Women in League Round shows NRL's hypocrisy

I apologise if this post is read as ME defending Lui (or other wife/Girl friend/ Women BASHERS.. not so, I hate the thought of a woman being even pushed around!. I believe the law should be dealing more severely with the 'bad guys'.. My comments were a reflection of what a workmate went through before he 'cracked'. -- He went through Hell amd tried his hardest to right things. Finding his wife was having an affair with his mate sent him 'over the top'... There are 'usually' two parts to every story. ASk Brett Stewart!.

That is incorrect sledgeandhammer and just plain nonsense.It is about all women in the code from girls and women playing the game,to people involved in admin,refereeing,canteen helpers,mothers, wives of players,from the junior u6 level to the lady on the ARLC.Even the female journos who cover the game .I will excuse you as you are a union man,because you are patently not up to speed in the matter.. . If you bothered to watch a rugby league show on channel 10,you would have seen an acknowledgement of the NSW women's SOO team about to play Qld(coached by Piggy Riddell). I will quote Catherine Harris (ARLC chairperson) from Big League this week" This(the women in League round and associated[programs) is really outstanding stuff that is happening and in my previous role as fed director of Affirmative Action I got the opportunity to walk inside and work inside some of the biggest companies in Australia.I also did six months working inside Defence Force and I can tell you,I have senn unbelievable behaviour and need for change. The program that rugby league is running,in my opinion is one of the most outstanding.And I have been recently approached by Defence, if they could use some of the stuff that we're doing in rugby league." You heard about Defence and all the dramas involving women of late? Not just confined to defence BTW.No organisation is exempt. Wouldn't be a case of,why didn't my code think of that first?

They spoke to Page who is on the board, women who are journalists and directors of clubs. Barry you are snarking and and making a value judgement yourself about the women's role as mothers who all seemed perfectly happy to be there. How condescending indeed. As a bloke I have spent time looking after the kids when they were young, obviously that was a worthless thing to do. To please you it would have been better if they hadn't spoken to any of those worthless people.

The really condescending thing about Women in League is it is all about women who support men who play league, rather than women who participate in the sport. It's a bit like having a promotion for women at work which lauds the work of stay at home mums who support their husbands at work by making lunches, ironing shirts, etc..

You guys need to grow some and take a reality check! It's a man's sport that you girly boy's are trying to adopt the game to being all about women. Like I said it is a man's sport and everyone makes mistakes. There has always been women in the game the problem is women activist want to make the game all about women like they do with everything else. Why is there is now a weekend totally devoted to women and supporting there illnesses but there is not one for the kids or for that matter men as it is actually a mans sport. Reality is since women have been more involved in mens domain there is less respect throughout the whole country.

The High Shot - clearly you're being extreme to make a point. I admit this isn't life and death but if the NRL is going to commit to a women in league celebration, why not celebrate MEANINGFUL achievements rather than washing dirty socks and perpetuating the old behind every good man there's a good woman stereotype. The Campese anecdote was embarrassing in front of a room full of females at the women in league luncheon and more appropriate at a sportsmens lunch. Time and place. At the end of the day I don't really care too much about it all but there's clearly a level of hypocrisy there...

Yes. And Carney JV, imagine if we had just thrown him on the scrapheap after only 10 chances. :) I think Carney is the role model for rugby league. I jest but still, i am glad we did persevere. Good post, you dont need me. What rugby league has taught me over the years, keep trying.

Oikee, you received a lot of support. There are a lot of people who value very highly your humour and passion and also simply your ability to say what you think. The Roar would be a much poorer place without you....but don't go getting carried away now.

My perspective on this issue particularly in regards to indigenous players is that due to different cultural norms and the prevalance of the problem in indigenous communities is that they deserve a further chance. The one strike policy simply isn't productive. it is simply too easy to throw another black man on the scrap heap as a loser and failure because that is what they are like isn't it. Greg Bird for one, whatever he did, his behaviour since seems exemplary and indicative that yes young black man can learn and grow into role models for their communities. I think this is a better outcome than throwing him on the scrapheap as an example to others. Of course he will never live it it down because he is a grub. Look at the reaction to the Corey Parker incident created where immediately it must have been Bird despite the fact that parker did it to himself. For many years I have coached kids from the Redfern community and know that whenever they go into a situation with white officials, coaches and players they are in a racist environment that will judge them by different standards and I am always prepared to make a total arse of myself simply in order to show them that someone is prepared to stand up for them, because no matter how talented they are, how exemplary or how successful, the racism will always be there, just ask Kurtley Beale perhaps. In th end look how quickly someone as seemingly benign as the Cattery melted down and lashed out when confronted with preconceived judgements and perceived unfairness and imagine having to live it every minute of every day.

haha the high shot, some good points. I probably should have made my own comment but I'm lazy at work. I don't have a problem with washing socks, cooking meals and driving the kids to games being celebrated because society seems to make a habit of undermining care taking and support roles in families and communities. My objection to the presentation of "women in league" on the footy show is the way that the audience is ear bashed every second word about how vital these women are and how Rugby league wouldn't be what it was without them (and i'm not disagreeing with that)and then they'll cut back to the studio and fatty or someone else on the panel will invariably make some stupid or ignorant remark to undermine the whole thing. These guys must get some pretty bad media coaching. It happened again last night during the NSW vs QLD quiz and luckily Beau Ryan took the heat off fatty saying that he his job was gone or something similar. Just thought I'd elaborate a bit on my earlier comment...

