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The NRL Integrity Unit needs to live up to its name when considering Mitchell Pearce’s recent ‘indiscretion’ at a Kings Cross nightclub.
The Oxford Dictionary describes the word integrity as, “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”.
Quite simply, the Integrity Unit needs to make a statement and find Pearce guilty of something, even if it’s for just being asked to leave a licensed venue – which never looks good.
For a first grade footballer to be escorted from a bar by uniformed police in handcuffs, in front of security cameras and the public paparazzi – armed to the teeth with their smart phones with cameras – is not good enough. It can be of no value to either Pearce, nor the sport.
Let’s look at the first part of the definition, “The quality of being honest”.
Now, I’m not suggesting for one minute that Mitchell Pearce did anything dishonest, in fact he may well have even been arguing a good case for not being escorted from the premises. On the video evidence I’ve seen thus far, I’ve got to say I would probably back him up.
No, there was nothing “dishonest” about his actions, but it’s the second part of the definition that needs to be addressed in this case, “Having strong moral principles”.
I’m not suggesting that being in a bar in Kings Cross on the wrong side of midnight is somehow “immoral”, but it is certainly a world away from his father’s pious ways. Pearce Senior would not have allowed himself to be thrown out of a nightclub at 1:30am, just like he wouldn’t have allowed himself to miss a tackle in a Test match. No, the original Pearce Jnr knew how to be a superstar of the game and was a decent bloke.
The game simply doesn’t need any more of this nonsense, it has to stop. The biggest unsavoury news out of AFL land is should the “bump” be banned. But yet again what does the NRL have on its hands? Another case of a drunken misdemeanour from one of it’s big names.
I like young Mitchell, he’s a good footballer. But seriously, if the NRL Integrity Unit is to be taken seriously they need to make an example of him.
I’m not suggesting that the NRL use the old Salem witch trials justice system where they tied accused witches to a chair and dipped them in the river. No, I’m not saying young Mitchell should necessary feel the full wrath of the Gods. But for his sake, and for the future of the NRL Integrity Unit, he must be punished for bringing the game into disrepute.
One surefire way of guaranteeing the kid gets the message is for him to be banned from playing State Of Origin Game 1.
Origin is the biggest thing to any player when it comes to footy, and if one stupid act can cost you a spot then that might be just the tonic that’s needed to make Pearce and every other young footballer act differently and think before they act.
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