Somewhere in the middle of all of his off-field transgressions, Todd Carney managed to take the pumpkin off and put his head back on long enough to win a Dally M Medal as the NRL’s Player of the Year, which tells you exactly how much wasted talent we’re talking about here.
The pumpkin went back on eventually, of course, and now Carney has been sacked by his third club, Cronulla. The clock is ganging up on Carney as well now. He’s no longer a 21-year-old with the potential for greatness, he’s a 28-year-old with a long list of indiscretions.
Carney has played three State of Origin games for NSW and one Test for Australia. He should have played many more such matches, but his off-field problems, largely related to the consumption of alcohol, have stunted his growth as a footballer.
>> Were Cronulla right to sack Todd Carney?
>> Was Carney’s punishment too harsh?
>> How do you solve the Carney problem?
>> Andrew Johns, Todd Carney and the modern day footballer
None of us are angels. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and done plenty of dumb things in life myself, but what I don’t get about someone like Carney is how the public shame that comes with having your stuff-ups splashed all over the media didn’t cause him to pull his head in long ago.
Is it that he just doesn’t care? Is it an act of defiance in reaction to criticism? Does he simply refuse to become accountable? I don’t know, and I’d better cease with the amateur psychologist routine because that’s not going to help anyone.
Suffice to say that Carney needs expert help, to state the bleeding obvious. To date, he either hasn’t had enough good advice from the right people, or he has chosen to ignore it when he gets it.
Anyone who wants to see the lewd photo of Carney that led to the Sharks getting rid of him can find it on social media, which is a statement about social media in itself, but that is a whole other story.
The other thing is that what he was doing apparently has a name, which suggests it is more of a party trick than a moment of madness for some. I hope I’m wrong.
It doesn’t matter whether we, the public, want to feel sorry for Carney, condemn him or just laugh at him.
What matters is that Carney has massive talent but has once again severely damaged his own career. Maybe butchered it for good this time. Surely he can’t be anything other than devastated by the outcome.
Carney has been a fool. Regardless of who took the picture of him at a hotel urinal and fed it to social media, he risked what has happened by putting himself in that situation.
Cronulla did what they had to do. If the club hadn’t done it, the NRL would have come in over the top and done it themselves.
What happens now with Carney will largely depend on how honest he wants to be with himself. How thorough a self-examination he wants to make and how much he wants to admit.
His football career should be secondary for the time being, if he wants to try to make a genuine attempt at correcting his behaviour off the field. He is out of business in the NRL for the rest of this season, at least, so now would be a good time to do something.
There might be some football left for Carney, but beyond that there’s a whole life left in front of him.
Some people stuff up time and time again and then, suddenly, a light switches on over their head, for whatever reason, and they start heading in the right direction.
Hopefully, the next few moves Carney makes are all smart ones.
steveng
Guest
Carney was on fire (not to the best of his abilities) but he single handed won the Sharks their last game that he played. Carney was the Sharks best player and got man of the match in his last game and I don't think that the Sharks would have won that game if Carney was not playing, his kicking game was outstanding and it set up at least two tries. The sharks are the ones that are missing out and will end up wooden spooners and Carney will get another chance next year, be it here in the NRL or in England where he would be a star and would make just as much money as he does here if not more. So Todd just get your act together and prove everyone wrong and really show in the next 5-6 years what you are really made of and then and only then we will know what Todd carney is made of and you will stamp yourself as one of the greats of this sport. I for one have faith in him to come through and prove us all wrong, I hope so because it would be such a shame to see Todd disappear off the face of rugby league and for us not to really experience his exceptional talents.
