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By Lodge's standards, Carney should have been back years ago

Todd Carney appears set to sign with North Sydney. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Roar Rookie
22nd March, 2018
63

Should Todd Carney be allowed back into the NRL in 2018.

If not why not?

I don’t condone all the things he has done but I feel he has done his time.

My main concern is that the NRL may want to make a sacrificial lamb out of him to take the heat off their decision to let Matt Lodge back into the NRL so soon.

After watching the video of Matt Lodge’s unprovoked, out of control, vicious attack on that poor family and reading about his ex-partners allegations of physical and verbal abuse, I cannot comprehend how he is back playing in the NRL so soon.

For Todd Greenberg to say that due diligence was carried out, his case was meticulously checked out and he feels he had done enough to be allowed to play so soon is very worrying to say the least.

Don’t get me wrong I’m all for giving players more chances depending on the severity of their offences.

The unwritten rule is “if you do the crime you do the time”.

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Matt Lodge has not done his time.

If an American law court found him guilty of that offence and ordered him to pay one million dollars in compensation. That amount is a good indication of the severity of the crime.

Matt Lodge

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

As for his ban and not being allowed to play, how long was he actually out of the game for?

Correct me if I’m wrong ,he played for the Tigers in 2015, did not play in 2016, played for Redcliffe in 2017 is now back playing for the Broncos in 2018.

So realistically he has only missed one year of football.

Any offence against women and children should be given the maximum penalty.

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Surely a slap on the wrist and a one-year ban is not the maximum penalty for what Matt Lodge did to that family in America and the physical and verbal abuse his ex-partner suffered.

Todd Greenberg should have and would have had all the information on both these offences before he made his decision.

He now needs to justify and explain why he came up such a controversial decision.

He has again shown the inconsistency of some of the NRL rulings.

And as for Wayne Bennett’s answer for why he should be let play again – “because he is a good player” – is beyond belief.

It is an insult those unfortunate people who were assaulted, abused and traumatised.

If it was Wayne Bennet’s family that this had happened to would he be so forgiving?

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Does his rule apply to all clubs or just the Broncos?

As for Todd Carney, yes he also has a string of offences. Compared to Lodge, most of his are minor and yet he has not been allowed to play NRL for the past three years.

The only person Todd Carney has really hurt in all his offences is himself – although of course he can consider himself lucky he never hurt anyone while driving drunk.

Todd Carney bleeding

(AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)

I can’t condone what he has done but has it been worth the three years so far?

He has had a clean sheet since his last game of NRL.

I would like to think after three years to think about his past, and being 31 years old and hopefully a more mature and wiser person who knows his playing time will soon be up, he will have well and truly learnt his lesson.

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As for Matt Lodge his case should be reviewed again and a more severe penalty applied.

There is no place in NRL for repeat offenders against women and children.

Hindsight is a great teacher, but it is also an unforgiving reminder of what might of or could have been.

I’m sure both these guys realise that now and will for years to come.

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