I was 26 when I got my first job working in the mines. It was a great feeling, I was going to be paid a great income and it was an opportunity to get ahead after partying and playing up in my late teens and early 20s.
When you start your mining career the first thing you do after clearing your medical and drug test is you attend an induction.
One for the job site you are on and one for the camp you will be residing in. This is where you get told the rules.
Different camps have different rules. I have stayed at some where you had a four-drink limit every night, I also stayed at camps where you weren’t allowed any alcohol.
As for the mine sites themselves you had to blow in the bag and you had to be 0.0. You would have frequent drug tests, some sites would make you pull pull a black marble from among the other 15 white ones in a bag and off you would go for a drug test.
On our rest days you were allowed to head into the nearest town if you wished. The rules were quite clear, no fighting. It didn’t matter if you started it or not, or if the police charged you or not, it was a rule breach.
What was the punishment for breaching the rules? A window seat on the next flight out of town, and an entry on the blacklist – which all mining companies share – that rules you out from finding employment in the future.
In my six years in the mines I knew a large number of people who were put on a window seat out of town for breaking the rules. Young guys, old guys who you would think would know better. It didn’t matter if you were a general hand or the open cut examiner – if you broke the rules you were gone. There weren’t any grey areas.
Lately the NRL Integrity Unit is busier than a one-armed brick layer in Baghdad. Carrying out investigations, handing out punishments and fines. A NSW Under-20s player uses a homophobic slure and gets two weeks. A NSW halfback gets arrested for not leaving a premises and gets a fine and one-week suspension.
A lot of time gets spent handling these issues, and fans and media constantly debate these issues. Mothers wonder if they should let their child play rugby league.
It is time for the NRL to draw a line in the sand. Set the rules and guidelines and make each player sign them as soon as they are a contract player. If you break the rules then your NRL career is over. Players coming up in the juniors will get taught about the rules. They will be given ample opportunity to know what it is they are signing up for.
There will always be people who break the rules, just like in normal everyday society, and that is a sad reality. But just like open cut examiners, who are the superstars of the mining game, there is someone behind them waiting for their opportunity and ready to take it with both hands.
Dale Chaffey
Roar Rookie
These guys are easily recognised and are associated to the NRL brand. That is why they call it bringing the game into disrepute. Have a clear code of conduct, have a clear cut punishment system, whether that is 2 weeks for your first offence, 12 for your second and possibly termination for your third. All I'm saying is draw a line in the sand, have a clear cut code with no grey area around punishments. Players know what they are signing up to and get many opportunities to understand that they are in the public eye and educated on how they should behave. I am sure the NRL is sick of the hits it takes in the newspapers almost on a weekly basis due to player behavour.
The Hoff
Guest
What a load of crap storm boy . If you do something illegal whilst " off duty "your employer has every right to take action. In fact the postman you used as an example is a public servant and bound by a code of conduct . If he gropes a woman , steals a car or brings his employers reputation into disregard they can take action. Maybe your centrelink payments aren't affected storm boy by your behaviour but you need to get in the real world . Most employees sign a contact forbidding bad behaviour . When your lining up for your next dole check think of us who actually live in the real world
almark
Guest
If your face is recognisable you are wearing company uniform everytime you walk out the door
Storm Boy
Guest
Too many people talking rubbish. Fair enough penalising the U20 players as that happened in a game. But neither Hurrel or Peirce were wearing their their team jersey and footy boots not even in a club polo. So it is nothing to do with the NRL or their clubs. Under the cap the players are free to earn as much as they want so long as they aren't club branded gear. Same with off field incidents. The way things are it is like demanding Australia Post stand down a postman for using bad language in a pub. Unless the postman is dressed like Cliff from Cheers his employer has nothing to do with it. If a NRL players does something it is up to the police and the courts just like the rest of us, except if it is done while wearing the companies branded clothing.
Dale Chaffey
Roar Rookie
Exactly, it is probably only fair that young blokes do get a couple of chances..
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
I agree. Something more similar to the NFL style of punishment. First offense 2-4 weeks, second offense 12 weeks (half a season), third offense (full season). Really anyone still trying to make the grade after a third offense you would hope has learnt there lesson, or is going to a club which is really really desperate.
Dale Chaffey
Roar Rookie
What I was calling for is a line in the sand. Have a code of conduct, have explicit punishments. Wether that is a 3 strikes policy I am not sure. I just think they need to remove the grey area.
albo
Guest
They can always go to the AFL they dont seem to mind those people
The Numbers Man
Guest
While I don't disagree, there are quite a few people who can replace a miner no so many to replace a NRL player. I also think if you booted every NRL player who got into a fight, got smashed, sexually assaulted someone, drink driving or drugs, I seriously doubt you would have much of a league left.
Bunratty
Guest
Yep....but won't happen. Too much 'lobbying' power, too many 'excuses'. Cheers!