Todd Carney’s mate really has balls
Roar Guru
By ScottWoodward.me, 8 Jan 2010 ScottWoodward.me is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brad Smith, NRL, Rugby League, Sydney Roosters, Todd Carney
Todd Carney’s mate Brad Smith had the power to ruin the Rooster’s 2010 season before it started when he had his pants set on fire on New Years Eve at Airlie Beach. But he put their aspirations back on track by releasing the following statement.
”I just want to set the record straight about the media reporting going on,” Smith said. ”I was away at Airlie Beach with a few mates including Todd. We were all performing pranks and mucking about and in the process I received a burn to my backside.
“While a bit painful it was nowhere near as severe as has been reported and I hold no grudge against Todd or any of my other mates. This has been blown way out of proportion.”
Todd Carney is the prized recruit for the Roosters, who landed at the Moore Park Headquarters with a long list of bad boy misdemeanors. But after spending 12 months at beautiful Atherton, near Cairns, playing for the footy team and pulling beer in the local, the powers that be were convinced that only good was ahead.
Given the problems that they had in 2009, including the recent sacking of hooker Jake Friend, one can only imagine how Roosters officials welcomed in New Years Day shaking their heads.
When I was told what had happened, I thought it was a gee up.
I didn’t think anybody could be so stupid, given Carney’s resume and his club’s recent history.
How could someone be so careless and thoughtless to not only almost give himself a life sentence from the NRL, but also crucify his Roosters team mates and the officials who have put so much faith in him?
Nobody expects Carney to consume only water and vitamin pills and live in a cocoon with a body guard. But at some stage sanity has to kick in and payback time has to arrive to all the people who have invested in this talented kid from Canberra.
The first in the queue is his mate Brad Smith. Happy New Year, Todd.
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Foxy Loxy said | January 8th 2010 @ 7:11am | Report comment
As Brian Smith said on 2KY this morning, if Carney cuts in front of another driver on the way home from Roosters training, it will be national news.
Meanwhile none of the past month’s ample number of AFL atrocities have appeared in the NSW media.
Mr Real Australian it's called Football Man formerly known as Kurt said | January 8th 2010 @ 7:14am | Report comment
Whereas Todd Carney’s behaviour has attracted MASSIVE attention in the Melbourne media…
Seriously, when will people stop being surprised that the Sydney media are more interested in what Rugby League players get up to and the Melbourne media are more focused on AFL players?
Foxy Loxy said | January 8th 2010 @ 7:36am | Report comment
Really? You must have missed for example the Melbourne centric 7pm Project team waste 5 minutes of their Tuesday night show on Carney and the NRL. They have not once spent any time covering the Carlton booze cruise.
Mushi said | January 8th 2010 @ 8:32am | Report comment
And this is why it was madness to pay him an elite level contract. He’s got more baggage than an industrial heiress on holidays in Paris and now we are going to pay him elite money to play a position which would be, at best, a distant third.
I’m all for giving a guy another crack but Jesus Christ where si the risk reward trade off, the optimistic scenario is that he justifies his contract. The middle of the road scenario is that he’s going to be, fairly or unfairly, embroiled in a few controversies over the course of the season and is going to have his bad patches of adjusting back to first grade.
Mick from Giralang said | January 8th 2010 @ 8:36am | Report comment
I’d assume his contract has extensive caveats in the event of bad behaviour. Also be surprised if the is on the top rung of payments.
Paul J said | January 8th 2010 @ 8:39am | Report comment
If you try to light up your own flatulence whilst having already spilt vodka or tequila on your jeans then you will need to sit on a pillow for a week or so.
Todd will be watched like a hawk but we will have to wait and see how he gets through 2010.
Mushi said | January 8th 2010 @ 8:53am | Report comment
Mick the reports that came out around the time had him around the 300k mark. Even if they do have the ability to void it still ate a large chunk of the Fitzy, O’melley and Mini cap space that should have been sued to target young forwards.
Getting the space back now doesn’t allow us to put in a retrospective bid for Dave Taylor
Mick from Giralang said | January 8th 2010 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Gee that’s big money for a player who is relatively unproven…you’d want a guaranteed match winner for that sort of pelf, let alone one with his history.
ScottWoodward.me said | January 8th 2010 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
Mushi
The Roosters have probably the best list of young forwards in the NRL.
* Boyd Cordner, regarded by Peter O’Sullivan as the best forward in the NRL for his age.
* Tom Symonds, a special local talent with genuine pace
* Anthony Cherrington, needs to improve his defence but destined to represent.
* Jared Waerea-Hargraves, already a NZ international
* Frank Paul Nuuausla, was a star on recent 4 National Tour for NZ.
Dave Taylor found a niche playing in the left centre position for the Bronocs but he has a poor work rate and is the worst defender in the NRL for a big man.
Mushi said | January 12th 2010 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Scott I too was critical of him at the start but once he was inserted in the starting line up he averaged 101 metres a game and 27 tackles and 3.8 line breaks.
As for our young forwards of those only FP is anything more than a capital P for potential and very tiny subscript P for production. His work rate last year made Taylor look like Steve Price with a pedestrian 86/19/2.5 as a starter over the back end.
FP is young enough that the glimpses he’s shown could possibly be a sign of thigns to come, but he hasn’t shown it yet. As for the rest they are all projects that will require a lot of development and are far from sure fire winners. Every clubs has the “best young player I’ve seen” and yet they give you zero in the metres/tackles.
