Elkin couldn't handle the heat

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BORING into the left hand side of my neck, his ferocious gaze was screaming for recognition.

So I turned to confront a face distorted with pure hatred and loathing, which belonged to Eels trainer Trent Elkin.

This showdown had been brewing all season, and now, in full view of guests and fellow media at Parramatta's end-of-season presentation in September, it was set to explode.

The Rosehill Gardens function marked the end of a difficult season for Elkin, who was cast as a key figure in establishing and overseeing the controversial supplement program at Cronulla two years earlier.

After learning that an independent report had found Elkin responsible for injecting Sharks players with peptides in 2011, The Daily Telegraph pursued the true extent of his previous role at Cronulla.

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We duly discovered that Elkin not only welcomed Stephen Dank, the sports scientist responsible for devising the program, into the club, but also had at least one injection to verify whether the proposed supplements altered his standard blood readings.

It would also emerge that Elkin was the first significant witness to speak to ASADA, visiting their head office in Canberra just days after the investigation as announced at the infamous Australian Crime Commission press conference on 7 February.

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This particular development made his former Sharks club mates extremely agitated, prompting a house call from senior trio Paul Gallen, John Morris and Ben Pomeroy at the end of February.

A week later Cronulla dismissed four staff and suspended head coach Shane Flanagan over management failures from the 2011 program. But the man most intimate with its detail and execution was beyond reach because he'd moved to Parramatta the previous November, and the Eels had vowed to stand by him.

They even went to the extent of having two security guards shadow him when the fired-up Sharks visited Pirtek Stadium in April.

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With an obligation to impart the truth and facts material to the biggest sports story of 2013, we reported each of these major developments in the face of denials, and intimidation.

Then, on the edge of the red carpet at Parramatta's most prestigious event of 2013, came the threats.

After locking eyes with Elkin, I bluntly welcomed him over for a chat.

Having already told our female photographer to "get f*&^ed" upon arrival a few minutes earlier, he was in the mood to oblige.

Out of respect for a private exchange - albeit one witnessed by dozens of people - I won't detail the precise conversation.

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Suffice to say I challenged him to point out any specific inaccuracies with our coverage, which he failed to do.

And suffice to say it ended with a threat as we parted ways.

It was all delivered with the conviction of a man completely assured of his own innocence, which must have made yesterday morning's phone call from NRL Integrity boss Jim Doyle an interesting one.

Doyle rang to personally inform Elkin that his NRL registration had been cancelled with immediate effect, thanks to the preliminary findings of the NRL's independent investigation.

Trainer, Trent Elkin keeps time during a Parramatta Eels secret training camp at Kiama. pic mark evans Source: News Limited

The eight provisional findings against Elkin include: exposing Cronulla players to "significant potential risks of health" and possible anti-doping breaches, personally injecting players without adequate qualifications, failing to obtain their fully informed consent in all circumstances and misrepresenting "material facts" about the supplement program.

As a result, Elkin has been told that, unless he can successfully defend the charges, he's likely to be outed from rugby league for at least two years.

Parramatta boss Scott Seward yesterday said Elkin was "very, very disappointed" with the findings and planned to fight them.

You can bet that when he does, he'll be wearing his game face.

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ELKIN - MARCH 19

"I have never condoned the use of performance enhancing drugs and I have not ever knowingly worked with anyone who did."

DAVE SMITH YESTERDAY

It is proposed that his NRL registration be cancelled. If that is the final decision, he will of course be at liberty to apply for registration at some time in the future but it is fair to observe that it is unlikely that any such application would receive favourable consideration if it is brought at any time within the next two years.

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THE EELS YESTERDAY

"At this stage the findings are provisional and Elkin has been given until 15 January, 2014 to respond. The club's primary focus is the welfare of Trent and his family during this difficult time."

WHAT ELKIN IS ACCUSED OF:

The preliminary NRL findings against Trent Elkin include that he:

* Exposed players to significant potential risks to health;

* Exposed players to possible breaches of the NRL anti-doping rules;

* Allowed persons without the necessary qualifications and training to administer supplements by injection;

* Personally injected players without adequate qualifications and training to do so;

* Failed to obtain the fully informed consent of players to the administration of particular supplements;

* Failed to comply with his obligation to inform the Club Doctor about changes that had been made to the supplement program and to obtain his prior approval with respect to those changes;

* Misrepresented material facts to players in relation to the supplement program;

* Failed to comply with a protocol that had been agreed on 7 April 2011 to the effect that the prior approval of the Club Doctor be obtained with respect to any supplements that were intended to be administered to players.

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