Hooper: The ‘web of deceit’ ASADA was trying to uncover when they seized Xerri’s phone

When the authorities seize your mobile phone in the sporting world - it’s all but game, set, match.

Whether it’s ASADA, the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the walls are closing in.

Rugby league, AFL, horse racing, it doesn’t matter.

What they are chasing is further evidence and the web of deceit.

Who’s the supplier, who else knows, where’s it all coming from?

Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership, returning Thursday 28th May. Watch every game Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

This is how Sandor Earl ended up serving a four-year drugs ban – after his phone was seized by customs at Sydney Airport and authorities uncovered 692 text messages.

Retired Cronulla captain Paul Gallen and ex-Blues and Kangaroos backrower Anthony Watmough also had mobile phones seized by customs at Sydney Airport in 2013.

So the fact ASADA officials confiscated Bronson Xerri’s mobile phone on Tuesday is a critical development.

The authorities only need a mobile phone for ten minutes to be able to download every single piece of information it’s ever contained.

So if anyone else at the Sharks or any other NRL club is involved or has knowledge of Xerri’s case, there’s a good chance it’s going to get made public.

The NRL has no choice but to launch a full-scale integrity unit investigation into the Sharks – even if as it’s being suggested Xerri had gone rogue alone.

This is the same club who was pinched for the peptide scandal in 2013 which resulted in then coach Shane Flanagan being banned for 12 months and 15 players being issued with 12-month back-dated doping bans.

The record states they were duped, not doped.

MORE NRL NEWS

DRUGS BUST: Sharks star stood down, faces four-year ban for ASADA breach

TRYING TO CREATE HEADLINE: Gallen lashes out at ASADA timing

FASTEST IN THE NRL: Sprint coach’s boastful Xerri claim

This is also the same club who when the NRL audited the club’s computer system in 2013, had an employee who’d been ordering peptides online.

The NRL still has the receipts.

The employee was moved on but then later re-emerged as a third-party who was involved when the Sharks got pinched for salary cap rorting in 2018.

There is no suggestion any of this has anything to do with the current Xerri case, but you get the picture.

Cronulla has a history of being a club prepared to break the rules. Even ex-coach Flanagan’s most recent ban was for breaching the terms of his initial 12-month suspension.

Xerri’s positive A-sample lends and the fact ASADA has sat on it for six months lends itself towards the rookie centre having next to no chance of beating the charge.

The bigger picture question now remains was Xerri simply a lone wolf – or is there more to the story?

The Sharks rookie’s mobile phone could hold all the answers.