The representative centre sought a release from the final two-years of his contract and saved the club from having to sack one of their favourite sons.
He’ll now try to score a contract in the English Super League.
This was a man taking sole responsibility for his actions. He wasn’t looking for anyone else to blame. It would’ve been easy to shift some of the responsibility on to the still unknown individual who took and distributed the photo.
The club says that person isn’t in their own ranks.
Monaghan lasted just 2 minutes and 40 seconds in front of the cameras before he was unable to continue. The realisation that he had lost everything he had worked for was starting to set-in.
Raiders CEO Don Furner was even close to tears. He isn’t a man easily moved by emotion of that kind, but revealed he wanted Monaghan back at the club one-day.
Whether the NRL would allow that to happen remains to be seen. They after all hold the responsibility of registering contracts.
Since the emergence of the photo commentators have called for punishments ranging from suspensions, to counseling and the axe.
Would fans of the game have accepted the first two? I don’t think so.
It’s admirable, in a way, that team-mates tried to convince the board not to cut him loose, but those pleas were always going to fall on deaf ears due to public outrage and pressure from sponsors.
They’re a tight-knit group in Canberra and Monaghan is a much-loved figure, but the situation always had to be resolved in this manner.
The man himself says he knows he’ll be paying for his moment of madness for the rest of his life.
That’s a heavy burden to carry and while there should be considerable outrage at his actions, we should also keep his welfare in mind.
Given what he has lost, it will not be easy to recover from something like this.
It’s a remarkable fall from grace for a representative player and his actions have given the NRL an international black-eye.
His downfall should serve as a warning to other players out there.
It would be a great shame for no-one to learn from this situation.
You can follow luke on twitter @luke_doherty and on Sky News Australia.
Dave
Guest
the guy who leaked the tapes. http://www.2cc.net.au/podcasts/59-mike-welsh-podcasts/1599-the-joel-monahan-photo-leaker.html
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
Dave, you're a hypocrite. Move on.
Dublin Dave
Guest
What command did he give to the dog? "Crouch and hold" "Paws" "Engage!" (Must have been a Union dog.)
Jack Lawson
Guest
As a 44 yr old father of two kids ,i no you've heard the story. That 20 years years of my life were lived in a drug crased stupa. That ive lived a life of severe violence ,crime, bashing people, being bashed , bashings from Detectives @ Police. Distribution of drugs more violence and also seeing the complete and utter degredation of women. Never have i seen or heard of anyting like this act that occured around my life or circle of very derranged people i lived around. That i know i cannot sit upon the pulpit of moral justice. It's just weird thats all i can say.
Dave
Guest
tell me again how the monaghan scandal thread let us to discuss steward, bird and others?? its been nothing but excuses and blaming others from you lot. its been said it didn't happen but you guys are fishing for something to save face. move on.
JVGO
Guest
Dave, noone can take your childish one eyed rants seriously. Even RU posters who say anything mildly reasonable get accused of being undercover RL agitators. It is getting ridiculous. It has been for a while actually.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
dave The Stewart case (allegation) was out there for all to see and hear.In fact many posters had him hung drawn and quartered before the trial began.When he was found not guilty,the reulting silence was embarrassing. Anycase the incident discussed involved a supposed reliable source.Then why put it into print in a book,you are aslking for trouble if it is BS..
Dave
Guest
i provided links and source for mine but you don't. show me one of my post that is bs?
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
Dave, you don't appear to need a dog to act like an utter scumbag.
Dave
Guest
this leaguies just can't help themselves but try and put the blame on other sports. just own up brother it was a league act and a league player. who cares move on man. i see your name in many anti rugby post on many online newspapers. i don't think a dog act is what rugby league needs in wales at the moment. they need the crusaders to stay aflot before they could buy a doggie lover.
Dave
Guest
well, well,well. you guys are on here claiming rugby league is the number one sport on tv in australia. its the bigger football code in australia watched by millions and now your saying australia doesn't know a state of origin and an australian rugby league international? if an unknow afl player had sex with an animal im sure his face will be all over the papers in nsw and queensland. stop been so paranoid bro.
Dave
Guest
and you know this all the way from new zealand? right!
jonno
Guest
anyone that supports joel for that stupid act you are all kidding me it is lower than low
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
Zac, are all references to denied allegations going to be excised from now on?
JVGO
Guest
Clipper, you're the guy who is happy that this sort of thing has been 'exposed and punished' over the internet aren't you? Is that because there is no way a simulation could be prosecuted in court?
clipper
Guest
The ACT is in Australia, therefore should have the same laws, as it's the same culture. Saudi Arabia is culturally and religiously different. Or are you saying bestiality should be legal Australia wide? I think Australia would be a far more frightening place if this sort of thing was accepted as a silly prank.
Timnaik
Guest
Thanks
Fizza Hill
Guest
Fairs fair Springs. Stewart case went to trial, the facts are the he wasnt guilty of rape. As the transcripts show the girl was the one who initiated it, Stewart was mearly talking to her and she started it. Similar with Greg Bird he didnt help him self by blaming Brent Watson who wasnt even in the flat at the time but his girl friend fell over after she attacked him and suffered cuts and bruises after the fall. Once again Bird is found not guilty of assult and has nothing to answer. If in both cases the police were not involved and there is no evidence its pretty hard to print, but the fact that its on record makes it available to be reported to the media. Im not saying the rugby incident didnt happen but there isnt any proof. Monghan has a photo and it went global it hard to deny and harder to cover up. We all have heard stories of what leaguies, rugby and AFL boys do I dare say that some of them are true but there is no evidence and cannot be published.
The Bison
Guest
Don't be silly Dave. People all over Australia know who Fevola is after a string of high profile incidents including the Clark and Bingle story. No one in Victoria knew who Monaghan was until this week. Even though the Herald Sun ran with the Monaghan "Dog Act" headline and photograph it still didn't end up in the site's updated list of Top 10 stories. Which proves my point that it was done to get a cheap kick at the NRL on their website front page and have all of Victoria reinforcing their anti rugby bigotry. But they never expected anyone to be interested enough in Mona's apology to actually click the photo link to read the story.
Dave
Guest
the couriermail have had a picture of favola on its front pages before so i don't see your point but when an afl player does have sex with an animal im sure it would also be there as well.