Harry Bath once took Balmain to The Entrance for a few days before a Saturday semi-final when he coached the Tigers.
The preparation was considered innovative at a time when The Entrance was still a holiday destination and most families didn’t own cars.
Now many commute from there for work in Sydney, most everyone owns a car and it’s just a short drive from Sydney for a day out.
Now rugby league players can visit Las Vegas in the off-season, take themselves off to Thailand clinics because of alcohol/behaviour problems, and a player of modest attainment like Matthew Lodge can find himself in New York.
Such destinations were beyond the dreams of the average worker/family/rugby league player in the Bath-Tigers time.
This gives context to the Lodge bid to be taken back and the obvious questions: how far is rugby league its players’ keeper, and when is a line irreversibly crossed?
Well first, Lodge is not stereotypical.
Despite some outside impressions, most rugby league players are not violent, drunken, inarticulate louts.
Doctors, lawyers, engineers and countless teachers and skilled tradesmen have played the working man’s game at a high level, though the demands of the modern professional game mean studying for the professions is virtually impossible and few work.
But for many, the ability to play rugby league is the one great talent they were given; it’s how they express themselves.
It’s also their one chance to earn an income that can set them up for a life post-football.
As long as they’re not breaking the law and causing a public disturbance, whether they’re articulate or not is irrelevant; they talk through football.
Lodge has both broken the law and caused a public disturbance, and in the most traumatic way for his victims.
In discussing Lodge, there is no claim to a moral position from high in the grandstand.
Many of us have made idiots of ourselves on the drink, and anyone who has played in football teams can remember atrocities committed.
But how many can put themselves in Lodge’s shoes and imagine behaving in the way he did, no matter how drunk?
There may be some employers who had an employee so brilliant, they would retain him, hush up the scandal and pay off the victims.
Some, but not many, and certainly the average employee would be out on their ear.
To hear a few seconds of Lodge trying to express remorse and explain how he’s a new man is cringe inducing.
And Lodge may or may not have asked himself how he would have been treated if he’d been a black man in the United States behaving in the same way.
Some might say he’s a lucky man.
Serial offender Todd Carney is now trying to get a start with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Carney’s history culminated with his celebrated piss de resistance, but he was only doing damage to himself and unless there’s been an outstanding cover-up, there is no evidence of violent rampages.
His problem is that he’s had plenty of chances and has made himself, and by extension the game, a laughing stock.
Lodge’s problem is that he undercuts any campaign the NRL might conduct on violent and anti-social behaviour, all the good, private things players might do.
His cannot be a story of redemption because a short stay in a clinic might get him off the drink but can’t offer an insight into why he behaved the way he did.
And it says no matter how abhorrent the behaviour, if you can play football you’ll be taken back.
If Lodge hasn’t crossed the line, where is the line?
He would be better advised to get a job, begin reparation to his victims and that goes beyond money, do some community work and live a quiet life out of the public eye.
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.
Why are NSW people always so desperate to prove that they “get” Origin, and that Origin means as much south of the Tweed as…
Over the years I’ve heard all the excuses about lack of investment or interest in women’s sport. But the reality is, that the hard…
We're at the point in the season when just about every tipster could do with a magic trick or two. Magic Round in Brisbane…
Perceptions can be hard for rugby league players to shake but it’s not impossible. David Fifita is the latest NRL star who needs an…
Here's everything you need to know about Women's State of Origin 2022 - from the kick-off time to how to watch and where it will be won.
Gold Coast forward David Fifita has backflipped on his decision to join the Roosters on a four-year deal to remain at the Titans in…
