THE Central Queensland NRL bid team have fast-tracked stadium construction and drawn up a "2014 contingency document" in the event the Cronulla Sharks are crippled by the ASADA investigation.

With the Sharks expected to incur a seven figure fine in coming days, chief executive of the proposed Rockhampton-based club Denis Keeffe told The Courier-Mail a merged entity could be fully operational as early as February.

"If that did eventuate, and I won't make any comment about the likelihood of that happening (to the Sharks), we would be ready to go immediately," Keeffe said.

"We would prefer to have a licence to build our own club. If the NRL says there is a licence for a current club available then we would be interested too.

"We have plans that can be brought forward pretty quickly.''

Despite numerous denials, the code's senior officials did privately discuss the potential of the Sharks moving 1450km to Central Queensland earlier this year.

NRL chief executive Dave Smith is currently reviewing the independent report into the drug protocols of all 16 NRL clubs, including a more detailed analysis of the Sharks.

News_Image_File: Cairns Taipans CEO Dennis Keeffe is unhappy with the Cairns Convention Centre and its treatment of the Taipans basketball team.

Large fines for Cronulla and suspensions of its staff are expected at a minimum.

A merger with a Central Queensland-based NRL side could be the best way for the Sharks to have an NRL presence in the short-term.

Under NRL rules, the game's governing body has the power to rescind any club's licence if they deem it financially insolvent.

To ensure they are ready if required, Rockhampton officials have drawn up plans in case they receive a call from Smith next month.

News_Rich_Media: It was another year of high drama for the NRL, with the ASADA scandal and the off-field woes of Ben Barba and Blake Ferguson headlining a dramatic year for the code.

They have begun the "licencing and approval stage" for their stadium and pencilled in locations for their home games in 2014/15.

"We would prefer to play in a brand new world class stadium but we have plans in place just in case," Keeffe said.

"We have a plan that if the NRL says "go" we could play for a year and a half without a stadium.

"We have done a lot of work on the concept and the sizing of the stadium.

"Now it is about the licencing and approval stage which is about site selection and that is due to finish in June next year and from there it is 18 months of building.

News_Rich_Media: Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen is keen to move on and focus on rugby league as the NRL club prepare to discover the findings of ASADA's investigations.

"It is a matter of juggling around the 12 home games but the planning for that is done.

"We would play the three Queensland teams home and away at the opponent's ground in Townsville, Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

"We would play some games in central Queensland and we would also play home games in places like Darwin and New Zealand."

If the Sharks' licence is revoked and they refused to relocate, the NRL could be forced to offer a new license to meet the terms of their broadcast agreement.

Central Queensland is ready for that too.

"We would not field a strong side straight away but we would do everything we had to, to get a program together for 2014," Keeffe said.

"We would have a lot to do but we could do it.

"I would move heaven and earth to have a side from here in the NRL."