Cronulla Sharks supplement scandal ends

Omnisports

October 13, 2016 7:42 AM

Paul Aiton, Colin Best, Stuart Flanagan, Ben Pomeroy and John Williams were given backdated one-year suspensions by the NRL.

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The NRL have confirmed that five former Cronulla Sharks players have received backdated one-year suspensions to finally bring an end to the supplements scandal.

Paul Aiton, Colin Best, Stuart Flanagan, Ben Pomeroy and John Williams were given 12-month bans on Thursday for breaches of anti-doping rules five years ago.

All five had their bans backdated, so their period suspensions have now been served. Williams and Best have both retired anyway, while Aiton plies his trade with Super League side Catalans Dragons.

Pomeroy also played in France for semi-professional outfit Lezignan Sangliers this year, while Flanagan plays recreational rugby league.

The quintet are the final players to be sanctioned a long-running saga which rocked the NRL.

An NRL statement said: "The NRL confirmed that five former Cronulla Sharks players have received sanctions for breaches of the game's anti-doping rules during the 2011 Season.

"The former players – Paul Aiton, Colin Best, Stuart Flanagan, Ben Pomeroy and John Williams - received reduced suspensions of 12 months on the basis that they bore no significant fault in the breaches.

"The suspension of each former player was also backdated for a period between six and nine months owing to the length of the investigation and each has now expired.

"The sanctions are the last to be imposed arising from the investigation of breaches of the anti-doping rules during the 2011 season which saw a total of 17 players sanctioned."

Omnisports

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