Another week, another NRL player making headlines for the wrong reasons. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Wait a minute, we got three this week, didn’t we? Adam Elliott, Curtis Scott and Josh Dugan. Oh! It’s like being on a game show and winning the bonus round!
I love my footy with a passion, but it is becoming harder to continuously defend some of these boofheads.
Usually, it goes like this. Once said boofhead has stuffed up, the crocodile tears follow with a stereotypical apology. The NRL comes in with a punishment, and then the club brings in their own penalty. Usually it’s monetary, possibly a suspension thrown on top. But for the special ones, it’s a torn-up contract.
And what is the first question that circulates once a footy player has been sacked? Who is going to sign him next?
This – as Peter Griffin would say – really grinds my gears.
Why does a player who has done something so bad that his club has no other option but to show him the door, then get to go play for another team straight away? Why does another team get to reap the rewards while the original team has to suffer? How does jumping from club to club teach the troubled player anything?
Should footy players automatically miss a season after they have been sacked?
Curtis Scott had his contract terminated this week by Canberra. The debate now is if he will end up at the Dragons, the Tigers or overseas next year.
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
He is a great player that won’t have any issues finding a new team, but shouldn’t he be made to stop, reset and re-evaluate?
We saw Paul Vaughan sacked by the Dragons after the infamous BBQ, and next season he will be running out for the Bulldogs. He will no doubt make a huge impact to their forwards, and that must really hurt the Red V fans. Vaughan has had two COVID breaches. Wouldn’t a full year on the sideline teach him he is not above the law?
Over the years there have been many footy stars who were sacked by their clubs for off-field incidents. I can’t name them all – I’m only allowed a certain number of words per article.
Some were signed by new clubs for the following year, while others were forced to take time away from footy. In Todd Carney’s case, he had both.
Carney has been in and out of trouble for most of his footy career. But my God is he a talented footy player. Dally M medals, top point scorer awards, Provan-Summons Medal winner – he should have been remembered as one of the greats. This unfortunately won’t be the case.
He was sacked by Canberra at the end of the 2008 season. He already had a colourful resume but was ultimately let go after an incident in a nightclub and then failing to agree to the conditions put in place by the club. He was also de-registered for a year.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
He was signed by the Roosters for 2010, but again found himself on the outer after not following an alcohol ban placed on him.
He was picked up straight away by the Sharks for the following season. Then he had that incident.
Had he been made to miss another year between the Roosters and the Sharks, could that have helped him get onto the straight and narrow?
Josh Dugan is another one like Carney that should – but won’t – be remembered for his on-field talents. After a few off-field incidents he was also sacked by Canberra.
But because of how good he was, clubs wanted him none the less. He joined the Dragons for the rest of the season and stayed for another four years.
After more off-field issues including his drinking session with Blake Ferguson during Origin camp and getting kicked out of an RSL, Dugan found his way to Cronulla. He was plagued with more issues, including getting kicked out of a nightclub after being involved in a fight.
As we know this week Dugan was charged for breaching COVID protocols – for the second time this year – and incoming Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has told Dugan he won’t be getting another contract with them for next season.
But will someone else snap him up?
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Dylan Walker was released from his final year at Souths in 2015 after being involved in a prescription drug scandal.
Later that year he was signed by Manly. Walker has since found himself in the headlines for alleged domestic violence.
Am I expecting too much from these players? Or should the clubs take responsibility and stop rewarding the troublemakers because of talent?
One club who did just that was the Roosters. Back in 2010, they terminated Jake Friend’s contract after a drunken incident with a taxi driver. He was forced out into the world to work and have a good hard look at himself.
Roosters owner Nick Politis said in an interview last year: “I cared about Jake a lot, but he needed to learn, so I sacked him, and told him he had to go and get a real job. He didn’t know at the time, but my mission was to father him through, make sure he was a better man for the experience”.
After learning his lesson and being welcomed back, Friend went on to win three premierships with the Roosters, co-captain his beloved Tricolours and represent Queensland and Australia, and he was respected by all in the game.
With no more off-field incidents, Friend will deservedly be remembered for everything he did on the field.
I can only imagine the career some players could have had if they had an Uncle Nick in their corner.
What do you think Roarers? If players are sacked from their club and made to sit out for a year, would it make a difference?
Would it help them turn things around, or will some players just never learn? Or are the clubs just as much to blame for the players feeling invincible?
Womblat
Guest
You do make a fair point but society has a far from perfect justice system as well. The current fine for not wearing a cloth muzzle on your face when you put your bins out is more than three times what you would get if you charged straight through a stop sign in your V8 Mustang. Far from perfect much? Clubs need help from manipulative players, money grubbing managers and soulless player agents who would happily wreck a club for a quick dollar. The NRL are the only backstop so they should be involved. It's their product after all.
Danielle Smith
Editor
Thanks Paul. Absolutely, that was definitely a big step in the right direction. Still a way to go, hopefully we are on the right track.
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
Hi Lady League. Well written. All of us who "love our footy with a passion" are frustrated that the greatest game of all hasn't advanced its market share in a long time. You have probably nailed a part of the reason why. The no-fault stand-down policy was a big step in the right direction. Decisions like you suggest may be next in line.
Danielle Smith
Editor
Love it Paul, great idea
Danielle Smith
Editor
Great suggestion, very thought out.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Good piece LL. Not in favour of an automatic ban but perhaps the way Roosters managed Friend could be a model of sorts. How’s this for a thought bubble: Where a player is sacked the NRL should only register a new contract for that player with their original club for the duration of the length of their first contract. So if a player can rehabilitate - and it gives the club incentive to do so since they can’t sign anywhere else - then they get back on the paddock. If they can’t then they find work elsewhere until their contract time runs out. When their original contract length is up the NRL would then consider a contract with another club. So another club doesn’t get the benefit of signing the sacked player. The club has incentive to rehabilitate players and get them playing again and the player has the disincentive of sitting out of footy until they sort themselves out. Thoughts?
