Craig Bellamy has offered his support to Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan with Sharks players under investigation for the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Up to 14 Sharks players have reportedly been offered six-month suspensions if they come clean or risk maximum two-year bans.
Flanagan worked as an assistant under Bellamy when the Storm coach was in charge of the New South Wales State of Origin side.
The 53-year-old said he was yet to speak to Flanagan, but knew what he was going through after the Storm's salary cap scandal of 2010.
"I understand what he's going through or what he would be going through at the moment," Bellamy said on Thursday.
"There are no results to come out yet but it's not looking so good.
"He's just got to make sure he grits his teeth and hangs in there and whatever is decided, he's got to go with it and make the best of it that he can."
Cronulla's season would be thrown into disarray if 14 players were suspended.
Bellamy said television rights meant the Sharks had to field a team, but believes they would struggle even if they were given concessions.
"Even if that did happen I don't know where they'd find the players. Most players are at clubs now and some players have gone over to the Super League," he said.
"All clubs have got their players, they're not going to release too many. If that figure of 14 is right, it's a lot of players to find."
The Storm face St George Illawarra in their NRL season opener on Sunday and temperatures in Melbourne are expected to reach 32 degrees.
Bellamy said several players could be rested with a five-day turnaround between the Storm's Round 2 clash against the Cowboys and a meeting with the Bulldogs.
"The welfare of our players is the most important thing for this club," he said.
"If we think that players can come into harm by playing too many games in a short period of time or playing in heat too often, we'll pull players out.
"It's obviously our older players who are more affected by that than the younger guys."