Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan rejected advice to part ways with trainer Trent Elkin Cronulla Sharks chairman Damian Keogh has placed a heavy burden on former trainer Trent Elkin, insisting he was largely to blame for the NRL club's supplement scandal. Suspended trainer Trent Elkin, now at the Parramatta Eels, pictured at Parramatta Stadium. SUSPENDED Sharks coach Shane Flanagan rejected advice to part ways with trainer Trent Elkin just months after the club's fateful supplement program was abandoned midway through 2011. The Daily Telegraph can reveal club management actively encouraged the former head coach to take his strength and conditioning unit in a different direction for 2012, with the recommendation based solely on poor results over the previous three seasons. Suspended former Sharks trainer Trent Elkin, now at the Parramatta Eels. At the time, knowledge of Elkin's role in establishing and executing the supplement program had not progressed beyond the football department. A well-placed source at the Sharks confirmed that Flanagan spoke to other candidates toward the end of 2011, but decided to stick with Elkin. "He came back and said Trent was still the best guy for the job and there was no point changing," the source said. Elkin left the Sharks at the end of the following season, following former Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart to Parramatta. Flanagan's loyalty to Elkin has now festered into a blame game between the pair. In their bid to defend Flanagan, Cronulla are likely to shift the entire blame onto Elkin, who welcomed sports scientist Stephen Dank to the club and injected players personally. Suspended Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan during a training session. Elkin, whose is facing a life ban after his registration was cancelled on Tuesday, has told ASADA that Flanagan was given an early brief about the injections. Elkin has indicated he will fight the NRL punishment, as has Flanagan. Flanagan was yesterday spotted in lunch time talks with his manager, Wayne Beavis, and Sharks CEO Steve Noyce at a Brighton le Sands cafe.