Todd Carney recently played his first game in Australia since 2014 and there are calls for him to be given another chance in the NRL – a final shot at redemption.
People compare his record, a long list of misdemeanours dating back more than ten years, to those of Russell Packer who was jailed for violent assault.
Packer did his time and learnt from his mistake, recently joining the Wests Tigers’ leadership group.
That’s where the comparisons between Carney and Packer end. Packer has kept his nose clean, never putting a foot wrong at the Dragons and will be a great asset to the Tigers.
Carney, not so much.
He was charged with drink driving and reckless driving in 2006 and banned from driving for five years. Carney was only 19 and this should have been a wake-up call.
Not so.
After another driving misdemeanour in 2007, whereby he borrowed the car of teammate Steve Irwin before leading the police on a chase through Canberra, he was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond. Incredibly, the Raiders sacked Irwin, but retained their golden boy.
In 2008, Carney re-signed with the Raiders until 2010, but still struggled to learn from past mistakes, with allegations he urinated on a man in a Canberra nightclub. The complaint was withdrawn, but the Raiders suspended him from their Round 21 match with the Titans.
The club imposed a strict set of guidelines on Carney, who, as a professional rugby league player should be able to follow. He’s not a 17-year-old anymore, he’s now old enough to know better.
Incredibly, the playmaker asked for an alteration of the guidelines, which the club refused. He was eventually sacked and banned from the NRL until 2010.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby-league” name=”League”]
After going on a vandalism spree in Goulburn in February 2009, he played out the year for the Atherton Roosters, where two separate off-field incidents overshadowed his stay; being assaulted by four men in May, and allegedly setting a man’s pants on fire on New Year’s Eve.
Remarkably, Carney was picked up by glamour club Sydney Roosters and enjoyed his best season to date, playing a key part in the club’s charge to the grand final in 2010, where they were defeated by the St George Illawarra Dragons.
However, in February 2011, he was charged with low-range drink driving and following two more alcohol-related incidents in the year he was finally released by the club.
After a good first-up year at the Sharks in 2012, he spurned an offer from the Warriors to sign a five-year deal with the Shire club, but again, his alcohol troubles cut short his stay. In 2014, a photo showing Carney appearing to urinate into his own mouth leaked online and he was sacked.
He went overseas, plying his trade with Catalans in 2015-16 and Salford in 2017. He’s now been picked up by Intrust Super Cup side Northern Pride, who on their website claim: “Yes, Todd has had a chequered career but having played the last three years in France and England he has certainly matured and learnt from his mistakes.”
Interesting that he never learnt from his mistakes over the previous 14 years, but whatever.
Now the 31-year-old has the ambition to make it in the NRL again, with Manly emerging as possible suitors. If I’m Lachlan Croker or Jackson Hastings, I’d be filthy that the club would even contemplate signing Carney.
Carney clearly does not learn from his mistakes.
Does he deserve another chance? No.
The Sydney Roosters gave him a second chance when they plucked him from Atherton on a big-money deal and he blew it. The Sharks gave him another chance and he blew that too.
The NRL needs to firmly shut the door on any possibility of Todd Carney making a return.
Dwayne pearson
Guest
You say carney never learns, you base that over 10 years, he hasn’t bashed someone within an inch of their life. He stuffs up like a lot of young men but generally only hurting himself, if we let him back the worst that can happen is he will be guilty of another drunken indiscretion, but you would rather someone that has nearly killed a man to be applauded for not nearly killing someone for a few years. Seems odd to me
The Barry
Roar Guru
Checkmate...ok he was out of the NRL for three years.
Mike from tari
Guest
Carney was playing Super League so how was he out of the game, Packer was in prison, Lodge was sacked by the Tigers, went to the states, scarred his victims for life, spent a couple of weeks in Rykers, the reason Lodge was sued was because his lawyers organised a plea bargain with the state prosecutor which his victims did not agree with, hence the civil court action.
Nat
Roar Guru
Try just a bit of research re Lodge, Steve. Headlines aren't the full story.
Adam
Guest
I agree that the NRL has erred in allowing Lodge to play again. It sets a very dangerous precedent
Adam
Guest
They were not performance enhancing drugs, if anything they made it harder to play. Had he been caught during his career using these drugs well he should have been punished accordingly, but not banned for life as you are suggesting.
Adam
Guest
The “Bubbler” wasn’t a crime or a disreputable act, it was funny and deadset whacky. You lost me there. It was embarrassing for Carney, his club and the game. Seeing as he hasn't done anything wrong recently, I'm not calling for him to be punished, but the NRL also has to draw a line in the sand with repeat offenders. And thanks for noticing the confected outrage angle I was going for.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
I wouldn't mind Carney at Manly and I'd suspect he has finally grown up. On the other hand if the NRL or the clubs got serious with repeat offender clowns in their early years it might just send a message to the next clown that talent doesn't give you an unlimited stint as a circus performer. I would favor a ban for a couple of years from the NRL if their behaviour is bad enough to get sacked from a club. No moving to other clubs in Oz. Moving to the Roosters wasn't punishment at all.
Matt H
Roar Guru
I struggle with banning him for life. Here's a hypothetical Adam, Andrew Johns was on drugs for a significant portion of his career. It was covered up by Newcastle to some extent, but Johns did not learn and change. He was caught again after retirement. If Johns had been caught twice during his career, should he have been banned for life?
