How do you solve a problem like Todd Carney?

Bravo Cronulla for taking this action against Carney! These guys are paid serious money and their actions both on and off the field need to be accountable!!! They know this when they signed up!! At last Carney has to take responsibility for his idiotic actions and stop embarrassing his family, club and supporters. Carney is an idiot and needs to give up the "grog" for life as he acts like a moron!!!

Guys, I have a few questions following on from the Todd Carney matter: Which of the NRL clubs have the best culture and the best leadership group? Which clubs are the most professional and don't have problems like this?

Hi Chop, sorry for copying what you already posted.. I never saw it... Agree 100% with your comments.

As a Storm Supporter, I would be really annoyed if tey even thought of him!.. Raiders had to let a great player go, Rooster and Sharks have followed suit.. The NRL should withdraw any registration for the next three years. So that other clubs cannot gain from Clubs making a stance (not one, not two, BUT Three).. Sorry Todd. my efforts to defend you were a bit off track,,, I don't want you at our club!.. and I believe that Meesta Bellamy would say the same thing!.

Is Todd Carney a binge drinker or a high functioning alcoholic as he would appear to be either one or the other? It might seem like an innocuous question but the answer to it is the key to how you help the player manage the condition and hopefully assist their rehabilitation. The indiscretions are a byproduct of the condition and it should have been patently obvious to the Sharks (his employers) and the NRL that Todd Carney had one of those afflictions after exiting the Roosters. Forget that what Todd Carney does is playing a sport at a level that most of us writing on here would consider a huge privilege and would give an arm and a leg for; the reality is that he is a paid employee in a work environment. Employing someone who has a demonstrated history of alcohol abuse without any apparent Alcohol Management Plan in place which apparently was the case at the Sharks indicates a serious lack of duty of care to the player (the employee) by the Sharks (the employer) with NRL culpable in allowing the registration of the contract. Based on that it was almost inevitable or to use the legal term “there was a foreseeable risk” that the particular incident that occurred on the weekend was likely to happen. Given the proliferation of social media it was inevitable or to use the legal term “there was a foreseeable risk” that the particular incident was likely to be brought to the attention of the public. The Cronulla Sharks and the NRL have only themselves to blame if they suddenly find themselves with a rather nasty law suit on their hands for unlawful termination of a contract which on what has been presented so far would have reasonable grounds for success and that pains me to write because I agree with the sentiment that when you sign up for a professional sporting career that you are going to be under the microscope and that you are expected to behave decently. But when you have a history of alcohol abuse which appears to be the case here it is clear that you are not capable of grasping that concept and there is more than likely a whole host of contributing factors as to why the abuse occurs. It’s not just because you are potentially a dickhead. Yes the players have to accept responsibility but if you have demonstrated in the past that you can’t do that, why then are you permitted to carry on as if you can. His career should have ended after The Roosters stint who mitigated and transferred their risk to the player with No Alcohol Bans and assistance in counselling prior to signing him on.

Trying to be Bear Grylls and failing dismally.

Of course they are role models. You dont see young kids running around with KRudd jumpers at their local park (though it would be awesome if they did) and I hardly think that sports people are treated so badly. There are a few hundred of them and its only really the idiots that get punished and usullly deservedly so. Sports players of all codes are role models. They know this. The club knows this. You know this. Its the exact reason why the NRL came down so hard on punching each other during games. They know that young impressionable kids are probably watching and if they are not, you can bet their parents might be and they do not want anything that might harm their brand and affect their growth in the market. Carney harmed the brand of Cronulla and that of the NRL. Sure it was stupid and immature, but this is not his first rodeo and you would have thought by now, he would have an understanding of his obligations. But this is where the NRL should step in and show some balls. You get fired from a club for off field issues, then you automatically get registered for a year. Do it again, 2 years. Its like what others have said, Cronulla do the right thing and there is now nothing to stop some other club signing Carney (probably on the cheap) and in the end, only Cronulla loose. But really, if I was Carney, I would be speaking to the mate that took the photo and having a few strong words at the very least.

