NRL Hooligans thread

[FFC Mariner]

So he gets 5 games for "allegedly" assaulting a 17yo girl. In their sick world, he would only get longer for king hitting someone on the pitch. What strange priorities these people have.

I think the Manly clubs actions since the incident say it all. They want their team to win at any cost even to the extent of playing someone who is charged with a crime this serious. community, sponsors etc - they dont care.

TBF, the person has to take responsibility for their actions. The inclination to sexually assualt someone or glass a woman doesnt "appear" because you are drinking, the desire/instinct to behave that way exists PRIOR to getting pissed, the drink just makes you less inhibited. The character flaw that makes you a rapist/wife beater is already there.

 

[dibo]

I think the Manly clubs actions since the incident say it all. They want their team to win at any cost even to the extent of playing someone who is charged with a crime this serious. community, sponsors etc - they dont care.

I don't think the NRL should have been called in to act, and frankly i think whatever they did in this circumstance is forced on them. Interestingly, 5 weeks takes him just past his first court date.

The club should have taken a leaf out of other areas of public life and put him on a 100% media ban and suspended him from club duties (with pay) while the matter is resolved. If that means he's not playing until April, so be it. The club should have looked after its image.

It's also looking after the player. Keep him out of the limelight. Keep him away from taunts and sledges on the park. Get the story off the news pages, reduce the trial by media and increase the chance of a fair trial (note - this includes the accuser being fairly treated by media and the courts as well as the accused).

 

[FFC Mariner]

Name any other organisation where you could get into an "incident" at a company do and not be either suspended (pending court) or fired straight away?

Punching a client and keeping your job is a new one too.

Where I work, there was an incident after a Xmas party this year where 2 staffers got into a scuffle with each other (both pissed) and on the Monday they got the punt for "brand damage" - was in their contract and company code of ethics that everyone signs.

If there is zero tolerance, you have 2 choices, pull your head in or you will go

 

[dibo]

Name any other organisation where you could get into an "incident" at a company do and not be either suspended (pending court) or fired straight away?

Punching a client and keeping your job is a new one too.

Where I work, there was an incident after a Xmas party this year where 2 staffers got into a scuffle with each other (both pissed) and on the Monday they got the punt for "brand damage" - was in their contract and company code of ethics that everyone signs.

If there is zero tolerance, you have 2 choices, pull your head in or you will go

I think the RLPA would be jumping up and down (and quite rightly) if Stewart was fired before he was tried, but wouldn't have any argument to put about suspension. Obviously a guilty verdict would equal dismissal.

On the Watmough matter, frankly that's a dismissal matter - it's been admitted, it's a major indiscretion, how he isn't gone is beyond me.

The club has a case to answer as well because the event organised was nothing short of completely bloody idiotic.

 

[David Votoupal]

What is it about Rugby League and Aussie Rules that makes those who play that sport- some but not all of them- inclined to this sort of crap? I'm not saying it doesn't happen in any other sport or area of life, but...

Football has had some of its greatest managers and players ever with drinking problems and the like. But it seems that far fewer of them go around like absolute idiots in this way.

It's also a "chickens coming home to roost" thing from my perspective, that the football-bashers among the NRL and AFL crowd have always sought to highlight the negatives of our game for many years, yet they've largely overlooked or played down the failings of their own sport. And the failings of those sports are now coming to surface with regards to player conduct, and it's getting worse and worse.

 

[Redline]

Brett Stewart suspended, Manly fined
GLENN JACKSON
11/03/2009 4:06:00 PM
The NRL has suspended full-back Brett Stewart until round five of the competition and has fined his club Manly $100,000 after a meeting today.

Stewart was suspended under the player's code of conduct after he was charged last night over the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.

Manly has convened a board meeting at the leagues club for 1pm today to decide whether it will challenge the NRL's decision.

The club was fined for failing to put in place sufficient measures to stop excessive drinking at its season launch on Friday.

Less than an hour after being suspended by the NRL, Stewart was back on the field with his teammates training in heavy rain.

With a forlorn look on his face, it was unclear if Stewart had been informed of the NRL's decision to suspend him.

A club spokesman at the training session refused to comment on the issue.

Manly had defied some public sentiment by refusing to stand down Stewart following the allegation.

The Rugby League Players' Association has condemned the NRL's decision.

Earlier, NSW Premier Nathan Rees joined the chorus calling for Manly to stand down the fullback.

The directors of the Manly Sea Eagles agreed after a five-hour meeting ending at 1am today to allow Stewart, 24, to continue playing at least until he appears in court on April 7.

Mr Rees called on the club to review its decision.

"I think the decision for Mr Stewart to play this weekend should be reviewed by Manly," he said.

"It sends entirely the wrong messages.

"It's not a reflection on his trial that is yet to come, but, for the good of the game, I think that decision should be reviewed."

Mr Rees said rugby league had the hearts and minds of the people of NSW, and the good name of the game was being dragged through the mud.

The Premier's comments follow that of his Minister for Women, Verity Firth, and Cronulla Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia, who also believed the fullback should have been stood down.

In Canberra, the federal Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, said Stewart should stand down while police investigate the allegations.

"It is quite disappointing to see someone who is such a role model to young people apparently not taking responsibility in the face of this accusation," she said.

It would be more appropriate for him to stand aside while investigations were conducted, she said.

"But, of course, this is an issue for rugby league."

The NRL needed to make a decision on the basis of what it believed was an appropriate image for the code, she said.

Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis said Stewart was entitled to the normal due process of the justice system.