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Nah! Adam, you've written a piece that is meant to be divisive and controversial, yet it stinks of confected outrage and and double jeopardy. The "Bubbler" wasn't a crime or a disreputable act, it was funny and deadset whacky. Anything that Carney did before that has been penalised and he paid for it all, both financially and in time served. You can't continue to punish somebody after they've been charged and sentenced. The "Bubbler" incident cost Carney 3 years. Well, guess what, it's been 3 years. The NRL needs to honour the terms of its ruling or else they are restricted his ability to lawfully gain employment. There's a rabbit hole here which leads to the NRL being open to having its own decision overturned. It happened before with Souths, and it happened before that with Terry Hill destroying the Rugby League Draft. Let him play and if some club takes a chance with him, it will definitely lead to more for you to write about, Adam.
KenW
Guest
I had a lot of trouble cheering for Packer when he was in Dragons colours. Intellectually I know that allowing a motivated person a second chance is the best for everyone. Shunning them forever encourages them to be an outcast, rather than encouraging them to be better, and providing inspiration and pathways to others. Packer appears to have taken that chance, turned his life around and put a lot of time into community service - really he's been the perfect example of why we should give people opportunities to make things right. I still couldn't quite bring myself to cheer for him knowing that he stomped on an unconscious man's head though because I don't live completely intellectually. I agree that Lodge's crime was worse, as a pre-meditated crime rather than a momentary act of violence, and I think it's going to be hard for fans to forgive regardless of what he does from here. Carney has shown himself to be a bit of a ratbag - immature, alcohol problems, disrespectful of the chances he's been given - guilty on all charges. But none of it is in the same ballpark as the other guys, and if he really did turn it around he'd probably be easier to cheer for than the other 2.
Steve
Guest
The NRL have opened the door for Carney by allowing Lodge to play. Lodge has shown absolutely no remorse and is dodging civil liabilities imposed by a USA court stemming from his criminal activities. To shut the door on Carney following this would reak of double standards and impartiality.
mushi
Guest
To your last comment that's great we agree. As to the first I think the timing, whether I agree with it or not, was more about seeing who could or would stick to "team" rules and see if they could finish out the year well (I also wrote before the season started that the grand final appearance was lucky and that their worst enemy was going to be expectations). But it would be an out there conspiracy theory to suggest it was to just get rid of Carney. They already had two very easy opportunities and had only just reinstated him. In the end I'm not sure they actually fired him. I think his manager asked for a release before it got to that point because Carney had run out of decent versions of "I'm a changed man" and even if he got through this one he'd burnt every bit of goodwill. I think that Carney has just screwed up sooooo many times that people actually have trouble keeping tabs.
Adam
Guest
Carney's crimes are exactly why he shouldn't be allowed back, that's why I focused on them. If he has in fact turned over a new leaf good for him and I wish him well. Let him play reserve grade in QLD but not NRL
At work
Roar Rookie
Completely agree PantherTillIDie, Carney along with the other group of violent offenders should all be removed from the NRL. If the NRL has any sense they would actually grow a pair and kick out all that have a violent past off th field, I don’t understand how they think allowing to play is good for the brand. When Packer signed for the Dragons I was very much against it, he shouldn’t have been allowed back, full stop. BUT, if the NRL are going to confinue to be weak then it is unfair to not allow Carney to return while having violent criminals playing.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I think your last sentence sums it up well Adam. I wouldn't go near him if I were a CEO or a coach...but that doesn't mean he should get a life ban.
The Barry
Roar Guru
For all Packer's and Lodge's maturity and contrition they each spent only 12 months out of the game for violent, aggressive crimes. I'm not downplaying Carney's actions - particularly the drink driving offences - but he's spent a total of four years out of the game. Even if you consider the cumulative effect of Carney's offences, the penalties are in now way commensurate to the players actions.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Fair enough about the multiple incidents at the Roosters and they certainly had every right to give him the flick but the timing of the alcohol ban was ridiculous from the Roosters season perspective. If I were a conspiracy theorist I'd suggest that it was done to catch him out. Regardless, if he was silly enough to go out on the sauce in the situation he was in at the time, he deserves what he gets. Breaking the alcohol ban is a reason for a club not to sign him and nothing more. It's not a reason to ban him from the game for life and shouldn't be considered in that context.
The Barry
Roar Guru
"where two separate off-field incidents overshadowed his stay” But one of those off field instances was him getting assaulted by four men. He probably even deserved it but blaming him for that is typical of the hyperbole that comes along with Carney. And I don't think those incidents remotely overshadowed his stay. The narrative at the time was he he'd got back to basics, rediscovered his love of football, was working at the Atherton Hotel (strange employment choice in retrospect!) and the publican there thought of him as a son. I'm not defending Carney's time at the Roosters. The point I'm making is that he defied a ludicrously times alcohol ban. The Roosters had every right to give him the flick. It's a good reason why another club might not want to sign him, but it's not a reason to ban him for life and shouldn't be considered in any such ban.
Paul
Roar Guru
Adam, I think you've missed a trick with your article by focusing on Carney's "crimes". You, me or anyone else isn't in a position to judge whether he's turned over a new leaf; at best we're guessing whether he has or has not, so the focus should be on what value would he add to a side, both on and off the filed, if he did come back and play? On the field, his pluses are his undoubted footballing ability. The negatives are his age, his lack of NRL standard fitness and whether his skills are still good enough to make a difference for a side. Off the field, he still needs to contribute at Club functions, school visits, etc and this is where he'd likely struggle because of the intense media scrutiny. His Club would also be under immense pressure to protect him from temptation, so to speak and obviously if he screwed up once, both he and the Club would cop the blame. At the end of the day, the decision about whether he's picked up by an NRL Club will be financial. If Members and fans don't like it, they'll vote with their feet