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
The club that signs them should be made to donate $250K to junior clubs, 25 clubs x $10K, outside the salary cap, to be paid in full before the player commences training. And by junior clubs I mean those not affiliated to NRL clubs or licensed venues. Clubs like Nerang Roosters ,Jimboomba Thunder that survive on chook raffles and canteen proceeds. Not Burleigh Bears or Souths Juniors.
Ian_
Roar Rookie
I think dickheads need to be weeded out at school and junior levels. Apply serious penalties to school and junior teams whenever players step out of line. Make it not worth the while of coaches and officials to let these kids be dickheads and continue to play. Deny those kids opportunities and pathways to NRL.
Paul
Roar Guru
There was another piece by Tim Gore on highly paid young fellas doing seriously stupid things because they have way too much money and time on their hands. The big issue for me is too much money and that's something I think the NRL can fix without resorting to players missing a season and the NRL possibly facing court battles over this policy. If a player's sacked for what ever issue and then another Club wants to pick them up, the other Club should be able to sign the offending player at what ever salary is negotiated, but..... the player is placed on probation for a year from the date of signing. During that year, they have their rent/mortgage paid, but after that, have to live on say 300 bucks a week, which has to cover food, electricity, internet, etc. In other words, leave them enough to cover the bare minimum, just like maybe half the NRL fans have at the moment. For example, a naughty player signs a new contract for $200k, but has to go through a year's probation. Their rent is paid, (say $25k), the player's "salary" is 300 pw or $16k and the rest is kept back in an investment fund. If the player doesn't screw up, they get that at the end of the probation period.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Excellent comment. Spot on.
Walter Black
Guest
Well said Tim, That was the point that I was trying to get across but less eloquently.
Walter Black
Guest
Yes they do and despite the fact that their misdemeanors were on the minor end of the scale they all got a rocket from the club. Munster very nearly got the sack as he admits himself. As I said before, I am all for second chances but not third, forth or even fifth ones.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Nelson, Jessie and Cam Munster don’t play at the Storm anymore ?
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I guess the key word is 'benefit.' How many clubs have signed a player immediately after they were sacked, and then gone onto premiership glory? While the Roosters and Storm, the two dominant clubs, have used players with dubious records, they've been players already in their systems who they've known how to pull in line. If players other clubs have given someone the boot, they recognize that there must be a good reason and steer clear. Meanwhile, clubs who struggle to make the finals year after year go for the quick fix of signing cheap loose cannons and wonder why they don't work out.
Walter Black
Guest
"other clubs are the ones to benefit" Do they though ? Todd Carney was a very talented player but every club that he went too were glad to see the back of him. What damage did he do to the reputations of those clubs ? How many female fans do you think the Dragons lost because of DeBelin innocent or not ? How many parents had difficult conversation with their young off spring as they told them to get rid of that Jarrod Hayne poster ? It is this hidden damage that is the biggest problem and that is why the "No D. H. policy should rule supreme in the NRL. I am very glad that my club always takes a principled stand on these sorts of players and long may they do so.
James Green
Roar Rookie
It seems that clubs and coaches put in the time, effort and money to develop players and then when a club takes a principled stand (whether forced or because of inherent values) and decides to release a player because of off field behaviour, other clubs are the ones to benefit. This does not seem fair. Then again, the likelihood of gaining another contract does seem dependent on the quality of player. All tends to be forgiven when you're a talented player in a key position.
Walter Black
Guest
Should there be a ban ..... NO but, as I see it, the problem is with clubs recruitment departments who seem to just look at a player's skills in isolation and just go out and snap up these people. Very few clubs appear to consider the behaviour, temprement or priors of a player before employing them. Very few clubs seem to ask the question "What does hiring this player say about this club ?" Very few clubs seem to think about or care about the damage it can do to their culture or how it makes their club look in the eyes of the consumer. Recruitment departments seem to have tunnel vision on recruitment and then seem surprised when it all goes horribly wrong.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
The game should move towards a character over talent ethos. That’s not to say that people shouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to learn from mistakes as you have pointed out with Jake Friend. I do feel that with such a high profile position, players should be police checked and vetted like other high paying jobs. People in those roles background checks keep them out of jobs, I don’t see why the NRL should be any different in that regard. The problem with that is that currently, clubs don’t have a strong culture, add to that insufficient governance and coaching at some clubs. To make up for deficiencies, they buy talent over character to solve their own inadequacy. Interesting story recently about the Roosters, going through a horror injury stretch, turning down Tevita Pangai Jnr cause he wasn’t the type of player to fit into their system. Unfortunately there’s not enough stories like that. Sometimes clubs need to be saved from themselves, so an extra safeguard (a year out) to correct a player and give a club time to make better decision.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
I get where you are coming from LL. And sometimes it does feel that players don’t learn their lesson when they are snapped up immediately by another club after getting sacked. But that’s the reality of the world. If a sacked banker can be picked up by a competitor, and they are willing to take on any potential reputational risk to their firm/brand by hiring this sacked person, then that is up to them. Same goes for NRL clubs. And of course there are cases where players are de-registered for various breaches. Tim Simona comes to mind. So it does happen, but generally that’s when the offence breaks the rules stipulated by the NRL to maintain the integrity of the game. Betting on NRL matches a big no-no. Being dumb and having a BBQ not quite the same.
Ad-O
Guest
We have a justice system to enforce societal norms, I don't see any reason why the NRL is more qualified to take its place. At the end of the day employment is between a club and a player and the NRL should concentrate on running the game because they're far from perfect at their day job.