They might not break bones, but words can hurt. They do all too frequently.
Addin Fonua-Blake’s choice of them should have been reprimanded far more severely by the NRL than the three-week ban, two with an early guilty plea, which was handed down yesterday.
Abusing a referee is, on its own, worthy of a few weeks on the sideline. There have been less egregious examples than Fonua-Blake’s which led to longer suspensions, and that’s a case of the NRL not doing enough to stand by their whistleblowers. But the main issue here is the words the Manly prop used.
“Fucking retard.” A slur used to disparage people who live with a disability.
Ben Ikin pointed out on NRL 360 last night how offensive the word is, and rightly called out everyone involved for not addressing that.
“I have had people close to me in the last 24 hours remind me that the use of this word is so highly offensive to people living with disabilities,” Ikin said.
Addin Fonua-Blake. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“To see the fact that this was not acknowledged, not by the player, not by the club, nor by the NRL, I think is an issue that needs to be addressed in the next couple of days.”
Ray Hadley has since reported that, on top of his pathetic on-field comments, Fonua-Blake gave referee Grant Atkins an after-match spray, saying “Are your eyes fucking painted on you bunch of spastics?”.
Spastic. Another offensive term towards people with a disability. Classy stuff.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has made the right noises since that report came out, telling the Sydney Morning Herald “It’s inexcusable”.
“As I’ve said many times, what these players have to understand is they are role models,” he said.
“They have a non-negotiable duty. A young kid would’ve watched that and gone to school and abused a kid who is disadvantaged. To me, that’s intolerable.
“We’re not going lightly on it. If we do, as a commission, we might as well walk away.”
Peter V’landys. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
At the time of writing, though, they have been going lightly on it. The two-week suspension is inadequate, but there’s also been a lack of communication from the NRL explaining how those words were so harmful.
Fonua-Blake himself offered a “sincere apology to anyone offended by the regrettable language” but didn’t elaborate any further, while much of the reaction has glossed over his choice of words. It was “emotion and frustration” according to Des Hasler, and a case of a player who had “let his emotions get the better of him” in Phil Gould’s estimation.
Something from NRL HQ or the Sea Eagles outlining why it’s unacceptable to use words that denigrate someone by likening them to someone who has a disability, as if being compared to someone who has a disability is an insult, would have been welcome. So too a suspension for Fonua-Blake which properly reflects how ignorant and offensive his comments were, not just that his general behaviour towards Atkins was unacceptable.
So far, that opportunity to educate the public about that language has been missed. One can only hope it’s taken before it completely passes.
Womblat
Guest
Well you are here typing huge sanctimonious finger-wagging posts so unfortunately you haven't turned off completely. If you insist on burying a whole sport over two incidents, you won't last long watching backwater Union either. Here's a great montage of wondrous Rugby behaviour you don't see in League that you can watch at your pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBkV-l-Orkw No-one is begging you to stay.
Womblat
Guest
Tanks very much.
Michael Lipow
Guest
As a grandparent to a severely disabled child, it will be a major revelation for the footballer to spend some time with our most vulnerable people. Hopefully,he will have the good sense to realise how fortunate he is.
steveng
Roar Rookie
NOT at a referee and to use abusive and derogatory language as he did is way out of line, especially in front of a camera that was televised live! Gee where do you get your ethics from?
steveng
Roar Rookie
Edward WoodWard, the school’s that you refer to are far and few and are NOT the 99.99% of the schools today! As all Australians schools and the Federal and all State governments are bending backwards with NDIS schemes and therapies and are way advanced and in complete control to assist and to have special classes to assist all “special need kids” and for you to come up with this quote that “Those words are used every day in the schoolyard and have been for years” is totally wrong and misinformed! I’ve raised 6 kids (and my last boy who is 7yrs old and is autistic) I find your comment and what this flea brain Addin Fonua-Blake’s comments are totally wrong, uninformed, misinformed and downright abusive and offensive, as it really projects his intelligence and his state of mind, as this wasn’t the first time that this flea brain has used an excuse to defer his wrong doing, Addin very well known that! This is how out of touch Addin is and you are, as what you refer to might have been used way back in time, which is going back over 55 years and it was common but. very rarely today and as the title of this article implies “Disparaging, ignorant, offensive: Why Addin Fonua-Blake's behaviour warranted more than two weeks” is exactly what should have happened. And as for as Addin Fonua-Blake ignorance and arrogance is concerned and being even more offensive when buggerlugs like Addin is as low of using an excuse that he “didn’t understand the actual meaning of those words” give us a break, as that is really using a pretty low excuse to abuse the intelligence of all fans and the intelligence of us all.
matth
Roar Guru
I had a relative that when he hurt himself (e.g. whacked his thumb with a hammer) would come out with the most vile racial slurs. So is that ok by you because he wasn't actually standing in front of a person of colour?