"But given the circumstances I don't think it's appropriate that he plays," she said.

with Jonathan Dart

Gallup advised Manly to decide to step him down, Manly decided not to, then the NRL used their position as overseer to overturn their decision. I have to applaud the NRL for this decision, a lot of people are up in arms over it, "what happened to innocent until proven guilty"..well they're protecting the player, the club, and the game by this decision..the media ban keeps him away from the limelight, and the bulldog supporters had made it very clear he was going to cop a hiding from them at the game this weekend. He could not be in the right frame of mind to play properly.

They had the chief editor of Rugby League Weekly on the radio this afternoon, and he pointed out that the NRL may have used Cronullas move to step down Greg Bird for the glassing attack on his girlfriend as precedent to make this move, and that this is the NRL drawing a line in the sand, that they put their clubs image, and the games image ahead of their competition aspirations, as apparently at that point in the season, he was their best player, and without him they had no chance of winning.

Personally, I think the NRL has taken the right move, from a lot of points of views, as I've mentioned above, and that in future, we could potentially see the NRL taking a tougher stance as they try and repair the much damaged image of their game.

Manly made a poor decision, and ignored, in my mind, their duty of care to their players...only a few weeks out from the competition, and they put these men who are leanly muscled, very low body fat content, and can't absorb the alcohol as well as the average joe, and put them in front of free alcohol, and apparently not much food, especially in light of the last few years and what the NRL has had to endure in rregards to players acting out.

I think the point that there need to be a study into what causes this..someone mentioned a look into that earlier in here, is a good one as well.

 

[clarence]

For those saying that Stewart is innocent til proven guilty, fine. But there's a lot of jobs where the mere fact you get charged, can find you suspended until the day in court.  Police, public servants, teachers - people in positions of trust and high public profile. So Stewart is not alone there with that suspension.

But I heard on the radio today, that Gallop was saying that the reason that Stewart was suspended - at the insistence of the NRL - was due to his misconduct after the season launch. Allegedly he was refused service due to intoxication at the hotel where the function had been held, quite a few hours after the launch. Gallop was saying that constitutes misconduct and he's suspended for that.

It is also good he's away from public taunts, which is what he'd cop if he played til the charges are heard, particularly the away games.

I think there may be some evidence against him. The Police won't usually lay charges unless there is something bona fide to run the charge with. I think if it was a case of 'he said, she said' they'd drop the matter on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

 

[marinermick]

But I heard on the radio today, that Gallop was saying that the reason that Stewart was suspended - at the insistence of the NRL - was due to his misconduct after the season launch. Allegedly he was refused service due to intoxication at the hotel where the function had been held, quite a few hours after the launch. Gallop was saying that constitutes misconduct and he's suspended for that.

exactly, stewart was suspended for excessive public drunkardness, not sexual assault

 

[Sym]

he full probably didn't even do it lol

you guys are acting like it's only rugby league players who go out and get pissed.
lose your needless bias.

nuffin' wrong with some drinks.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Wow thanks Sym.

glad you cleared that up for us mate

 

[Sym]

I live to give

what's that saying ?
ahh..innocent until proven guilty.

 

[~Floss~]

you guys are acting like it's only rugby league players who go out and get pissed.
lose your needless bias.

nuffin' wrong with some drinks.

Sorry, did I miss something? Was anyone raped and/or assaulted at the Mariners Medal Dinner?

...or the countless other functions held daily around the world in codes other than RL where  free alcohol is provided?

No-one considers it part of CCMs "Duty Of Care" to keep alcohol out of reach of the players, because it isn't necessary. (And the Mariners are arguably "leaner" than the NRL guys too).

If Manly didn't provide alcohol there'd still be problems. It's not the club's fault. It's not alcohol's fault (free or otherwise). Self control is the issue.

I don't mean to intentionally pick on RL players; I'm sure it's only a certain percentage of them. - still, a much higher percentage than the average population.



If these guys weren't professional RL players they'd have some other job. Many jobs have an annual end of year function or Christmas party where individual employees need to decide how to be drink, how much self-control to exercise, how to behave, ... because there are perceived consequences if you overstep the mark.


Does anyone accuse an employer of being irresponsible / in breach of their duty of care to employees and/or public, because they hold functions like these? I hope not because the office christmas party is a great tradition IMO.


Taking another angle, you can't blame an Auto dealership for the speeding and parking fines you rack up after buying a vehicle from them. You shouldn't blame the provider of alcohol if you believe intoxication is directly responsible for any law-breaking you may go on to engage in.

 

[T]

Latest Sports Headline:Brett Stewart has just called to explain his actions on the night of the alledged rape. He said "I was just missing the beaver"

 

[Sym]

ahh you got that text aswell

I rofl'd

 

[kanewillow]

nothin wrong with a beaver on ur face

 

[Sym]

or groin..or numerous other places of interest.

 

[Bear]

you guys are acting like it's only rugby league players who go out and get pissed.
lose your needless bias.

nuffin' wrong with some drinks.

Sorry, did I miss something? Was anyone raped and/or assaulted at the Mariners Medal Dinner?

d-mac touched me in the pants in the bathroom........ but its not rape cos I said yes

 

[Part_Timer]

jealous

 

[Alicia]

you guys are acting like it's only rugby league players who go out and get pissed.
lose your needless bias.

nuffin' wrong with some drinks.

Sorry, did I miss something? Was anyone raped and/or assaulted at the Mariners Medal Dinner?

d-mac touched me in the pants in the bathroom........ but its not rape cos I said yes

I think it was more of a "D-Mac can you please touch me in the pants"

 

[A.W.E.S.O.M-O]

.................. no-way