A lot of the focus on the NRL’s new draconian rules for off-field misbehaviour have been concerned with a central, hypothetical scenario.
Player A is charged with a serious crime. He is suspended – “without any presumption of guilt” and on full pay – until the legal process runs its course.
The legal process runs its course over two years. He is found innocent. He sues the NRL for ruining his career.
To that, I say this: the NRL recently recorded a surplus of $42.8 million; don’t you think they can afford a few payouts?
I’d even think they may have costed and factored in compensating a few players when they announced these new changes.
Besides, other codes of rugby and competitions in other countries aren’t bound by the stand-down rule (although it would be interesting to hear what Super League have to say about it). If Player A is offered full pay by the NRL – something else that is obviously going to be a budgeted financial burden on the game – and plays another sport while stood down, it’s going to make it hard to argue in court his career has been unfairly blighted.
Not impossible – but difficult.
Does all that make it OK for someone who is found innocent to be banned from playing the game they love? In my mind, yes.
Rugby league is full of V8 Supercar sponsors when its pre-eminence in NSW and Queensland suggest it should have its share of Formula 1 backers as well. They don’t appear to want to go anywhere near it.
Qantas, HSBC, Thai Airways, Invast Global, QBE – all those brands that currently back the AFL and rugby union could be wooed over if we could somehow make ‘rugby league’ and ‘bogan’ not come up so regularly in word association games across the country.
And the money that would come from those sponsors would fund even more payouts for wronged players. The crackdown should pay for itself if it works.
We’re always at a crossroads in rugby league and we never take the right turn. So to call this a cultural crossroads is no big deal because we seem to stand at those regularly.
As for players being targeted with malicious intent, it’s difficult to be be actually charged with a crime in which you’ve never even met the accuser.
In Britain, Premier League footballers live in their own enclaves, socialise most often in exclusive nightclubs or in each others’ sprawling backyards, and live with the constant knowledge the paparazzi are after them.
That’s the reality now for NRL players. You can’t be accused you of sexual assault if you never met your accuser, because you never went out.
If you only go to the post-match function and then to a friend’s place or a private room at the nightclub where you know everyone, then baseless allegations leading to actual police charges are less likely. Not impossible. Less likely. Those videos will never surface if you never shot them.
“But rugby league is the game of the people!” I hear you say. “Its appeal is that you can meet the player down the shops, he’s just like you!”
And to that, I go back to the start of this column. The culture of the game has to change – and it has to lose some good traits and some good people along the way.
Not everyone can go with rugby league where rugby league needs to go.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Its not a perceived problem , but a real one, one far bigger than in the scheme of things useless banter about a football code and one that will effect your kids and grandkids ---- but if want my opinion on RL, it will either turn onto a NFL type game where grass roots are virtually non existent or it will merge again with rugby at some point in the future, it cant compete as a tackling based junior game against soccer and AF, unlike the NFL all our codes of football are built from ground up over 100 years of mostly volunteer work, RL's have disintegrated from smaller families, demographic changes in who plays the game, swings away from hard physical activity for boys, mothers having a bigger say and so on and so forth. Anyway do yourself a real favour .....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdWahm2z_R0
db
Guest
I addressed your perceived problem at the conclusion of my previous post. What's your solution? You seem to have fallen for the Robinson theatrics, hook, line and sinker. He's not the messiah, he's just a very naughty boy. What is your view on Steve Mascord's line that, "Not everyone can go with rugby league where rugby league needs to go"?
Aligee
Roar Rookie
I don't think anyone said a working class lad was an angel, or not a English soccer tough, but you did make false claims, he was never arrested for drugs like you claimed, probably because you don't investigate of your own accord but believe the dribble you are fed, probably from the paper you buy at the shops. Funny how time after time you miss the real point and also don't even address the point, you don't address it because you cant, because that would mean that TR has a point and we cant have that, can we! - and that is exactly how the establishment works - congrats, you are part of the problem and not solution.
db
Guest
No one said you weren't entitled to an opinion. That's a false claim being used as diversion. Are you still suggesting that Robinson, or whatever he's calling himself this week, was never convicted for fraud and travelling internationally on a false passport. Thank you for bringing to my attention the perils of the fast approaching marauding hoardes. I'll be extra vigilant the next time I am down at the shops.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Firstly, i am more than entitled to respond to your your false posts, secondly, it actually is important what happens elsewhere, particularly in the so called home of democracy the UK, because what happens there usually comes our way a few years later, thirdly as i pointed out no matter what TR shortcomings are he pulled the lid on a huge that as yet has still not been dealt with scandal that saw Muslim grooming gangs r ape thousands of indigenous English girls for many years and get away with it and fourthly seeing we are on the RL board i would recommend a book by well known RL scribe Danny Lockwood set in Northern England called the "Islamic Republic of Dewsbury" set in a Northern English town and the most homogenous town in the UK, homogeneous because all indigenous English have left!!
