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Packer Signs

bottle

bottle

Coach
Messages
14,126
DJShaksta said:
How do you guys feel about him playing for your club?
Click to expand...

Has served a double penalty, gaol followed by extended time out of the game, despite obvious signs of being genuinely rehabilitated. If he offends again he'll be dealt with by the club, just as AFB was, not to mention the risk of even more gaol time.
Deserves his chance to remake his life.
 
tumbidragon

tumbidragon

First Grade
Messages
6,771
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton casts doubt on Russell Packer's NRL return

Russell Packer's announced return to the NRL is in serious doubt, with the immigration department yet to decide whether to cancel his visa and send him back to New Zealand.
St George Illawarra on Wednesday said they had signed the controversial former Kiwis Test prop to a two-year deal after getting the green light from the NRL.
Packer was sentenced to two years in jail in January 2014 after being found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and was released in January this year.
He has been training full-time with the Dragons since August, the same time he began a university business degree.
But Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday revealed his department was still considering Packer's case, flagging the possibility he could be deported and unable to fulfil the new contract.
"No decision's been made," Dutton told Radio 2GB.
"So they'll (the Dragons) have to answer questions about their approach."
Dutton said that, generally, if a non-Australian citizen had broken the law - be it assault, theft or rape - they can "expect to have their visa cancelled and sent back to their country of origin".
"We take into account considerations around Australian-born children, how long people have been here - all of that is available to weigh up against the severity of the crimes being committed."
The NRL said its decision to give Packer the all-clear was made independent of the federal government and solely based on whether he was considered fit to return to first grade.
"Any determination by the federal government will be made separately and that's a matter for them," an NRL spokesman told AAP.
"We're only in charge of our own business and our own competition.
"Given the time out he's had and the way he's responded to that, we think it's appropriate he be allowed to return."
The Dragons have been contacted for comment.
Click to expand...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ter-dutton-20151029-gklkl3.html#ixzz3pumbAJGi
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
 
S

Saints Forever

Bench
Messages
3,605
Packer will stiffen the pack considerably.

Forward recruitment now complete.

Fg halves coverage Mann,McCrone and Hutch and hopefully Crook

Wingers to choose from Flo, Matautia, Lai Loa, Milne and Carr assuming Mann plays Centre and Farrell goes to Eels

Wingers
 
M

MCJ

Juniors
Messages
4
How long does it take the government to decide these things? He was locked up for 12 months, has been out living and working for nearly 10 months and they STILL haven't made their mind up!! How's the guy supposed to rebuild his life when he's got know idea where that will be.

Doesn't sound good for him or the Dragons though...
 
S

Saints Forever

Bench
Messages
3,605
MCJ said:
How long does it take the government to decide these things? He was locked up for 12 months, has been out living and working for nearly 10 months and they STILL haven't made their mind up!! How's the guy supposed to rebuild his life when he's got know idea where that will be.

Doesn't sound good for him or the Dragons though...
Click to expand...

He is back in the NRL for 2 years with the dragons as from next month
 
D

denis preston

First Grade
Messages
8,210
MCJ said:
How long does it take the government to decide these things? He was locked up for 12 months, has been out living and working for nearly 10 months and they STILL haven't made their mind up!! How's the guy supposed to rebuild his life when he's got know idea where that will be.

Doesn't sound good for him or the Dragons though...
Click to expand...

Don't be so negative . If they decide Russell has to go firstly why didn't they do this when he came out of gaol and secondly he would have to take about 10,000 others with him and both governments don't want that. Typical news beatup.
 
M

MCJ

Juniors
Messages
4
denis preston said:
Don't be so negative . If they decide Russell has to go firstly why didn't they do this when he came out of gaol and secondly he would have to take about 10,000 others with him and both governments don't want that. Typical news beatup.
Click to expand...

I hope you are right but I just did some reading and there are about 1,000 kiwi born non-Australian citizens currently having their visas re-assessed, law was brought in last December, retrospectively. There are people that have lived here for 30 odd years that have been sent back, or put into detention waiting for appeals etc.

