The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority extracted blood from Cronulla players at the club's final training session, sending a message its pursuit of drug cheats in the NRL is long term and it has no concerns for the sensitivities of athletes in big games.

Sharks officials are furious the anti-doping body sent staff to the club's last training session before the final against Manly and took blood samples, rather than the usual urine tests. Cronulla subsequently lost a close clash to the Sea Eagles. Apart from the discomfort of having blood taken, Sharks players were also unnerved by the reminder of the supplements crisis that has sat like a dark cloud above the club since the Australian Crime Commission's ''blackest day in sport'' announcement in February.

While ARLC chairman John Grant has indicated an ASADA report on the NRL's supplements scandal is imminent, the anti-doping body is clearly determined to establish blood profiles of players to establish ''biological passports'' in its long-term pursuit of cheats.

However, the AFL and NRL communities are convinced no infraction notices can be served against either code until sports scientist Stephen Dank is interviewed and provides evidence of which drugs were administered to whom. An internal report commissioned by the Sharks in February cites two banned drugs injected into players by a member of the Cronulla training staff at the instigation of Dank.

However, Dank took the Essendon program largely off site and the AFL anticipates he will remain silent and therefore not incriminate their players. It has emerged Dank could have become involved with the Melbourne Storm, except for the due diligence exercised by the club's football department, led by experienced football manager Frank Ponissi.