxury.
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