Rugby league star Beau Ryan has relived the doping scandal nightmare which he says tore Cronulla Sharks and the NRL apart.
Ryan, 36, was caught up in the investigation of the crisis that rocked Australian sport, arriving at the Sharks in 2013 just as the probe into the 2011 breaches began.
The club was accused of doping players with illegal growth hormone, ending in a $1million fine for the club and 12 month ban for head coach Shane Flanagan.
Winger Ryan had just arrived at the club after five years with West Tigers when their pre-season ground to a halt after the NRL integrity unit suddenly arrived.
Ryan revealed the details on the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) probe in a chat with AFL Collingwood great Nathan Buckley on Ten's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
'Nath asked me today about the doping scandal at Cronulla and I was there when the ASADA scandal came out but I wasn’t there in 2011 when all the allegations were made of doping,' Ryan said in a piece-to-camera.
'It ripped the league apart,' he revealed.
Rugby league star Beau Ryan (pictured) has relived the doping scandal nightmare which he says ripped Cronulla Sharks and the NRL apart
'We got called in at training one day and the integrity unit was there and the commission and all these people
'And they said, "You've seen the news? This is going to be one of the darkest days in sport. Something happened at this club in regards to doping and stuff. Be honest and tell us what's happened because they've got ya".'
'We were in a room for like 12 hours. That was the first day of the investigation.'
Cronulla Sharks were accused of doping players with illegal growth hormone, ending in a $1million fine for the club and 12 month ban for head coach Shane Flanagan
Winger Beau Ryan (pictured) had just arrived at the club after five years with West Tigers when their pre-season ground to a halt after the NRL integrity unit suddenly arrived
The sports scientist at the centre of the investigation, Stephen Dank, also worked with Essendon, which became embroiled in the probe. Dank has now been banned for life by the AFL.
The investigation derailed the Sharks' season, with players repeatedly
