Cronulla Sharks sponsorship in jeopardy over drug testing

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HappilyManly

Journey Man
Cronulla Sharks sponsorship in jeopardy over drug testing demands
July 15, 2014 Chris Barrett (Buzz - how did you miss this expose :huh:)


Cronulla's new major sponsors want to begin testing Sharks players for recreational drug and alcohol use this season and have signalled they may end their newfound alliance with the club if they are not permitted to do so.

Labour Health signed on as the club's main backer in the wake of Todd Carney's sacking last month following the release on social media of a disturbing photo of the five-eighth taken during a night out in Cronulla.

The new sponsors, whose primary business is conducting drug and alcohol tests at workplaces, say they invested in Cronulla on the condition of implementing their own screening regime at the last-placed NRL club.

Labour Health general manager Regan Brown told Fairfax Media on Monday he hoped to begin an "internal control" at training sessions in the final rounds of this year's premiership.

"What we want to do is implement it before the end of the season - it might be the final four or five rounds - and we'd sort of go down there once a week just to get it in," Brown said.

"And after the initial shock of it being implemented, maybe just once a month. It's a discipline thing that once incorporated people must abide by, and the culture of the club will strengthen around that. If we find that everything is squeaky clean, you don't need to be down there every day."

However, Cronulla were reminded by the NRL on Monday that clubs were not allowed to conduct their own testing for illicit drugs, a League Central policy that places the Sharks' new partnership in jeopardy less than a fortnight after it was announced. The NRL's testing is done by Laverty Pathology, who are now also monitoring whether there is an issue with the abuse of prescription drugs by players.

"Clubs are prohibited from conducting their own in-house testing for illicit drugs," an NRL spokesman said. "The NRL contracts a major pathology company to conduct uniform tests across all clubs. This ensures there is consistency for every player and every club.

"That arrangement is in place for the next one to two years however that's not to say that other companies won't be invited to tender for such work in the future."

Labour Health joined as major sponsors for the rest of the season following Carney's sacking with the intention of drawing up a new drug and alcohol policy and undertaking random screening of players.

Their connection with the Sharks beyond this season would appear to be in doubt if they can't showcase their services as they desire.

"We had an informal discussion during the process of the negotiation that was around coming in and updating their drug and alcohol policy and putting our best foot forward to show corporate Australia about what we can do," Brown said.

"If we can't actually put our best foot forward it makes it not as attractive. That was the reason we got on board, that's all I can say.

"I want my company out there as the leading drug and alcohol testing company for businesses and organisations in Australia, not just to be the Sharkies' No.1 supporter. As much as I love them, I'm not in the business of giving my money away because I'm in love with the Sharks."

Brown has ambitions to have his company conduct illicit drug and alcohol testing at more than one club.

He identified the Sharks, having cut ties with Carney over an alcohol-related incident, as the launching pad.

"The Sharks have suffered from the exposure of its personnel who are affected by drugs and alcohol," he says on his Linkedin page.

Brown added on Monday: "Footy clubs are all about the families and the supporters and the kids as well as the sponsors and the sponsors don't want to have their names all over the press for the wrong reasons. That was why the Sharks struggled having sponsors."

Cronulla have been simultaneously waiting to hear from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority for an update on its long-running investigation into their 2011 supplements program.

"We're excited about the new corporate partners that have come on board in challenging times," Cronulla chief executive Steve Noyce said. "Obviously these people have a strong desire and passion to help the club out, not just financially in terms of the sponsorship, but to help us build a strong culture.

"But at the same time the club are aware of NRL rules regarding certain aspects of testing. We need to work with the NRL and hopefully there might be opportunities for our corporate partners to be part of the solution for the game."




Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/cronulla-sharks-sponsorship-in-jeopardy-over-drug-testing-demands-20140714-zt6uq.html#ixzz37TnmU5dg
 
Seems like a cheap stunt by the sponsor. They said when coming on board they knew what they were doing

Cronulla > ASADA > work place drug testing company. I think it is only to promote their company, no intention of being a true sponsor
 
"Clubs are prohibited from conducting their own in-house testing for illicit drugs," an NRL spokesman said. "


why the hell would this be the case?

As long as the nrl keep doing their own drug testing, why would they care if the clubs take on their own program of testing?

It really is such an amateurish run donkus-ship.
 
voicefromthehill said:
Seems like a cheap stunt by the sponsor. They said when coming on board they knew what they were doing

Cronulla > ASADA > work place drug testing company. I think it is only to promote their company, no intention of being a true sponsor

Isn't the whole purpose of sponsorship to promote your product?
 
Alan said:
voicefromthehill said:
Seems like a cheap stunt by the sponsor. They said when coming on board they knew what they were doing

Cronulla > ASADA > work place drug testing company. I think it is only to promote their company, no intention of being a true sponsor

Isn't the whole purpose of sponsorship to promote your product?

Yes - but I think this is a cynical ploy, nothing altruistic about it

To expand - they have got their names in the press without handing over any cash if I am correctly interpreting the article. I believe that is the purpose. I don't think they intend to sponsor at all.
 
This is disgraceful reporting!!! Not one mention of:

1) DCE and Choc hating each other
2) Matai wanting to rocket out of brookie
3) The Manly Board throwing staplers at each other
4) Glenn Stewarts departure destabilizing the title run
5) Jamie Lyon refusing to play rep footy
6) DCE going to play for another NRL club

We need to boycott the Herald, the DT would have at least 4 of the above items in any Rugby League article.
 
This sounds all too familiar to our attempt to sign a betting company as a sponsor a few years back and we were prevented to do so by the NRL as they had a contracted betting sponsor in place for the game. It is also the reason why no other team was allowed to get a sponsorship with another phone company other than Telstra as they were the sponsor for the whole NRL. The only exception to this rule were the Warriors who had already had Vodafone in place as their sponsor before Telstra came on board as the games major sponsor.
 
globaleagle said:
"Clubs are prohibited from conducting their own in-house testing for illicit drugs," an NRL spokesman said. "


why the hell would this be the case?



As long as the nrl keep doing their own drug testing, why would they care if the clubs take on their own program of testing?

It really is such an amateurish run donkus-ship.

Because if clubs did inhouse testing and a player was found positive of a drug before the nrl found out it could be covered up by a "long-term" injury. If clubs arent doing that already...
 
seaeagles4life said:
globaleagle said:
"Clubs are prohibited from conducting their own in-house testing for illicit drugs," an NRL spokesman said. "


why the hell would this be the case?



As long as the nrl keep doing their own drug testing, why would they care if the clubs take on their own program of testing?

It really is such an amateurish run donkus-ship.

Because if clubs did inhouse testing and a player was found positive of a drug before the nrl found out it could be covered up by a "long-term" injury. If clubs arent doing that already...
Injury or gambling issues / cue rehab facility.
 
The Wheel said:
Time to unpack all their old jumpers...
who knows,maybe when the dust settles,the truth will come out,and they will come out with ASADA on their jerseys as their major sponsor,its been a ploy all along
 

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