I'm not suggesting what Todd Carney did was right, but i'm confused. We keep saying footballers are role models; but are they ? I think the position of Prime Minister is more of a role model for Australians - let's have a look at a recent one. K Rudd was filmed picking his earwax and eating it in public, he was recorded several times swearing and calling some overseas politicians vile names. He was abusive towards his own staff, he lied numerous times, wasted billions of $ which could have been used to buy equipment for the Children's Hospital or help fix our roads. These are just a few things. I would consider these things far worse than anything that Carney has ever done, yet Rudd will receive a life pension as well as all the other lurks and perks. What will Carney get ? Do you think Rudd should have been far more of a role model than ANY footballer ? Why are sports people in general treated so badly in comparison ?

Its a bad combination of the wrong guy from the wrong club photographed doing the wrong thing. If it was DCE he would have to front the media, would be fined and stood down for a few weeks. Statements would be like "we don't endorse his off field hobbies and have spoken to him privately." But it is Todd Carney with a terrible off field record who plays for the club under the most scrutiny in the NRL. Just too much load for the Sharks to carry.

Funny you say that DOW because it was the exact same stipulation he wouldn't agree to at the Raiders who had a much more comprehensive plan put together than just not drinking. I can't believe that Ferguson will be registered with a contract this year or next, he should be on the sideline until the end of his Raiders contract which he walked out on which I believe is 2016. Perhaps by then he can show he's worthy of playing again.

Maybe being out the game for the whole contract is excessive but I do believe the previous club should be compensated if the player signs elsewhere within the contract period. I'm a raiders supporter and was disgusted that Duggan was allowed to face face the raiders within weeks of being sacked. And ferguson well just don't get me started. Clubs and player contracts must get tougher.

He's dumb, I'll give you that. But schoolboy he ain't. String him up. Problem solved.

Far to much over a dumb schoolboy prank photo !

Personally, I think we should end all the misery and just put him down. Once he's got a taste for it, the pee-lust, he won't be able to stop himself.

Not sure about the duration of the contract, but I do think they needed to display that they attended counselling, and did a lot of work redeeming themselves within the community. I think that's the biggest problem, clubs too quick to get players back on the field into first grade. Better if they go to bush footy etc (similar to what Carney did before he joined the Roosters) to give back to the game. Really that's exactly what Carney should be doing, joining a bush club for the rest of this season and next season. Work a job outside that, and look to fix his problems and get away from the idiots that surround him currently. At that point if no bad things are happening then you could consider him to come back to the NRL, but with the caveat that he can't drink or he forfeits his contract immediately.

QldRed, on the face of it, your concept deserves to be looked at, if for nothing else than good debate here. Footy players are no longer players. They are employees of a national corporation. And I see the removal of Todd Carney and his ilk as a good thing as it frees up the salary cap to allow hungry young guys to get their shot, train hard, and like most priveldged footballers be good contributers to society.

I believe that players sacked for behaviour that bring their club or code into disrepute should have to sit out of the game for the remaining time that was on their contract. If however another club wishes to resign that player the previous club should be allowed to veto the signing and should be compensated to the value of the remaining contract by the player or new club. This compensation should be salary cap exempt. Currently the sacking clubs are significantly disadvantaged because the NRL just let players sign to other clubs straight away with no penalties. The player contracts currently aren't worth the paper they're written on.

No Steve, that is simply the paper quoting Carney's manager David Riolo's spin to soften the impact of what this incident will do to future earnings and employment. He likened it to the oft taken tourist image of people "holding up" the leaning tower of Pisa. Apparently Todd was shooting his urine up but not near his mouth. It just looks like it in the photo...it's an optical illusion. Gee, isn't he talented? I seriously doubt anyone outside of the most ardent Sharks conspiracy theorists would fall for it.

I agree Mary. I felt the same way with Dugan. He was unhappy at Canberra and was fired by the Raiders for bad behaviour, but by June he had signed with the Dragons, was getting praised in the media for his talent and had earned himself an Origin jersey. He got exactly what he wanted. The moral to the story is that if you are unhappy with your club, just misbehave and everything will work out (as long as you are good enough). Don't get me wrong. Dugan absolutely deserved a second chance and the opportunity to redeem himself, but to be playing Origin in the same year was a kick in the teeth to the Raiders and and a mockery of the values of the NRL.