The NRL is one continuous bucks party
Roar Guru By LeftArmSpinner, 24 Jul 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- Ben Pomeroy, Ben Roberts, Canberra, Daniel Conn, New Zealand Warriors, Rugby League, Warriors
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It must be winter because the sports pages are full of NRL players getting drunk, abusing women and doing cowardly, criminal things.
This week we had two Canberra players, two Canterbury players, and eight Under-20 players in a brawl.
There are so many examples of this criminal behaviour, that I don’t need to search the archives for more evidence.
But here are a few just in case: Warriors Michael Crockett charged with rape; Hayne in Kings Cross; Kenny Dowall and Sa in Woolongong; Ben Roberts also in Woolongong; Daniel Conn on drugs charges; Ben Pomeroy on assault charges; Mason urinating in public …
We all know the problem, but we would probably still be surprised by the number of incidences.
There is no excuse.
Other people of the same age, with similar cash in their pockets, don’t carry on like this.
Forget the player drain. The class players will soon realise that they can’t afford to rely on this rogue element, particularly when it is not being dealt with.
Carney either urinated on someone’s leg or he didn’t. The evidence points to his guilt and he has form. Lots of it.
A memo to coaches: “Implement the ‘No Dickhead’ rule, for the sake of our teams, your clubs, and the code itself.”
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- Ben Pomeroy, Ben Roberts, Canberra, Daniel Conn, New Zealand Warriors, Rugby League, Warriors
July 24th 2008 @ 1:36pm
Andrew Marks said | July 24th 2008 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
It’s a team cultural thing – look at the Brisbane Bronco’s, Sydney Swans, Canterbury Crusaders and the current Wallabies.
Its about building respect, trust, pride, integrity and camaradarie – all overseen by strong management, both on and off the field.
July 24th 2008 @ 1:43pm
True Tah said | July 24th 2008 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
LAS makes the point that initially Sydney rugby league was funded by poker machines.
There was uproar in the land of leagues clubs when the new anti-smoking laws came in, and the NSW govt introduced a poker machine tax.
I guess this is another way of saying that sydney rugby leagues clubs rely on smokers gambling away their cash. Maybe this sort of attitude has gone to the players heads.
Andrew makes some good points, and the case of the Broncos, Crusaders and Wallabies, the common denominator is a man of integrity, who gets the respect of his players who listen to him. Are these sort of guys lacking in most rugby league clubs?
Mason has had a chequered history whether it was going on on the piss during Origin, doing cab runners or urinating in public. Its also clear the bloke had bugger all respect for Steve Folkes his coach at the Dogs, given his comments this year.
Do you guys think Mason would have done any of this if he had a Wayne Bennett or a Robbie Deans coaching him?
July 24th 2008 @ 1:47pm
LeftArmSpinner said | July 24th 2008 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
michael c, uni students and 18-25s generally were typically representing themselves, not others or institutions. they live with the consequences. these guys represent much more and are paid accordingly. they are human beings and must live within societal rules. simple. if they dont want to, fine. no money. no responsibility. they can take it out on the girlfriend/wife.
July 24th 2008 @ 1:49pm
LeftArmSpinner said | July 24th 2008 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
as for Willie, he probably wouldnt have taken them on, tho i dont think the monkey is pedalling very hard in his head. what is for sure is that he would only do it once. just ask Costigan and Seymour, formerly of the Broncos. Mistake and gone!!!!! give the problem to someone else.
July 24th 2008 @ 2:00pm
sledgeross said | July 24th 2008 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Leftarm, its obvious by your elitist diatribe that you are not a rugby league fan, and thats entirely your right, and you do make some extremely valid point regarding personal responsibility. You are talking about exceptional circumstances of anti-social behaviour. Im sure most blokes here have gone out with mates as young blokes and done things (such as urinating in a city side street) that are not socially accepted. So yes, arrest me. I have urinated in a public place, Ive done 115 in a 110 speeding zone, Ive littered before when I havent found a bin, Ive had a push and shove at a dingy nightspot. Lucky we dont have corporal punishment!
The extreme cases you name such as rape and assult should be punished severely, no matter what position in society you hold. No one from any code or walk of life will tolerate that behaviour, nor should they.
I do find it humorous about some of the names you mentioned as upholders of sporting virtue. Mark Waugh, a player who associated with bookies. Merv Hughes and Glenn McGrath, globally acknowledged as two of the more petulent and foul-mouthed sportsman produced by this nation. There are ratbags in EVERY sport, just like there are wankers in every facet of society. Rugby League is under the microscope because their players are the most recognisable and get the most coverage in the Sydney media.
You want to pick on League players specifically, what about blokes like Steve Price, Petero Civaneceva, Hazem el Masri, Craig Wing, Brett Kimmorley, Andrew Ryan and Steve Menzies?
July 24th 2008 @ 2:05pm
Michael C said | July 24th 2008 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
leftarmspinner -
individuals who’ve gone off the rails must be answerable, certainly.
It’s the breadth of the ‘circles of influence’ for the individual that might dictate the capacity to ‘live with the consequences’. It’s far harder for a fellow who was ‘exposed’ publicly to live down what might just have been a once off incident – - as distinct to we nondescripts who invariably could stuff up totally anon.
It’s the flipside, but – - we all need to retain perspective, some incidents should either NOT be reported (i.e. so minor that there can’t possibly be a public interest being served), or, NOT reported until proven (potential public interest should a guilty finding result, but, in the mean time, innocent until proven guilty rarely seems to apply in the court of ‘football media’). I still reckon we just know too much these days,
that said, for the BIG stuff ups, the serious criminal acts – - – well, certainly, go to town,
July 24th 2008 @ 2:17pm
LeftArmSpinner said | July 24th 2008 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
sledgeross, Not eliteist at all. played league and union. Just that as a parent, and son of an invalid, i am very sensitive to those that abuse the system.
of course there is the need for perspective. From what i heard of Tilse, he got the rough end of the pineapple and Steve Irwin’s announcement in the paper is similar. but what about the bloke who was allegedly pissed on, and probably pressured into withdrawing allegations. How does he feel, apart from soiled and damp!!!
Just to win a few footy games. Give me a break.
Some of my most memorable games were ones we lost. Like London NZ in the snow!!! Their home ground, wouldnt call it off. there was 6 inches of snow. we arrived to see a bloke in black track suit silhouetted against a white field. They belted us. I dropped almost every high ball, or should i say soap!!! but, geez the warm beer tasted good afterwards. Playing in Fiji. couldnt get an overlap for 3/4 of the game. at first i thought it was the previous night’s cava, and then in desperation, I counted the players. They had 17. No wonder!!!
July 24th 2008 @ 2:17pm
sledgeross said | July 24th 2008 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
I think we would all agree that Todd Carney should be thrown out of the game and de-registered. Hes only a young bloke but he has had his chance. Lets see how he likes being a builders labourer for a year or two.
July 24th 2008 @ 2:19pm
LeftArmSpinner said | July 24th 2008 @ 2:19pm | Report comment
michael C, exactly, but league doesnt do that. they are paying the price but too dumb or clouded by self interest to see it coming.
July 24th 2008 @ 4:42pm
John Ryan said | July 24th 2008 @ 4:42pm | Report comment
Then there were the Rugby Union players in the Pom touring side in NZ who where whitewashed after a rape allegations, people who live in glass houses should not throw stones,but then you get to expect this kind of crap from some RU people