A critical two days coming up for Grant

 
David Lord Columnist

By , 4 Oct 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert

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    A critical two days coming up for Grant + enlarge image

    ARL Commission Chamirman John Grant. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

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    John Grant’s credibility will be under the microscope over the next couple of days. The Australian Rugby League Commission chairman of eight months has to deal with the James Graham biting allegation, and the Bulldogs shameful “Mad Monday” behaviour.

    Bulldog Graham will face the judiciary tonight, having pleaded not guilty to biting Storm fullback Billy Slater’s left ear.

    The weight of evidence makes Graham’s not guilty plea a mockery. But having taken that course, Graham is now fair game to cop a hefty holiday.

    If the judiciary find Graham guilty and give him a bash-with-a-feather suspension, Grant must step in and take over. The Commission is the all-powerful authority.

    The same applies to the guilty Dogs on “Mad Monday”. There’s probably only two or three of them, so it would be grossly unfair to lump the vast majority of the innocent in with the guilty.

    Grant has already described reports as “serious”, and he’s recently received a shattered Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg’s assessment.

    Greenberg has worked tirelessly to improve the Belmore culture over the last four years, only to have his valiant efforts torn down by a few in a matter of moments.

    Let’s not forget one of Grant’s first decisions of import was to show David Gallop the door after a decade of great work keeping the code moving forward despite so many code damaging off-field disasters.

    Gallop was one of the very best sporting administrators I’ve dealt with over nearly 50 years.

    If that was an example of Grant’s muscle-flexing capabilities, then Graham if guilty, and the guilty “Mad Monday” players, face bleak futures,

    And so they should.

    What makes me, and plenty of others, very angry is hardly a word has been spoken this week about the sensational premiership victories of the Sydney Swans and the Melbourne Storm,

    Nor the incredible comeback by the lowly ninth-ranked Australian cricketers to reach the semis of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

    The conversations and media coverage have been about Graham, and “Mad Monday”.

    Rugby league doesn’t deserve such bad publicity to end a season of tremendous football.

    So put those two items to bed John Grant, and quickly.

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