With an early guilty plea on Monday night, Manly Sea Eagles player Addin Fonua-Blake will cop a two-week suspension for verbally abusing on-field referee Grant Atkins on Sunday evening.
It was an ugly incident which happened in the dying moments of the contest.
Fonua-Blake approached the on-field referee, visibly irate, following the decision made by the video ref not to penalise Newcastle Knights player Bradman Best for pushing Tevita Funa as he was pursuing a grubber in an attacking position.
This penalty, if awarded, would have given the Sea Eagles the opportunity to send the game into golden point.
Graham Annesley has also since come out and said that, in his view, a penalty should have been awarded. It’s important to note though, that Annesley was sharing his view and also said that the line-ball nature of the call saw it come down to a “difference of opinion” during the weekend review conducted by the referees.
Graham Annesley (NRL.com).
What Fonua-Blake said has been well reported and I don’t wish to repeat the language.
However, what hasn’t been as well reported, is that even after referee Atkins sent Fonua-Blake off, there was a second tirade of abuse in the tunnel involving additional language I don’t want to repeat.
After Fonua-Blake’s early guilty plea, there was plenty of discussion about the time he will spend off the field.
Some, including Ben Ikin and Paul Kent, have suggested that Fonua-Blake should spend much more time on the sidelines, citing the example of James Graham – who, in 2015, confronted a referee and pointed a finger in his face.
Graham was given four weeks and took the early plea to reduce that to three and in that scenario didn’t swear at the referee or use any inappropriate language.
While I certainly agree that Fonua-Blake should spend some time on the sidelines, I don’t think missing football games is the sort of ‘punishment’ that is needed, or that it addresses the whole issue.
Spending time on the sidelines sends a clear message that any dissent directed to the referee is inappropriate. An important message that needs to be sent.
But it doesn’t address the words Fonua-Blake used or the impact that these words can have.
The language Fonua-Blake used was deeply hurtful, particularly to those in our community that have a disability or for people who have someone in their family with a disability.
It may be, and this would be extremely unfortunate, that Fonua-Blake doesn’t understand the impact of the words he used. He may understand that they are words you ‘shouldn’t understand’ but not understand the reason why.
While time on the sidelines addresses the dissent, there is an opportunity here to do more and provide Fonua-Blake with some education.
We saw a good example of this in rugby back in 2015, when New South Wales Waratahs player Jacques Potgieter visited the Sydney Convicts – Australia’s first gay rugby club – after he made a homophobic slur during a game.
Not only did this give Potgieter the opportunity to apologise in person to some members of the community impacted by what he said, but it also gave him the chance to listen, learn and educate himself on the impact of his words.
There is an opportunity for Fonua-Blake to do the same.
There is a proud history of inclusivity in rugby league, particularly in Australia. The message is clear; no matter your ability, size, shape, gender, sexuality or race, there is a place for you in the rugby league family.
But this is much broader than just Australia. Next year, the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup will be held. It will be the first time this competition has taken place concurrently with the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Closer to home, the Wheelchair State of Origin is a tightly fought battle, contested every year.
Perhaps Fonua-Blake could attend the fixture this year. It would give him an opportunity to meet some fellow athletes, watch an exciting game of footy and educate himself on some of the challenges that people with a disability face in our society – and, unfortunately, some of the stigma that still exists associated with disability.
While what Fonua-Blake did on the field was a negative, there is an opportunity here for him to make a change. Education is extremely powerful.
There is an opportunity for Addin Fonua-Blake here and I hope he and the Manly Sea Eagles take the opportunity.
theHunter
Guest
TP.777 I never said kids don't play. I said they do not watch rugby as often as you would think they do. I know kids who play soccer all the time but they don't sit at home and watch a full professional game especially of the age group you just mentioned in your comment. You righteous people use the role model to Kids line only when you see something that these adults do on TV that you do all the time at home then come on here and preach like angels... I don't support what AFB did was right but he did sometime right by apologizing.
Yeah nah
Guest
Two men, one slightly older, admiring the statue of Wally Lewis outside Suncorp. One: "There is a legend. Saw him, admired him, appreciate all he's done." The other: "What's the best way to tear that thing down?" Guess which one's you?
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Intolerant? This is the post you lead with: Who have never known a war, never seen armed conflict, never lived through a depression, never had to deal with a pandemic until now, never struggled for any benefit, need safe spaces, question all authority, accuse all police of being rotten, don’t tolerate other ideas, can’t handle adversity, and live on social media? Trust CNN for that rubbish. You posted a factually incorrect and ignorant post about soft millennials - (btw, how do you forget about our two longest military engagements?) got reality checked, immediately went to water and now you are whining about the big scary millennials who are being mean to you. Soft as it gets. You complain about millennials using social media ... on social media. So you are also a hypocrite. Jack Raynor is a millennial actor. Jack Rayner, Frank Burge, and Arthur Holloway were impressive individuals. None of them are from your generation.
