- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
This week, the National Rugby League celebrates the amazing women that contribute to our game and the female participation in our game, while raising funds for the McGrath Foundation.
I think it’s a brilliant thing to celebrate as, behind every famous footballer there is a mother, a sister, a partner that gives them that love, courage and support
But if you’re going to celebrate and acknowledge women in our game, you can’t be half hearted. You must eradicate the link between rugby league players and violence against women.
The game must show a tough stance on those who have committed violent acts against women.
It absolutely disgusts me that Robert Lui is still a contracted footballer in our game.
Now for those who are unaware of his actions, he assaulted his girlfriend while she was pregnant with his child, after the charges were put against him, the Tigers let him go. North Queensland picked him up.
I understand that he was stood down while waiting to face court, however he has since been found guilty. He has only been suspended for the rest of the season.
Ryan Tandy was banned for betting on matches – surely Lui deserves the same punishment? It baffles me that he is still involved in rugby league.
After the ARL suspended Lui, former NRL CEO David Gallop came out and said that the game was sending out a ‘‘clear statement about the need to prevent violence against women.”
A clear statement would have been to give him a life ban. One year’s suspension is not enough.
Unfortunately there has been way too many controversies regarding players’ treatment of women in our game. Up until this point, however, each have been dealt with accordingly. That is, until this issue.
So while we celebrate the amazing contributions of women to rugby league, we still have a man contracted in our game guilty of bashing his partner and putting his unborn child in harm.
To celebrate the Women in League round, and allow this to continue, is hypocritical.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.