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When news broke that Mitchell Pearce had been involved in yet another disgraceful, alcohol-fuelled incident, I decided not to write about it.
It was already going to fill hundreds of inches of column space; there was no need to add my two cents into the mix.
But then Paul Gallen opened his mouth.
“He hasn’t hurt anyone. He has only really hurt himself I believe,” Gallen claimed.
It was at this point that it became crystal clear, if it wasn’t already, that rugby league players still don’t get it.
More Mitchell Pearce:
» Click here to see the footage
» Sack or suspension: Lewd act to cost Mitchell Pearce dearly
» ‘The vast majority went home, Mitchell should have done the same thing’: Sterlo
» Coverage as the story broke
» Geyer says Pearce “needs to be suspended for 12 months”
Obviously, Paul Gallen doesn’t speak for all rugby league players but he is the New South Wales and Cronulla captain and one of the most respected voices in the game. If he holds this view it’s quite likely that the majority of his peers also hold the same.
Pearce has clearly hurt a lot of people through his actions, both directly and indirectly. If rugby league players feel that he has only hurt himself, they are deluded and need a lot more social training.
To outline how wrong Gallen is. Let’s run through all the people Pearce has hurt through his behaviour.
We’ll start with the woman that lived in the apartment and invited him back to her place. First, he made an unwanted sexual advance towards her, turned his attention to her poor dog and then allegedly proceeded to urinate on her couch.
This girl will remember this night for a very long time, and they won’t be positive memories. She shouldn’t have to put up with a drunken guest in her own home.
And then there’s the cleaning bill for the lounge – if it’s cleanable. If Pearce is a decent bloke he would have already rung her and offered to buy her a new lounge, it’s not like he doesn’t have the money.
The woman was not the only person in attendance whose night was ruined by Pearce’s behaviour. There were a number of other men who left when Pearce was kicked out.
From what we saw, these men were well behaved and wisely chose to leave while informing Pearce that it was time to go. Something could be said about the fact that they allowed Pearce to get to the state he ultimately found himself in but overall, these men had their night cut short because of Pearce.
We’ve discussed those directly affected by Pearce’s behaviour when it actually occurred, now it’s time to move onto those affected by the fallout.
Firstly, is his family. His father is an Australian Rugby League Commissioner and one of the greatest players to ever pull on the Tigers jumper. How is he meant to fill a very senior role at the NRL and push for better player behaviour when his own son is behaving in this manner?
Wayne is a very public figure; he would be extremely embarrassed every time he has to show his face in public. How will his other family members, siblings, mother, cousins feel about this incident? No doubt they have been hurt by Pearce’s actions. Andrew Voss tweeted that knowing the embarrassment he has brought upon his friends and family is the biggest punishment Pearce could endure.
Now we move from the private to the public victims of Pearce’s behaviour. As is the case with any indiscretion by an NRL player, the sport of rugby league has been hurt yet again. Pearce’s disgraceful behaviour has seen his sport make headlines, for all the wrong reasons, all over the word. Countries that have probably never even heard of rugby league, like Sweden and Spain, have made this front-page news.
Rugby league players need to understand that their actions impact the sport as a whole. When mothers are choosing their son’s sport for the upcoming winter months, registrations are not far away, this will surely be in the back of their mind. When families choose whether to attend a rugby league match or a rugby union, AFL or soccer match, this will be in their minds.
It won’t just be animal related companies that will be second-guessing their commitment to the sport of rugby league. Steggles will surely be reconsidering whether to stand by the Roosters, especially given their logo has been plastered across every news report for the past couple of days.
Paul Gallen should know just as well as anyone else the struggles of playing without a naming-rights sponsor. Sharks coach Shane Flanagan had to set up a secret bank account to raise funds for a new gym because the club couldn’t afford one. And why did the Sharks not have a naming rights sponsor? Because of a string of off-the-field incidents coupled with the ASADA drugs saga.
Now let’s move to the indirect victims of Pearce’s behaviour. His 24 other Roosters teammates who were able to enjoy a few drinks on Australia Day without descending into what Pearce would become.
The Roosters entire preseason has been thrown into disarray. They will be forced to prepare a new halfback for the World Club Challenge and possibly the opening weeks of the season.
If Pearce is sacked the team will have no opportunity to recruit a new halfback to lead the team around the field. Pearce is a leader in this club – he was the co-captain and playing the most important position on the field. His club will miss him dearly if and when he is suspended.
It’s not fair on his teammates that their team will struggle on the field because Pearce decided to get drunk. This isn’t athletics where Pearce has been kicked off the Olympic team in which he was due to compete in an individual race, Pearce’s teammates are being punished because of his behaviour.
Pearce obviously wasn’t thinking about his teammates and these consequences when he was behaving the way he was, he was far too drunk to think straight. But he has to know his actions have consequences and he has struggled with alcohol in the past.
He has to know that when he drinks too much he misbehaves. And that misbehaviour has cost him very dearly. So he has to make a conscious decision not to let himself get to the state he found himself in because he would do something stupid and he would not be the only victim.
Rugby league players need to learn that they are playing a professional sport that is watched by millions of people each week. They live in the public spotlight. Like it or not, they are role models. There is nothing they can do about this. Well, there is one option. They can retire, ride off into the sunset and resume life as a normal 20-something.
They need to realise that their actions have consequences. People who have never met them before are hurt by their behaviour. It’s time for them to grow up and start acting like the role models that they are.
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