db
Guest
I'm not sure why you're so worked up about some guy on the other side of the world. It makes no difference to either of us what Stephen Yaxley-Lennon gets up to. He was in no way relevant to the topic of this article. Of course, you can choose to believe that the government fabricated the stories of his arrest and conviction for mortgage fraud and travelling around the world on a false passport. I just can't summon the requisite outrage to care about such things.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Basically all was factually incorrect, no charges for any drug possession and trumped up or made up the rest to silence him as they have just recharged him for contempt of court, the only journalist ever charged let alone jailed, not withstanding everything he reported was already in the public realm let alone repeated by the MSM at the same time. Funny how nothing has happened for 5 months, but now with Brexit due and his documentary Panorama showing up a biased BBC and Political establishment they have recharged, that is after he was jailed and let out. The only one with delicate and misguided sensibilities is you.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/why-de-belin-is-suing-the-nrl-over-his-player-ban/news-story/7fc40e710b56af6c4b1758cb773fa0a3 "Court documents also show de Belin stands to lose sponsorship deals, Blues selection chances from the ARLC and NRL’s “unconscionable conduct” which amounts to an unlawful restraint of trade."
db
Guest
Are you referring to me? I made a single comment correcting a false claim. Was there something in my post that was factually incorrect? Did it offend your delicate sensibilities.
Homers Son
Guest
These two must be having a break from their Antifa meeting
Don
Roar Rookie
Exactly! The standing down or suspension doesn’t lose him any sponsorships or marketing opportunities. The criminal charges do that! As a sponsor I’d be walking away from St George not just DeBelin.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Pfffff, without TR bringing to light the muslim grooming ( you could replace grooming with many other words) gangs, you would still have them roaming the length and breadth of the UK 'grooming' mainly English girls, doing what they do best!!, hundreds of men now in jail. one of the latest of literally hundreds of trials- should point out one of them changed religion to lure Sikh girls - guess which one! https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-45918845 If you are going to have a go at TR- get your facts straight first.
The Barry
Roar Guru
But if there’s no financial cost to them why even bother virtue signalling...? Why would they care at all about the ‘political climate’ if it wasn’t affecting the game? Why change the rules to address this behaviour and weaken their own product if it’s irrelevant? Virtue signalling on its own doesn’t make any sense.
Ad-O
Guest
I think they like to be seen to take action because that's the political climate that we live in. Basically they're virtue signalling. They probably come under some pressure from sponsors to be seen to take action, but I'm not aware of a major sponsor dumping the NRL or a club over a player's off field I discretions. What I see is a game whos TV deals keep getting bigger, who's ratings keep getting bigger, who's sponsorship pie keeps getting larger and players that are better paid than at any time in history. So no, I dont see any proof at all this is costing the game financially. If people were truly turning off the TV because of all the nonsense you would notice that 8n the bottom line. But that is simply not the fact.
Rob
Guest
Sad to think most people seem more concerned about the dollars lost or dollars gained or the games image? I'm genuinely concerned about the effect this behaviour and public shaming is having on the females, players and families involved.
Aligee
Roar Rookie
That’s right he was jailed for mortgage fraud, he stated his brother in law earnt more than what he did so he(BIL)could get a mortgage - doesn’t mean he was not going to repay the mortgage, let’s jail everyone who has upped their income to get a loan, they would still have prison hulks in the Thames, they couldn’t pin anything on him so the establishment got him other ways, whatsmore they can go through anyone’s life with a fine tooth comb and find probably jailable offences on anyone-history will paint TR as a patriot and the present UK government as traitors to the British people.
Bluebags
Guest
Hi Steve, If a player is strong-willed enough to decide to take this all the way to court and succeeds - and presuming that the player IS in fact innocent after all - then the NRL probably won’t try repeating the so-called ‘no guilt stand-down policy’ no matter how much payout money they have - because a court would have most likely deemed it illegal. And then, in a strange twist, the public pressure and media pressure on the NRL would abate, and the NRL had the perfect excuse - “we stood down the player but the courts have ruled against us”. The NRL might say they their new policy is a “no fault” policy, but by standing down players as the old saying goes “actions speak louder then words”. If a player takes this to court, this could be winds of Dennis Tutty mark II. Having said all that, if he’s guilty then it’s a life ban and is in a lot more trouble that just missing football games.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think people are confusing the NRL's stance as a moral one when it's clearly a business decision. If there were just one or two incidents it would be business as usual but the NRL and the Clubs have lost some serious money over this and they had to take control of the narative. If you look at what the NRL has actually announced there's not that much too it- it's mostly discretionary and they've only locked themselves in to very serious offences. I don't wanna make light of the issues over the offseason but I'd have to say that one of the biggest factors in the level of outrage was the fact that it all happened in a vaccuum. Mid season a lot of these reports would get glossed over, but when there's nothing but negative stories for five months is add's up. Perhaps the NRL should consider ways to fill in the offseason a bit more.
The Barry
Roar Guru
If you don’t think it’s costing the game then you’ve just got no clue. Even in your post you’ve contradicted yourself. You mention the “degree of public outrage” but then can’t understand “how its destroying the image of the sport” If it’s not costing the game, why would they suspend players for this stuff? It’s in the NRL’s best interest to have the best players on the park. It damages the product they sell to fans and sponsors to not have the best players running out every week. So what’s the compelling reason for the game to be seen to be doing something about this? By far the best course of action they could take would be to say “no problems here, spare me the sanctimony” and keep all their best players on the field. But they’re not...
Ad-O
Guest
Firstly, it's not about nannying the players. It's about the clubs protecting assets that they've invested millions into. Its smart business.