This is the first in a series of yarns that will explore the major issues currently facing the NRL. 'The Issues' will feature a look into the ASADA investigation, player welfare, player pathways, the salary cap and the ongoing issue of head injuries. These issues get limited coverage in New Zealand and any coverage they do get is pretty dumb, really, so we hope to give the people the information they need to make up their own minds. First up we look in to the ASADA investigation.

The ASADA investigation started with a hiss and a roar. A press conference was called and a group of apparently important people stood and told us that Australian sport had reached it's darkest day. To be honest, this all just looked like a fear tactic. Something that the police would do. Having numerous government officials stand there and tell you that performance enhancing drugs are a wide spread problem in Australian sport meant that the public would believe every word and those involved would feel the heat.

When this broke, I looked in to it and thanks to quite a lot of evidence, made up my mind that this was a ploy to take attention away from a rather dramatic time for the Australian government. Those unfamiliar with that idea might want to read up on it here. We're obviously not gonna go through the ins and outs of Australian politics, but it was ironic that such a fuss was made and yet so little evidence was produced, around the same time such a corrupt mess was being uncovered in Australian politics.

This investigation was meant to inform us that performance enhancing drugs were being used in the NRL and AFL as well as drawing a link between professional sports and the criminal underworld that is taking over Australia. The common factor in all the reported cases was Stephen Dank. Dank is a man who served as a nomadic adviser employed by many professional sports clubs in Australia to oversee their supplement program. The Medical Rejuvenation Centre is Dank's business which is now a website where you and I can purchase peptides which are illegal under W.A.D.A laws, but are okay for public use. Don't think any Tom, Dick or Harry could get these though as they apparently must be used under strict preparation within treatment guidelines determined by the Therapeutic Goods Association.

The crazy thing for me, is how Stephen Dank has snaked his way out of any great attention and questioning. While turmoil has hit the Cronulla Sharks, Essendon and players around the league such as Sandor Earl, Dank has threatened legal action against the media and kept a relatively low profile. But this is not any sort of attack on Dank, an interesting article in The Australian went some way to winning me over. In said article, Dank said:

"It was never, never my intention to be obstructive but at the end of the day they have created an environment where I have said obviously I am not going to assist simply because of a lack of process and a lack of respect.

"Had they come to me day one in a totally different tone, of course I would have some long and fruitful discussions. They were the ones that elected to throw that out the door. I make no apology for that"

For me, this highlights some very serious flaws in the way this investigation has panned out. Call it good PR or the plain old truth, all of my research in to Dank's workings have led me to believe that they try their hardest to be above board and abide by rules and regulations. You must remember that Dank and his business have worked on behalf of professional sports clubs. They aren't lurking in the shadows, out of the way from prying eyes. Dank is still a consultant with Super League Club and insists that nothing he or MCR did for any sports club was illegal or wrong. Bold and interesting claims from a man who is at the centre of Australia's so called 'darkest day in sport'.

It's all been a bit of a mess from those making these bold accusations. Besides the previously mentioned convenient timing of the announcement, the way the investigation has unfolded has been laughable. At the forefront of this comedic act were the scare tactics used by officials. It became pretty clear early on that ASADA's case wasn't watertight. After the initial song and dance, there was a strange lack of any concrete evidence. Now what happens in general society when you make outlandish comments about someone and then don't provide any evidence? Shit hits the fan and you look like a fool. Then get this, after not supplying much in the way of fact or evidence, they began to offer plea bargains if players named names and offered any information.

News outlets made a fuss about all the different deals players could do, getting only a 6 month ban as opposed to two years blah blah blah. Did you see any players taking that route? No. Although there isn't much loyalty left in professional sports, you are dealing with grown men who spend 6/7 days a week with their fellow players. That creates at least a little bit of camaraderie. No player would want to be known as the rat either. Then there's the idea that the players might not have anything to hide. What's the point of co-operating when you haven't done anything wrong? There are way too many questions here, a sign that this case isn't so water tight.

In part two, I'll look in to the clubs and players involved. This includes the Sharks, Sandor Earl and some weird connections with the Roosters. Stay tuned.