steveng
Guest
NO damo, tatts are definitely not decorative especially when your entire body is covered with them and they look discussing, scary and only fit into a certain place in our society. I have 1 tatt that I got in 1969 when I was 16yrs old and I was drunk with my mates and walked past a tatt shop in Oxford St Paddington so we all decided to get one, after, I was nearly killed by my dad and luckily I got the tatt high on my left arm so that if I wore a T-shirt you couldn't see it, in those days it wasn't done and as some here have pointed out it was only done by certain people not like today by everyone boy, girl woman or man. But these days seeing all these young kids with them all over their bodies (there not cheap either) is just unbelievable and you would think that it does affect certain jobs and stature in whatever they do or will do. I know that there are certain people here who disagree with my comment but I have lived long enough to know and realise that making yourself uglier then you really are with tatts does make a huge difference to your overall life.
steveng
Guest
Pedro the Maroon, you are spot on and what a great bloke and a great influence you dad must be! What you have just written is spot on and is what is lacking in allot of the kids today "This just may mean that Todd and many of his contemporaries have lacked suitable adult male role models growing up in this excuse of a society we have today" couldn't put it better myself and Todd Carney and may kids today (especially the ones coming from single parents, NOT ALL don't get me wrong but most) lacks this in a big way!
mcmanpp
Guest
Personally, I don't like the proliferation of tattoos, especially the sleeve tattoos (eg. several Collingwood players), and I wonder what their owners will look like when they get to 50 or 60. But however it started (arguably in non-polynesian white caucasian males beginning modestly as celtic arm tattoos before increasing more broadly to bigger designs all over the body), it is a new aesthetic for young males in mainly western countries around the world. (Observe the diversity of players in the current World Cup who are wearing tattoos.) One person posting here called it "the pansification of society". That is the reaction of a grumpy old man. Associating tattoos today with the insignia of "tough men" is precisely the out of date thinking that inhabits the over-paid under-exercised brains of many league players today and their comrades in arms behind the panel desks on our tv screens.
da plane
Guest
i was wondering if a player was pictured with another male in a toilet in a certain act would he be sacked by his club - no as the nrl would then be accused of being homophobic for sure. Carney has a record but food for thought if a player was caught in a position i have mentioned. the headlines that he is banned for life is a bit far fetched but of course hard to see an nrl club signing him though as apparently even though the nrl are saying it's not a life ban it's a bit like a doctor being struck off the medical board registration as they have to re-apply when their ban has finished but the medical board dont re-register them thus making it a lifetime ban
Celtic Bandaid
Guest
Not faux history damo please refer article Times of London 30 January 1873 following "Some days after a shipwreck divers recovered the bodies. Most were unrecognisable, but that of a crew member was readily identified by his tattoos: "The reason why sailors tattoo themselves has often been asked." The Times (London), 30 January 1873, p. 10 As I said in part b) this was essentially what was believed and what I was told 40 years ago. Sorry its not anywhere on Instagram but there are maybe some traditions that you were not aware of. Perhaps talk to more worldly and/or older people Anyway its not that I don't like tattoos I think on most people they look ridiculous. On the right people ie a) b) or c) they look perfectly appropriate. On 25 yo school teachers or office workers well I just poo my pants - they're so tough and scary
Brad B
Guest
GOLD COAST will sign him up. Any one who signs up Greg Bird would sign up any one including Jack the ripper if he was still alive
Brad B
Guest
Would it be fair to say that Greg Bird should be nickmaned Dr Smith. "Take the kid Will Robinson it wasn't me who glassed my girlfriend it was my mate"
Brad B
Guest
Yes I agree with Steve b. I have seen worse things on Mad Mondays but in those days no mobiles or any equipment to publicise. The kid has so much talent but has obviously so many problem issues with alcohol and other substances in my opinion. He must know the spotlight is on him wherever he goes, thru past records, so I would say he must have been right off his face and unaware someone was taking photos. To the dog that took these shots you are in the same category as Greg Bird. Put it on your mate. Cry copper on your mate. I can see the only lifeline TC can get is being signed up by the Gold Coast. The team I would love to see fold cause they signed up Greg Bird. I am a NSW supporter but everytime QLD plays NSW in state of origin and Bird is playing I barrack for QLD. If Todd Carney was playing for NSW I would barrack for NSW as long as Greg Bird was not in the NSW team. Steve b would it be fair in saying that in the earlier days when one had to come up thru SG Ball, Jersey Flegg etc, then were old enough to get a job and had to mingle with older blokes and society in general, was some of the learning points of life? These blokes now a days are getting paid bucket loads and all they have are their team mates. Nothing else. Virtualluy no communication with the outside world. Only play with your team mates, train with your team mates and drink and associate with your fellow team mates. Maybe for the sake of the players it should go back to the good ol days where hookers were hookers and blokes trained Tuesday and Thursday nights and played on the weekend and had a JOB. Perhaps this might solve social issues. Cheers Steve b Brad
Albatross
Guest
Entschuldigung.. nicht genug bekommen in. Netter versuch aber!
