- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Rugby league is a bubble within society which does not reflect society’s values.
You see this in the exorbitant wages of the top-earning players, the laissez-faire attitude towards concussion. But for now I just want to focus on the pronounced issue in Australian sport this week, domestic violence.
On Friday, Parramatta Eel Semi Radradra was charged with three counts of domestic violence following allegations by his former partner, Perina Ting – one count of which was actual bodily harm.
Radradra has gone to Fiji for the last week, flirting with the idea of fleeing to French Rugby.
He will be given the presumption of innocence by most, including his club, but this scenario seems suspicious to say the least. After such a turbulent week, Eels coach Brad Arthur is set to play the Fijian on the wing against the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night, highlighting the entrenched boy’s club culture in rugby league where winning comes first.
The NRL has applauded themselves for their support of the White Ribbon foundation and their ‘strong stance’ and ‘zero tolerance’ on domestic violence. For me their stance isn’t strong enough.
On Friday, the NRL’s head on integrity Nick Weeks phoned Eels boss Ian Schubert and strongly advised against playing Radradra. It is not zero tolerance when you are giving the club the option of ignoring this advice.
Radradra deserves his day in court, which is set for next Tuesday but until he is cleared he most certainly should not be allowed to play in the NRL. The NRL can not pride themselves as a family code if they allow that to happen, the Eels can not say they are a family club if they are allow him to play until and if he clears his name.
Erin Molan on the The Footy Show this past week was right when she said the NRL has to “walk the walk” otherwise their stance on domestic violence is hollow. “It has to stop. It’s enough” she said, this is one of the biggest issues facing rugby league and even with the presumption of innocence, it is wrong for Radradra to allowed to play until he has cleared his name.
Of course there is the case of Sydney Rooster Shaun Kenny-Dowell. He was cleared of ten domestic assault charges on his former partner Jessica Peris. That is fine, he cleared his name but still the NRL and the Sydney Roosters did not go far enough because throughout it all they never officially stood him down.
The problem is real, a professor at Macquarie University, Catharine Lumby who helped the NRL developed education programs said in July last year.
“The principle of innocent until proven guilty is a very important one, however I think when you’re talking about elite players who are role models, just in the same way as we might talk about CEOs who represent their companies, then we need to balance the importance of innocent until proven guilty against the importance of their role model status and the fact that they represent a code and the values that the code holds up.”
Whether we like it or not, these players are the role models to many young Australians, it is time for the NRL to stand up and mean what they say.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.