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The Roar

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Titans scandal a storm in a B cup

Expert
2nd December, 2012
16

Not for the first time in the last twelve months the NRL’s youngest club in the Gold Coast Titans have been thinking outside the square, realigning paradigms etc and geez, wouldn’t you know it? The press is banging down the door of the Centre of Excellence again.

This time they’re demanding that they shut up shop and turn the place into a discount souvenir variety warehouse, all because a volunteer trainer for their under-20s side has a couple of nude pics of herself up on the interwebs.

Such a livid reaction might be understandable if the Titans had just announced Paul Carige as assistant coach, or that Ben Jefferies was coming back from the UK for another stint at the club, but doesn’t the whole thing seem all a bit of a storm in a B cup?

For a city that doesn’t mind a roller coaster or two, the last couple of years for the Titans have been far more frightening than anything the Lethal Weapon ride could produce.

Like the cool new kid at school who one day soils themselves in their legal studies exam, the Titans went from being everyone’s second favourite team to the one everyone wanted to boot out.

But these things happen in sport, and the last six months have been a slow climb upwards for the club… until the news about Ms Kortney Olson’s past broke on the weekend and the ARLC moved the side to Port Moresby.

Or that’s what’s supposed to have happened anyway.

In reality a lot of people shrugged their shoulders, a few sniggering double entendres were shared on Twitter and Kortney Olson smashed through Ronnie Palmer’s rugby league trainer Google image search record.

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Funnily enough though there is actually a serious issue at play which has nothing to do with well-built naked woman. As Ms Olson is the wife of new Titans CEO David May, questions regarding to nepotism (in rugby league?) have been raised, and to date this appears to be the only actual complaint by other staff and stakeholders involved with the Titans under-20s side.

While this isn’t quite up there with Jeff Melluer’s wife recruiting players for the old Gold Coast Gladiators, if proven true, then yes, Olson’s appointment is an issue. Also a bit odd seeing the Titans generally hire ex Queensland players (Gillmeister, Ikin, Belcher, Close, Lang…)

Apart from this though there appears to be not much to the scandal involving Olson. Maybe I need to start varying my reading, but when May was employed with iSelect and Jetstar I must have missed the Financial Review running page three style snaps of his wife and calling for his head.

Sections of the NRL’s code of ethics have also been brought up with regards to Olson’s role. These are however the same code of ethics that will let Robert Lui have another crack at the NRL next year and Liam Fulton get nude in Cleo whenever he feels like it.

Really this whole thing boils down to someone undertaking activities in their past that make someone else uncomfortable, which is a little bit sad in this day and age.

Particularly seeing as though the Titans under-20 side has struggled over the last couple of years and could probably benefit from someone who can offer a different perspective, talk about the pitfalls of substance abuse, and well, obviously knows a couple of things about building muscle.

So I think we should give Olson a break, let her turn over a new leaf and welcome her into the big weird family that is rugby league, it’s got to be better than another ex-player clogging up the staff lists anyway.

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Hell, I’d even be happy for her to start recruiting players.

Follow Chris on Twitter @Vic_Arious

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