Like I said, I hope you're right and I hate being a pessimist but it' d be a pretty high profile case for them to make an exception.
 
G

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton casts doubt on Russell Packer's NRL return

Oct. 29, 2015, 12:30 p.m.




Russell Packer's announced return to the NRL is in serious doubt, with the immigration department yet to decide whether to cancel his visa and send him back to New Zealand.
St George Illawarra on Wednesday said they had signed the controversial former Kiwis Test prop to a two-year deal after getting the green light from the NRL.
Packer was sentenced to two years in jail in January 2014 after being found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and was released in January this year.
He has been training full-time with the Dragons since August, the same time he began a university business degree.

But Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on Thursday revealed his department was still considering Packer's case, flagging the possibility he could be deported and unable to fulfil the new contract.
"No decision's been made," Dutton told Radio 2GB.
"So they'll (the Dragons) have to answer questions about their approach."
Dutton said that, generally, if a non-Australian citizen had broken the law - be it assault, theft or rape - they can "expect to have their visa cancelled and sent back to their country of origin".
"We take into account considerations around Australian-born children, how long people have been here - all of that is available to weigh up against the severity of the crimes being committed."
The NRL said its decision to give Packer the all-clear was made independent of the federal government and solely based on whether he was considered fit to return to first grade.
"Any determination by the federal government will be made separately and that's a matter for them," an NRL spokesman told AAP.
"We're only in charge of our own business and our own competition.
"Given the time out he's had and the way he's responded to that, we think it's appropriate he be allowed to return."
The Dragons have been contacted for comment.
AAP



http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3456750/minister-casts-doubt-on-packers-return/?cs=302
 
TruSaint

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,238
bottle said:
Has served a double penalty, gaol followed by extended time out of the game, despite obvious signs of being genuinely rehabilitated. If he offends again he'll be dealt with by the club, just as AFB was, not to mention the risk of even more gaol time.
Deserves his chance to remake his life.
Click to expand...

Spot on bottle
 
S

since77

Juniors
Messages
1,812
Was dead against the idea until I read about his childhood and parentage a few months back. The guy really had a terrible deal growing up. Of course that doesn't justify his actions, but there are cases where kids never get a chance to grow up with good role models and as a result fall in with the wrong people and start making brain dead life decisions which eventually get worse and worse until criminal actions occur.
He's got just one chance to head in a positive direction - if he truly has reformed then I wish him best of luck with his second chance. If he screws it up, he deserves all the fallout that would go with that.
 
Highland Saint

Highland Saint

Juniors
Messages
1,573
I'm all for giving people a chance at redemption. For his single deplorable act how many young men has he helped to avoid a similar future with his community work
 
shiznit

shiznit

Coach
Messages
14,756
MCJ said:
I hope you are right but I just did some reading and there are about 1,000 kiwi born non-Australian citizens currently having their visas re-assessed, law was brought in last December, retrospectively. There are people that have lived here for 30 odd years that have been sent back, or put into detention waiting for appeals etc.

Like I said, I hope you're right and I hate being a pessimist but it' d be a pretty high profile case for them to make an exception.
Click to expand...
100% mate... It's crazy stuff...

It's pretty big news here in NZ too...

They are deporting people who were born and bred in Australia or people who have lived in Australia from when they were babies.

If Packer is given an exemption you would have to think lawyers would all over it...
 
C

coast_dragons

Coach
Messages
17,055
So if it was last december how the hell was he allowed to stay.

He should have been deported or at least told he couldn't hold a job or play any sports or even do any studying.
 
T

TomRedVRiver

Bench
Messages
3,649
I didn't think it was possible to hate Peter Dutton more.
If he and the federal immigration department were really serious about him being deported back to NZ then they should have done it as soon as he was released from gaol. Not give him the false hope of getting his life back together then f**k him off when he's happy, rehabilitated and been given the opportunity of a new contract.
This is absolutely absurd. Maybe he should focus a little more on the situation he's responsible for in Nauru rather than focus his energy on deporting rugby league players.
 
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