Suspended Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has fronted an NRL panel at Rugby League Central on Monday, trying to have his return to the game approved and resume control at Remondis Stadium this week.
Banned for 12 months last December by the NRL over failures in duty of care to players during the club's 2011 supplements program Flanagan was offered a reduction to a nine-month sanction if he complied with the governing body's demand he undertake an intensive educational course on his responsibilities.
That period expires on Wednesday, allowing him to resume his duties at Cronulla after sitting out the entire season. Flanagan, though, first had to convince an interview panel comprising NRL chief executive Dave Smith, head of football Todd Greenberg and integrity unit boss Nick Weeks that he was fit to take charge again in the Sutherland Shire.
That meeting took place on Monday, with Flanagan accompanied by Sharks chief executive Steve Noyce to League Central. The pair then left and drove off together around midday.
The head coach was banned from any official involvement and contact with the club and the game throughout Cronulla's forgettable campaign, in which they claimed the wooden spoon and five contracted players were suspended for the final three rounds after accepting backdated suspensions offered by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
However, having been re-signed for a further three years in the midst of his ban, Flanagan will be eager to begin off-season planning this week if given the green light by Smith, Greenberg and Weeks.
The Sharks confirmed Flanagan met NRL officials but said they would not make any further comment.
His clearance to return to the NRL would not completely free him of the damaging post-script to Cronulla's program of injections, creams and tablets that took place in the early stages of the 2011 season.
Flanagan has been named as a defendant in civil action being taken by former Sharks players Josh Cordoba, Isaac Gordon and Broderick Wright in relation to substances given to them three years ago.
Other defendants in the case are the Cronulla club, sports scientist Stephen Dank and the Sharks' then head trainer Trent Elkin, who had his own NRL-imposed suspension of two years reduced to 21 months in June.
Elkin last month told Fairfax Media that Flanagan had been aware the use of peptides via injections, orchestrated by Dank, at the club in 2011.
Flanagan, however, has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the affair.
Dank, meanwhile, has effectively been barred from the code for life, with the NRL declaring they would refuse any bid for him to be registered on a club's support staff.
