Sharks coach ‘proud’ of club culture despite fresh drugs scandal

Sharks coach John Morris has rubbished claims of a culture issue at Cronulla after Bronson Xerri tested positive for banned substances.

The Sharks were embroiled in a 2011 peptides scandal, leading to allegations that Xerri was subject to a problem environment well before supplying a positive sample.

But Morris has emphatically denied that is the case, telling Nine News the club has moved on from past issues.

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“We certainly acknowledge that (2011 scandal) and it’s very unfortunate that we’ve had another case, but it was nine years ago when that incident took place,” he told the network.

“To put that into perspective, Bronson was around 10 years old and 99 per cent of the playing group wasn’t at the club.

“The club paid a huge price for that and then learned a really hard lesson, as did the NRL and Australian sport.”

Morris added that the club has “strict governance programs” in place and that his players are well educated by the club doctor.

“I’m really proud of the culture at our club and we’ve worked really hard to turn it around. We’ve turned it around both on and off the field,” Morris said.

Nonetheless, Morris said he was “devastated” by the news of Xerri’s positive test, while captain Wade Graham said he’s “shattered” for both player, fans and the league itself.

The team, however, must dust itself down with the league resuming on Thursday. The Sharks’ round three clash is against Wests Tigers on Saturday.