Wandering Aloud
Guest
The moment I turned off Rugby League completely is captured in the following link. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/04/james-graham-david-klemmer-nrl The image of two men abusing the referee pretty much convinced me that all was lost. Both David Klemmer and the Graham should have been rubbed out for the rest of the season for their conduct. Both are 'representative' players, representative of what exactly? It's interesting that David Klemmer said recently of the 2015 incident... "What I did to the game as well, and the referees... junior footy players would've seen that and it would've been disappointing to see as well," he said. "Looking back, it wasn't great. That was the turning point for me. I don't want me doing that and kids doing that as well. And my own kids seeing me doing it, it wasn't right." https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/scarred-klemmer-no-longer-nrl-wild-child/e0637534-5eab-4d9c-9609-dcf4b684f0e9 If this conduct, and that of Fonua-Blake, continues to be effectively condoned by the NRL judiciary and justified by it's commentators, I will continue to watch that backwater sport, Rugby Union, where the players still call the referee Sir and run to the naughty chair when they've been sin-binned. https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/07/06/the-wrap-be-patient-and-super-rugby-au-will-stand-on-its-own-five-feet/
Succhi
Roar Rookie
I find the whole incident an absolute disgrace, especially the handling of it. For Fonua-Blake to come out and say he didn’t understand the actual meaning of the words he used. Please, give me a break! And DCE to follow it up with “we will learn from this.” What part of life did you miss the lesson about not abusing refs and respect and support for those that have serious struggles in life.
Womblat
Guest
Superb post. Hung on every word as spoken by someone who genuinely knows. Thanks mate
Shane
Roar Pro
My point is that the NRL lads and other combat athletes are in an extraordinary situation so the penalties must reflect this too. For a bit of a laugh let’s apply some of this to your life, assuming you’re working a fairly normal 9-5. So you get up early and head to work (training), you’re immediately called into your office and told you performed poorly yesterday, full stop. No second chances, this week you will be segregated from teammates and work in another team. No discussion. Get back to work. You get back into it, feeling pretty upset, and out of nowhere the cleaner smashes into you, fracturing your face, leaving you deformed. Your employer will pay for surgery but you’re told your services won’t be required beyond next year, unless you take a 70% pay cut. Oh, and this is all going to be reported in the newspaper. You need to talk to a reporter too and tell him how you’re feeling. And if you don’t take that pay cut, by the way, you’ll never work in this industry again - Unless you move overseas and pull your kids out of school here. Pretty comparable hey.
Nick
Roar Guru
As Catherine Murphy said on offsiders: Say something racist in America, you are done. Finished. Career is over. An apology doesn't restore your career, it only salvages what ever is left of your reputation. Say something racist in Australia, you aren't even stood down for a day. Offer a qualified apology and then move on. Same principle applies here, eh?
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
A year or 2 ago the New York Giants sacked a high profile player for using the R word on Twitter. They sacked him altogether. AFB gets 2 weeks...
Skidmarx
Guest
What a mug .
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Criticising a footballer who abuses a referee is indeed very similar to demanding the conviction for murder of an innocent woman.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Atkins sent it to the bunker to determine whether it was a penalty or a penalty try, which is perfectly reasonable. It's not his fault the bunker had a brain fade.
Nick
Roar Guru
Crap Shane. Absolute crap. You are taught from day 1 to respect the referee and the decision. Mistake one was there. Mistake two was the choice of words. Mistake three was the saying it again in the tunnel. What apologist drivel you write.
Nick
Roar Guru
Have you seen some of the other stuff he posts, Daniel? A ban from the website wouldn't be unappropriate. There's little he says that you would want this website to affiliate with.
Nick
Roar Guru
And what of his wife bashing Forty Twenty? Where do you stand on that? Come on...man up and answer.
Adam
Roar Guru
Except he got grumpy at the referee who didn't make the ruling...
Nick
Roar Guru
Well, if that's true then that's downright crap behaviour from Hewitt.