Could all of those listed become quality first graders – yes. But would you take even money on that bet?
There are plenty of 24 to 26 year old props that have proven to give you go forward and will have 3 to 5 years of peak production left in their legs, but ironically – because NRL execs seemingly are unaware of basic valuation principles – they’ll probably only get paid for that production after the next 3 to 5 years.
Bazza said | January 8th 2010 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Carneys rap sheet….
16th December 2006
Carney was charged with drink driving and reckless driving, He received a suspended jail sentence.
18th May 2007, Carney re-offended, despite being disqualified from driving, he was invovled in high-speed chase through the back streets of the Canberra. Carney was charged with drink driving and reckless driving failing to stop when directed by police, negligent driving and driving while disqualified, He received a suspended jail sentence.
20th July 2008, Carney urinated on a man at a Canberra nightclub
9th February 2009, Carney went on a property damaging rampage damaging a vehicle and stores. He received a 12-month suspended jail sentence.
10th May 2009 – Carney was in an altercation outside a pub in Atherton was arrested but later released with out charge.
No wonder the media is waiting for the next incident.
Its fair enough to say that the media dont focus on AFL or A- League as much, I know that in the A-League this year alone a junior sydney player has been charged with sex with a minor, Farina got sacked for drink driving, Tim Cahill got drunk at a bar. But every time a league player gets bad media press they defence of the media doesnt look other codes doesnt really change the fact that the incidents occuring are serious and frequent. Frankly Im not really suprised that Carney went to the Rooster it was them or Cronulla really.
Jim Wilson said | January 9th 2010 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
Bazza
Regarding the Atherton incident I don’t think Carney was arrested. He was assaulted by a gang of youths.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/19/2602581.htm
“…Carney suffered a black eye and bruising when he was assaulted by a group of men outside an Atherton hotel about 2am on May 10….”
Ryan said | January 8th 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Tim Cahill got drunk at a bar – say it ain’t so. They should tear up his contract right now. It is a fair stretch to compare him to Carney.
Foxy Loxy said | January 8th 2010 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
Well, Cahill is a national representative player isn’t he?.Carney was a no-name running around with Canberra.
Mick from Giralang said | January 8th 2010 @ 2:56pm | Report comment
Cahill got drunk and got into an altercation with bouncers.
Punter said | January 8th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Yeah you were there oh no, the daily Terror told us!!!!
Punter said | January 8th 2010 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
One a national treasure & the other a national outcast.
Foxy Loxy said | January 8th 2010 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
All the national treasures are in Canberra, as was Carney.
Mick from Giralang said | January 9th 2010 @ 5:42am | Report comment
The security guard at the centre of the Cahill incident has no doubt about happened…oh, and yes, he was there…
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/soccer/bouncer-reveals-why-he-had-to-turf-tim-cahill/story-e6frey4r-1225737430504
Ryan said | January 9th 2010 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
He won’t be the last bloke to be drunk in the Cross and get in scuffle with the bouncers. It would happen 100s of times every week but Tim has a profile. Forgive me for taking the DT and the Bouncer’s story with a grain of salt, neither has a stellar reputation for the facts.
ScottWoodward.me said | January 8th 2010 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
IF, and at this point it may be a big IF, but if he can find his best form, he is a steal at 300k.
Mick from Giralang said | January 9th 2010 @ 5:39am | Report comment
Having watched him many times at Canberra, he was the type of player who promised much but who never quite delivered when it really counted. Of course, he is only a relative youngster and is still learning the game…all the great playmakers needed time to develop their skills.
Although he caused the Raiders much heartbreak, I think most of the Green Machine fans wish him well and hope he realises his potential. At heart, he’s a decent kid….he simply can’t handle alcohol.
Scott Woodward said | January 9th 2010 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Good call Mick,
The fact is not many of us can handle alcohol well, but we are not a big fish in a little bowl so it doesn’t matter.
Even though Carney was very young as a Raider he was still the go to man and clearly the best player, even though he was forced to play first receiver as Campese took the 6 shirt.
Providing Minichiello can come back well and hold down fullback for the Roosters, Carney will get his chance at 5/8th which will hold plenty of interest for SOO selectors.
TahDan said | January 12th 2010 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
That’s just not good enough in my opinion Scott. True, a lot of people don’t handle alcohol well, but most people have enough sense to start drinking less after being stupid enough to get arrested. Carney has been arrested several times and banned from entering towns… I mean, it’s gotten to the point where you really have to wonder if this kid is really alright in the head. At what point does he click that he shouldn’t be in the same room as a beer?
I’m a roosters fan and I honestly was dumbstruck at how the Roosters could have picked up such an obvious public relations nightmare… the kid is a time bomb waiting to go off.
Wylie said | January 12th 2010 @ 2:44pm | Report comment
By all accounts he’s got the mental age of about 12 and is a potential future winner of the Darwin Award. I can’t see him getting any more intelligent with age.
Mushi said | January 12th 2010 @ 9:20am | Report comment
Scott that’s the problem though. The size of that “if” means it is a stupid contract.
I’d rather have those dice rolls with juniors on 50k contracts than troubled playmakers (who will replace one of our strengths so has lower additional value to the team)