Once again my Manly men are in the spotlight. Firstly, for their very controversial win over the Cowboys on Friday night and secondly, with Brett Stewart charged this morning with low range DUI.
I am in no way excusing Stewart, I am actually sacrificing small furry critters to the NRL Gods, thanking them that the news headlines didn’t read “Brett Stewart charged with DUI after being involved in car crash, killing”.
Now, I have no power over Friday night’s decision-making process. Conspiracy or not, we got the two points, however I do have a suggestion on how we can keep our players from being their own worst enemies.
I am also not excusing any other player from breaking the law. There have been numerous examples in the last few years – Mitchell Allgood, Todd Carney, Willie Mason, Reni Maitua, James Tamou, Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan and Greg Bird are the ones that come immediately to mind.
I have been saying for a few years, to anyone that takes five minutes to listen to me, that these guys are on a huge amount of money. They earn really good dollars, and like it or not they are role models.
Now here is my idea – why don’t the clubs employ minders? Yes, I am actually suggesting they have babysitters on the pay role. Goodness knows we have ex-military personnel crying out for meaningful employment.
Employ them. Their role would be security-based. They could drive the player(s) where ever they need to go. Keep them sober and vigilant and, if things look like getting out of hand, tell them it’s time to go home or somewhere else.
We have unemployment issues. I know a dozen or more Manly supporters that would give their eye to drive Manly players around, not to mention actually getting paid for the privilege. I am certain it would be the same at all other clubs.
I am in no way suggesting I have the answer, but could it be an answer?
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
So what did you think of now Governor Peter Grosgrove 'raising a glass' VB campaign on behalf of war veterans?
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
oops, Swans may need to find Buddy a minder, preferably one with a license to drive :) http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/lance-buddy-franklin-involved-in-car-crash-on-new-south-head-road-rose-bay/story-fni0xqrc-1226893748443
Scrubbit
Guest
I haven't done any research past last year but two players were prosecuted for assault (4 were charged however two were let go) including the no-no kind. None were arrested for wife beating (although Barba beat his ex so I'll say 1 did beat their wife) if you discount sandor earl for his peptides then 0 were done for drugs, and only one who was also charged with assault was charged with grievous bodily harm. All under 1% of the players involved in the club and added up together 6 players were found guilty (actually 7 because last year 4 players were involved in drink driving. Tamou, and three other no names.)that's around 1.5% of nrl players charged and prosecuted for crimes
Scrubbit
Guest
I'm sorry are you saying I'm defending him because I provided a few facts about his current situation and how it is for the general population? Someone said I wonder what the comparison is between NRL players and the general population and according to a TAC report the general population by percentage is over 10x worse. How is that defending him?
Kit
Guest
Like chaperoning them to debutante balls... Oh dear, you're joking right?
Davo
Guest
The NRL and its players and probably their supporters have a special relationship with alcohol, why do you think that the Kangaroos and Qld State of Origin teams are sponsored by XXXX, and NSW by Vic Bitter. The alcohol companies know their market.
Davo
Guest
That remark is so worrying on so many levels.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
After looking past all the jokes that rightfully or wrongly come with this suggestion, it has effectively been implemented in the EPL already and according to Mark Bosnich is very successful. Bosnich has said that when he was with Man U they had to tell a security guard exactly where they were going each night and more often than not that security guard followed them to the venue and kept a watchful eye over them without getting too close and then ensured that they got home safely and incident free.
Glenn Innes
Guest
I mean it is hardly the crime of the century...my god this is much ado about nothing what no one you work with has ever been busted for drink driving. Actually it is not about nothing it is all about the strange latent envy people have for pro sportspeople.They get paid to play games and we don't regard that as real work so we envy them and by extension set standards for them that we do not for any other group of twenty somethings. Out of the hundreds of registered NRL players a handful each year end up before the courts usually for relatively trivial matters - take a random sample of young adults in any walk of life and you would get similar outcomes!
Crashy
Guest
Stop defending him. Scrubbit, you say only 3 nrl players per year get done for drink driving. How many get done for grevious bodily harm, assault (including the s3xual kind), wife beating and drugs.....
turbodewd
Guest
Joel Monaghan cannot have a canine minder okay!
Sean Healy
Guest
Minders - Pretty much already being done by the Broncos, to a small extent. Broncos are told where they can go after a game and they take their own 'minders'. Albeit to keep the public away.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
As a diabetic, he should be aware of the risks involved with alcohol consumption especially after his involvement in making people aware of diabetes.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I too remember that Manly employed minders to keep the players out of trouble but they still found it.
dezza
Guest
Oh dont act like you have never done it. I think there are many people who would be out of a job if their employers knew what they are upto
Storm Boy
Guest
Because no one with "a real job" ever ever goes DUI?
Scrubbit
Guest
I should've added this as well. The study I read https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/44657/TACDrinkDrivingCaseStudy.pdf
Scrubbit
Guest
Would his diabetes affect the alcohol getting worked through his system though I wonder? Anyway I'm pretty sure there's an average of 3 NRL players caught drink driving per year out of around 400 or so (I think) so less than 1%. A TAC report released in 2007 indicated that 1 in 10 (no seriously 1 IN 10) drivers admitted to having driven home drunk in 2005 alone. (Seriously that's 10% of drivers). Interestingly the overwhelming excuse for driving drunk was "I wanted to get home" at 22%. 9% stated it was "more convenient to drive" and another 8% said "I was only a little bit over".
Tom
Guest
The guy's an idiot...must have been substantially more than 'a few' drinks for him to blow 0.079 the next morning. That said, is the rate of NRL players getting done for DUI any higher than the general population?
Jitter
Guest
So they need minders to tell them not to DUI? Rest of society needs to work it out, why can't these idiots think for themselves?