damo
Guest
I was going to respond with a well thought out comment but you got me at sailors being conveniently identified after battle. What a load of twaddle mate, you should have just stuck to the 'I don't like people with tattoos' line & given the faux historical angle a miss. Enlightened ? Having a strong opinion about something doesn't necessarily translate to a higher level of understanding.
Numbers Man
Guest
I think it was the previous convictions that really sealed Carneys fate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Carney He has a pretty extensive rap sheet. For Carney he needs help and I think he is probably in a world of hurt at the moment and needs to get off the booze. As a league fan he needs to be removed from the game, its terrible PR and really taints the image of the NRL are trying so hard to avoid. I think that the NRL has been very soft on players to date and needs to purge the whole league of the scum that is currently so prevalent in the competition.
clipper
Guest
No - a lewd act in law is generally defined as when a person: exposes his anus or genitals in a public place and is reckless about whether another may be present who will be offended or alarmed by his act; or does any lewd act in a public place which he knows is likely to be observed by others who would be affronted or alarmed. So what Todd did can't get any closer to the meaning of lewd act. Change rooms in Football clubs are generally not public, pub toilets are.
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
$650K a year? That means you are in a position of responsibility. $650K a year does mean take any opportunity to "piss away" your coin in the nearest bar. And those taking about him needing a mentor - he's 28 FFS, not 18. At 28, my Dad had 4 kids, worked overtime and managed to pay off our family home in under 6 years. He would have been lucky to have had 2 beers on a Friday night with his workmates during that time. That is commitment, that is hard work, that is responsibility, that is conviction, that is purpose. My Dad still managed to play 1st grade Aussie rules every weekend during that time. You might have guessed that my Dad is my hero. He has no pretty pansy tatts and does not smoke. Neither do I (I paid off my first house in 2 years, 7 months - but I only have 1 kid. I didn't play AFL - it was cricket that consume my weekends). This just may mean that Todd and many of his contemporaries have lacked suitable adult male role models growing up in this excuse of a society we have today. I feel a little sorry for them - but adults must take responsibility for their actions and not bleat about being hard done by. One would assume he's off to get aother tatt in the blank square inch in his right arm pit. Adulterating my body always makes me feel better!
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
The pain ... the pain ...
onside
Guest
Its not about the NRL per se. It's about common decency.Less to do with tatts or booze, but more to do with acceptable behaviour in public. It is impossible to legislate against either bad manners or a poor attitude. Without either some individual or collective self restraint , living in society would be a lot less pleasant . This immutable social more' applies as equally to the highly paid professional sports man, as it does to the person who sweeps the locker room floor after the game.
micka
Guest
Kleine mengen... 3 monate urlaub mengen
Albatross
Guest
Genau richtig Micka. Sprechen sie Deutsch?
RBBAnonymous
Guest
He should get off the "piss" literally.
Upfromdown
Guest
Well said Jack. Its like saying before video replays players could belt each other and no one knew anything about it so it was all fair. Well guess what social media (and he even is on twitter I understand) does exist. So does random breath testing, so does drug testing, so do changes in law and the way we all work (whatever it is we do). It does not necessarily make life better or fairer at the time but he reaped the rewards of greater exposure and salary because of who he was, so he has to take the pain when he messes up. And on purpose or not he messed up.