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The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Board has given Tony ‘T-Rex’ Williams a slap on the wrist following a drink driving charge. Williams will not be stood down from their blockbuster clash this weekend against Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
The Sea Eagles have handed Williams a $15000 fine without suspension.
Manly Sea Eagle’s boss, Graham Lowe, believes hitting cash hungry players with big fines is a greater deterrent against bad behaviour than a playing ban.
He told Sky Sports Radio this morning that “they love money more than footy.”
I think that is an absolute disgrace of an excuse to hide the fact that Manly, are keeping one of their guns on the field for a big game.
The NRL are not going to stand in and suspend Williams.
“In all circumstances we’re comfortable with the action Manly have taken” NRL Chief Executive David Gallop told the Illawarra Mercury.
How can a player be allowed to play in their next game, if they are found to be two times over the legal blood alcohol level?
It is outrageous the club has not stood him down for at least one game. How does this set an example for future representatives and the rest of the league?
This is the second time Manly has allowed this to happen.
Last year the Sea Eagles refused to stand down Brett Stewart after his drunken night out.
The whole situation reeks of double standards.
It was only last year when Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend was banned by the NRL for two games following a high-level drink driving charge.
The Roosters, at the time, had fined the hooker $10,000. Manly haven’t charged Williams anything yet and the NRL won’t do a thing.
David Gallop believes the circumstances of Friend were different to those involving Williams. Both Friend and Williams were driving while drunk, can’t see the difference Mr Gallop.
The Richmond Footy Club has just banned four players for being drunk and disorderly in a hotel room.
At least they were in a hotel room, imagine how long their ban would have been had they been caught behind the wheel of the team bus.
Even marquee player, Ben Cousins, was stood down for one game, along with Luke McGuane and Dean Polo.
However, the club has come down extremely hard on young running defender, Daniel Connors, who has received an eight game suspension.
As tough as the suspension is, I think they have done the right thing. It shows all the youngsters who want to make it to the big time, that the AFL is a serious business. Generation Y and Z can’t walk into the AFL thinking they are the King of the Castle.
The Wollongong Hawks NBL club have shown the door to their star point guard, Ty Mckee, for similar issues.
The Hawks have not released what the actual fines were. Wollongong has stated that it is against the clubs values and future direction to hold on to Mckee, no matter how good he was.
It is great to see a club stand up for themselves and not let an American import run their show.
The Manly Football Club has been walking on thin ice the last couple of years.
It would have been the right thing to do, to just stand Williams down for one week and hand him a fine.
I’m positive T-Rex would have understood and got on with his footy the next week.
I’m disappointed that the NRL hasn’t stepped in and done something about the whole situation. It seems the players feel they can do as they please because they know they can get away with basically anything.
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