Plenty has happened in rugby league over the past couple of weeks, with the Four Nations tossing up some interesting games and results, a large amount of player movement, and yet another mindless act from a player involving a mobile phone or computer.
At the time when rugby union wrestled with the Kurtley Beale issue which had a mobile phone transmission as its ugly centrepiece, out comes league’s Paul Gallen with a tweet containing offensive language seemingly directed at NRL officials.
A hefty fine and a long ban from playing for the Kangaroos has ensued, and we hear the Blues captain may challenge the penalties legally.
Good luck to him in this latest endeavour, but I don’t fancy his chances.
A man of such seniority in the game was always going to get the kitchen sink hurled in his direction. It’s just that the double-barrelled penalty was handed down without the ruling body giving the player a chance to defend himself.
Anyway, let the lawyers go at it as hard as they like. They really need the money in these trying times.
What I am dirty about is that players are not heeding repeated warnings about mobile phones and the ever-expanding social media domain.
We are told that they are schooled repeatedly on the potential dangers yet hardly a week goes by without someone offending someone, and quite possibly everyone, by sending an inappropriate picture or text message which inevitably explodes in the public domain.
The game certainly doesn’t need it, some players’ images are slumping to gutter level, and I wonder if the time is fast approaching when the game’s top brass draws a line in the sand.
Of course they can’t and won’t ban mobile phones, computers or tablets. These are the preferred mode of communication for the bulk of society these days.
At the risk of being branded a wowser, I’d like the game’s powers to ban (or at least severely restrict) NRL players from doing the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest thing.
The game’s image could certainly do with some respite from the garbage emanating from social media. Seriously, would you be heartbroken or even mildly miffed if your favourite player kept his tweets to himself?
Would there suddenly appear a gaping void in your daily routine if Front rower X or Fullback Y’s spur-of-the-moment thoughts weren’t being transmitted ad nauseam? Would you be crestfallen if you missed a message with the ‘c’ word within, or a picture showing some weird bathroom stunt known as bubbling?
It’s time the NRL community got a whole lot more responsible about the use of social media and, primarily, mobile phones.
Banning player activity on twitter and the like might sound over the top, but more discipline in this area would surely save the image of rugby league being dragged through the sewers time and again.
Birdy
Guest
Ok , Jay C so assuming your not having a lend of me the law actually says on social media I can say what I like when I like about whoever I like and not get prosecuted. Lucky your fathers and grand fathers fought for those freedoms because I don't you blokes could .
Jay C
Roar Guru
I believe, Birdy, the precedence was set during the hearing of "Employees of (Redacted) v Those f.....g c...ts who couldn't organise a R.... in a B...... with a c......ll of money and a box of ....."
Birdy
Guest
So channa and Mark , I'm obviously a lot older than both of you and so don't have a really good knowledge of the edicate of social media. We all have rights I agree and we have the freedom of speech but where do we get the right to call our boss a c---- for all the world to see?
Jay C
Roar Guru
Machete don't tweet.
Channa Knuckey
Roar Rookie
Good point Mark Ferguson. It was a single thought expressed in a sentence. Social media refreshes itself soooo fast - it's not even as long-lasting and meaningful as casual conversation..... Exception - when it comes to bullying - which ought to carry civil penalties.
Channa Knuckey
Roar Rookie
True Fairy Fairfax - re moral weakness and immaturity. Baganality, however, is a personal right ;} as long as it only involves v8's, Metallica and drinking. Since when did a true bogan know how to Tweet...?
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I'm not 100% on this but I do believe the QLD Reds have a similar filter set up where all player tweets are sent to the PR team before being released on twitter. I think they brought it in after the "toxic" saga.
Mark Ferguson
Roar Rookie
Interesting times these it must be said as we now live in a Orwellian type society where personal opinion is frowned upon and that we have to act and converse in a certain way as to not offend anyone or anything. Personally I feel if that's Gallens opinion then he's entitled to it and the talk of banning this and that is reminiscent of a time in the 1940's when a certain dictatorship banned and burned books. We used to live in a free society with democratic values, what happened?
LXM of POM
Guest
This whole matter about Gallen being fined $50,000 and suspended from representing the Kangaroos is rubbish! Its not like he was caught on camera urinating into his own mouth or was caught driving under the influence of alcohol, he was just airing his opinion. Apart from using the 'c' word on social media, given his standing in the game, it's really a non issue. If you're going to fine him then slap him a $15- $20,000.00 fine with a warning and go on with business as usual. But to threaten his rep career is getting way over board, especially over a brain snap tweet. It appears that the nrl's response to this matter is more personal then for the good image of the game. And banning players from airing their honest opinion regarding developments in the game (bar the use of offensive language) is utter ridiculous as well. To end, I wish Gallen all the best in fight against the penalty.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
And certain human beings are not capable of using social media in a responsible way. Sounds like you have no issue with Gallens outrageous comments. It was totally and utterly inappropriate particularly from a bloke with his standing in the game.
Guest
Guest
He does get a chance to defend himself, that's why he is given 7 days to appeal the breach notice, a concept so many have had problems understanding, likely because a certain tabloid journalist deliberately mislead readers with a phoney argument around not getting a hearing.
fishes
Guest
Pathetic article. We are talking about human beings, with rights. Ever heard of personal responsibility?
millsy of perth
Guest
If I we're to do something like Paul Gallen did in a work situation I would be immediately sacked so go figure every one
Birdy
Guest
In the days of censorship we had shows like the Brady bunch the partridge family etc a real false look at the perfect society , since then its become pretty much open slather It's a real confusing debate , censorship v non censorship. None of us are perfect so therefore the answer is education and part of that education is being aware of your responsibility ie if you are representing an organisation , a government department or an elite sport and you do something to embarrass it then it's time to say goodbye.
pot stirrer
Guest
For our State Captain and Aust Vice captain who has got everything in life from playing RL to post a comment like that is the very definition of an idiot as far as im concerned, and as stupid as it was he really only has harmed his own reputation.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
"Do you offer a solution?" the solution is to let the players use these private accounts as they deem fit to and if they bring the game into disrepute then they can be punished for it under their NRL contracts. This is not only in place already but also applies to those that bring the game into direpute through means other than twitter the problem has already been solved.
matth
Guest
The first person that invents a social media alcohol test will make a fortune. Imagine if once you got past 0.05, Twitter, Facebook and instant messaging locked you out. That would solve a heck of a lot of problems, and not just in sport
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
I won't support the NRL "banning social media". I would support individuals banning themselves from social media. A little bit of self-restraint would go a long way with some of these blokes.
catcat
Guest
It only seems a problem for a few players...the ones that find trouble anyway. Most players seem to use social media OK. I enjoy reading the tweets and seeing pics of the players with family and friends outside football I think there are bigger challenges in the game around refereeing and rules.
Chop
Roar Guru
A solution is a relatively easy one. When a players signs for the club their social media person creates them an account e.g. @EelsNRL_Chop That is their handle to interact with the fans, media etc. If they send those sort of messages as a representative of the club by using this account then sure fine them to the hilt. Allow them to have their personal own account and to voice their own opinions which, like most of our accounts in social media, are not under the scrutiny of our employers. I don't care if they swear or abuse the NRL because players need to be able to be a private citizen as well as the NRL employee in my opinion. I think the fine was a massive over reaction in comparision to some of the other criminal activity which has occured and resulted in less reaction from the NRL.