Disgraced club chief denies drug problem
SYDNEY: Former Cronulla Sharks chairman Damian Keogh denied he has a drugs problem Monday after being charged with possession of a prohibited substance.
Keogh, a three- time Olympic basketballer, stepped down from his role with the reigning National Rugby League champions on Saturday following his arrest in inner Sydney.
Police searched him at a pub on Friday evening and allegedly found a quantity of white powder, believed to be cocaine, with the 55-year- old set to appear in court on June 30.
“I don’t have a drug problem. People who know me know this isn’t me, it’s not what I’m about,” Keogh told Channel Nine television.
“It’s obviously been a very distressing time personally for my family and I’ve just been bunkering down and trying to register things.
“I’ve stood down as chairman of the Sharks to try and distance myself from that at this stage. The club is in great shape and they’ll move forward and just see how things go.”
Keogh’s arrest was one of several drug-related scandals which sent the NRL into damage control over the weekend.
Gold Coast Titans co- captain Kevin Proctor and New Zealand Test captain Jesse Bromwich have relinquished their roles following an alleged drug incident in Canberra on Friday.
It came after Sydney Roosters back Shaun Kenny- Dowall, a New Zealand international, was arrested for drug possession last week.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg defended the sport, which has suffered a long series of off-field scandals.
“I don’t think the game’s got any bigger problem than what society has on a weekly and daily basis in confronting these sorts of challenges,” he said.
“We’ve hundreds of young men inside the rugby league network. We do a huge amount of education, we do a huge amount of testing ( but) we’re still going to have issues, we know that.”