TP.777
Roar Rookie
The Hunter...is that you AFB as a guest?? That is the most stupidest comment on here it must be you, you have no knowledge at all do you meathead comment kids don't play and watch the game are you on drugs!!! The under 6,7,8,9,10,11,12!!!! Most fans are young kids what a bafoon you are go back to the pencil and paper AFB.
theHunter
Guest
It was in the heat moment, jeez people acting as if they haven't had one of this episodes before. Sometimes you say things you don't mean but realize later and apologize. Anyhow, isn't apologizing a great lesson for everybody? Role model for kids? Which kids? What's the research on what age group watches rugby league or any contact sport for that matter? Teenagers aren't kids anymore and I don't know any kid below the age of 13 choosing any sport channel over cartoons. This line of not being "role models to children" is used so often without any basis to it. Besides this is a contact sport, if any children has to watch it should be Parental Guidance. You as a parent/adult should be teaching them, why the hell do you think "role models" are responsible for teaching your kids??? You sit with them and teach them what's right and wrong. AFB is wrong. Let him fine for that but to miss matches? I don't think that is right at all. He knows he is wrong thus it being called an apology. No one apologizes if he thinks he is in the right and if AFB continued stating he was right than for sure he should miss matches.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Plenty on here happy to bring the excuses out too... “I didn’t know it was a bad word” how pathetic Criticising someone for poor behaviour isn’t abuse
Yeah nah
Guest
HR has a lot of opinion in there dressed as fact so don't get too excited. I'm more impressed by your reaction. It's the typical Generation Intolerant jibe… dripping with self righteousness, ridicule and in-your-face judgement. Same thing you can see on TV in the imploding US right now. Have a look around lad. Those streets, buildings, systems, societies, processes, jails, hospitals, schools, Rugby League and everything else you are going to inherit weren't built by you or your generation. You aren't in the least bit grateful. But it's OK. Fortunately, you'll cop the same thing one day from your self-righteous kids and I'll be laughing about it while having a beer with Frank Burge and Jack Raynor and Pony Halloway in a cloudy bar. Never heard of them? Of course not, they aren't important to you at all.
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
he needs to look up what the word means and do time working with the disabled and donating his pay to them if anything it is his brain that matches the word he said
Bundy
Guest
I don't think there was ever a "no women can play" rule for Rugby League.
Womblat
Guest
Yeah I think that makes it so much worse as well. Not the second abuse session, but the fact this bloke deliberately waited for the ref in the tunnel after being sent off. That's a serious disrepute breach on it's own.
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
Jacko, it's clear you have no understanding of the women's game or why it was structured the way it was.
Jacko
Guest
What are apoligies for Mary? Its to be sorry for a mistake you have made...Have you never had to apoligise in your whole life?
Jacko
Guest
Im 100% sure that he didnt abuse a ref in the WNRL so what has the WNRL got to do with anything here? And lets not call a 4 team afterthought a comp its a joke...get every team to have a womans team to make it serious...
Jacko
Guest
So the NRL doesnt allocate rights to radio stations? maybe a word in their ear so 2gb can publicly distance themselves from her comments? Seriously tho you cant see how the NRL could have some imput into the Molin issue? But if that is your arguement then hadnt the full time whistle blown? What is a ref after the full time whistle? he is just another person and no longer representing the NRL isnt he?
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but pretty sure that if you asked pretty much any unique, high functioning, free thinking right wing agenda setting heroes they would all agree that disrespecting referees and punching down on disabled people is not really on.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Wow - you ran away from that one pretty quickly.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Plenty on here are happy to bring the abuse out when it suits them. The same ones are giving AFB plenty of curry.
TP.777
Roar Rookie
True true Mary Wnrl!! Whatever angle you look at it AFB is a uneducated man that needs to stop running his mouth and pick up a pencil and paper and educate himself. That was his excuse he didn't know what it means well learn buddy boy.
HR
Roar Rookie
But we're not in the 2000s now, we're a full decade removed from that. The full-time employment rate hit a record low in mid-2018, and it hasn't improved since then, even before the current pandemic situation. Work in Australia is more insecure now than ever, and the younger the employee, the less likely they are to have secure employment. And those that will be hit hardest economically by the reduction in wages that is forecast to follow the pandemic are the young, who will experience the depression in wages for a significant period to come. Homes were cheaper back in the 1980s and 1990s, but even with the high interest rates of the time, they were more affordable. From the Australian Parliamentary Library report on housing affordability in Australia: "Housing affordability in Australia has broadly declined since the early 1980s. The OECD’s price to income ratio index shows a 78% increase between 1980 and 2015." As for homes being far more basic, that may be true, but that's like saying cars from the 80s were more basic because they didn't come with ABS or airbags - the changes are simply due to advancements in technology over the intervening time. Those basic houses also tended to come with at least some space (the quarter-acre block is the stereotypical picture of Australian suburbia for a reason), rather than being one dodgy unit out of four on that same block.
TP.777
Roar Rookie
6-8 Weeks minimum. Disgrace as a role model to children watching the game! Alot of people these days have lost there morals and respect for anyone or anything! What happened to yes sir! No one is grateful anymore they just want and expect, not in my day we earnt it. We need more people like the late Alex 'chumpy' pulin. A professional athlete on and off the field. R.I.P Chumpy you will always be in all Australian Hearts.