Yes they do the washing and cook, big deal, so do myself. I think what it shows is that the game is telling women they no longer have to do this, look, i like the work the footy show is doing. This happens to be the first year ever i think the show has gone beyond just being corny. They are starting to show everyone how women can be more involved. It wont happen over nite, but women are already invovled in most of the game. I myself have said a few times we need a women running the game, as CEO. I happen to beleive this, i am not just saying it, i would be more than happy to see it happen. I also wanted the lady from America, might have been a NFL team in which she run the promotions department. I wanted her as the Broncos CEO. Yes we got Paul White, i am happy with him as well. I think the women are doing well, i have watched this grow over the last 5 years. I just hope they have got thick skin so when i start whinging about them. :) It will happen, i even whinged about Gallop even thow he did a good job under trying conditions.

Amen Barry, I don't think many people realise how condescending it sounds to go on about the women in league as mums who wash socks and bring out the oranges and get a pat on the bum for their efforts. In my opinion the women in league round should be about the women in League administration, referees, female players promoting the game to girls. Sounds like some of the women you mentioned deserve a wage more than anything... It sounds more patronizing than celebratory...

I am not sticking up for Lui either, but we have to think about the education aspects of these players. The courts never just send them to jail for life, and i see the girls on the footy show also want them banned for life. My argument would be we are taking the easy option,. I would rather the game put more effort into trying to help players. And i also think Gallop was similar thinking as well. The problem people like me and Gallop have got, is everyone thinks the opposite. That might be well and good. But like i said, it is the easy option to just say ban him and whoever for life, throw them in the to hard basket. I dont agree with that Mackinnon lady on the footy show, yet everyone clapped. I would love to put a argument up to her and anyone else who wished to argue weather every one, including the courts, should put this in the to hard basket. Life does not work like that, even muderers who get life, (only get 25 years), so its not even really life is it. Anyhow, this was the reason for my points in my above posts . I am not sticking up for the beater, that is where most make the mistake, you try to be neutral or possitive you get hammered. And if it is indigernous players with a higher percentage, then maybe even more effort needs to be made by rugby league to educate everyone we can. We cant ever stop it, but maybe we can help. I think league does a good job now, we could be better.But just banning players wont stop this from happening, it might even send it underground. Actions reactions.

What should they say about the ladiieeeeeeeezzzz instead? "Tell us Mrs Luke Lewis, does Luke do much housework?" "Oh yes, he does everything and I sit around eating cake." Should Campese NOT tell a true anecdote when asked? "Terry, how did you meet your totally equal life partner?" "I'd rather not say because it was a completely normal scenario and quite a funny tale." "Rabs, do you find pretty human beings who do not happen to possess a Y chromosome attractive?" "NEVER! AND YOU'LL NEVER GET ME TO ADMIT IT!"

Did i get support for that.? I never went back to that post because Tristain sent me a e-mail and i thought i had better lay low for awhile. Thanks to everyone who did support me, i do come across pretty negative at times, i told this to Tristain as well, i said it is like a disease i am that passionate about the sport. I try to tone it down, but as you can see, it is very hard for me. I really dont mind people having a go at me, i probably deserve it as well.

Definitely Barry, the footy show is so backwards with the way it presents "women in league" it's not even funny..

Moving away from wife beating for a second - there's another considerably less offensive hypocrisy about the women in league round. A lot of the commentary I've heard is stuff like : Mums are the ones who wash the socks and work in the canteen Female reporters asking women in league questions about who does the housework Manu Vatevei said of his wife that she's right behind him, she cooks his dinner and washes his training gear Luke Lewis' missus laughed about how Luke never helps out around the house Terry Campese told an anecdote about how he met his wife. It involved him crusing down the mainy in Quenbeyan on his P's, honking the horn and yelling out the window at her. All the boys in the back thought it was HEAPS funny Rabs was calling women good sorts All of these were from the actual women in league luncheon. I know this is all pretty mild but it hardly puts forward women in the best light or helps to create positive images of women in league. More of a PR exercise and opportunity to raffle off some pink boots.

sounds painful

Fair enough. To me, your comment read as though Lui's future earning capacity (in order to provide for his kid) should be considered in determining an appropriate penalty. If that's not what you meant, then ok. I never wrote that the round is hypocritical or that it shouldn't be staged bc of him. That's not my position at all, quite the opposite.

I thought you were the spokesman for AFL /NRL.the latter you seem to know more about it than many of us,apparently. I only brought it up AR,because you had a chop at my posting. My views were spelt out clearly ,which yoiu ignored for whatever reason.I have clearly and succintly expressed my feeliings,I abhor everything re violence physical or verbaltoward women.I have a wife and daughters. No it does not apply that.Firstly it suggests the most important person is the childs current and future welfare and of course the wife.Whatever happens to Lui is his problem,but even those guilty of manslaughter ,sometimes murderers get the opportunity', when they get out to provide for their dependents. If you asked me would I Have banned him for longe."The answer is yesTthen again neither me or you know what counselling is being done,and the other associated "punishment. The point of the article is hypocrisy,because there is a women in league round.I suggest you read Catherine Harris's comments in the Big League apge 16 (she is an ARLC commissioner).Quite frankly her views make your attempt at trying to snipe me,look rather puerile. She made the point"it is a benchmark for other codes." So my response is ,and I am on the same wavelength as women involved in rugby league,that it is not hypocrisy.It is in fact an acknowledgment of the importance they play in the game,and public recognition for doing so. Because of the extreme"and terrible actions of this guy,why should the rest have to suffer,by not staging such a round. You lost me on that one AR. if you believe I am trying to rationalise Luis deeds,you are kidding.He brought the game into disrepute and committed an atrocious act.