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Inside the league fishbowl

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14,937
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24040469-5016307,00.html

Inside the league fishbowl

By Nick Walshaw | July 19, 2008 12:00am
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BILLY Johnstone was in the old Belmore gym one morning when, amongst the din of crashing barbells and doofing stereo, he heard a small group of Doggies whingeing. You know how it goes. It was too cold, they said. Too early. And was any of this extra s . . . really gunna help them win a premiership ring?
After letting it go about five minutes, the Cunnamulla Fella finally exploded.
"Hey," Johnstone bellowed, pointing towards an open doorway. "If any of you blokes aren't happy with what you have to do, there's the exit.
"Because no one is making you stay. I'm certainly not making you stay. And I know the club ain't making you stay, either.
"So if you really don't like this, if you're not happy doing what it takes to play this game, that's fine. Leave."
Leave. It's a message that today needs to be shouted to every NRL superstar who continues to weep about the burden professional sport has suddenly become to them.
Like when The Daily Telegraph this week revealed how Mark Gasnier's defection to French rugby is, in part, because life in the fishbowl has simply become too much.
Yep, forget the $1 million per year with Stade Francais. Gaz is apparently sick of the press conferences, camera phones and you, the prying public. Tired of the bullets, bans and backpage headlines, too.
It was the same for Craig Gower in 2007. In fact, the "fishbowl" term has now become so prevalent in footyspeak, it threatens to overtake that classic defensive phrase - c'mon everyone sing along - "it's not his go".
But, please, enough is enough. Spare us the tears. The "well, it'd be OK if Johnnie down the road did it" routine.
Because, yes, it would be OK if Johnnie down the road did it. You know, that kid surviving on eight bucks an hour. Still living with mum, commuting via CityRail (has there been a greater punishment since public stonings?), a bloke who'll never pay off a place of his own.
But when Johnnie lays bricks, mate, he doesn't whinge about the blisters. Doesn't work at Maccas and protest about the hats.
And come that day he finally joins the army, you can bet Johnnie won't be calling home to complain about all the bearded blokes who keep shouting "Jihad" while firing bullets at him.
Footballers now earn more than our Prime Minister. But you don't see Kevin 07 hanging from a beer bong, fighting outside pubs or resting his elbows on the stage of some seedy strip club (even if he wasn't really looking on his last visit anyway).
Not that anyone begrudges a bloke making mistakes on the grog. Because we've all made the same ones our old man did. The same ones our kids will, too.
Like Gasnier sending his "Fire up" text during that infamous Origin bonding night. Because Sydney overflows with groupies who, had they received that same call from a buffed Blues Adonis, would've suitably "fired" themselves until resembling a Towering Inferno rerun.
So Gaz was unlucky. Same for those caught urinating in alleyways, throwing 'em in self-defence or liaising with Candice Falzon in a Coogee Hotel toilet . . . hardly hangable offences.
But here's the catch. Johnnie down the road, he doesn't get the groupies. Doesn't get the Bolle sponsorships, The Footy Show spots or the years of living that great Aussie Dream.
He doesn't get a shot at Candice or the cash.
And surviving the fishbowl without incident is still possible, too. For Exhibit A, we present the cleanest Aussie since Big Kev or Mary McKillop - Manly warhorse Steven Menzies.
Menzies has survived almost 16 years in the NRL without incident. Same deal for Warriors skipper Steve Price, Bulldogs superboot Hazem El Masri and Panthers veteran Luke Priddis.
Roosters prop Mark O'Meley hasn't been in the Cross for three years. Braith Anasta overcoming four Overrated tags.
A host of others also surviving the suffocation, stresses and spotlight Pricey now concedes is "part of the deal".
"And I don't mind players smoking, drinking, gambling, whatever," the Maroons Origin hero says simply. "Because everyone needs their outlet.
"But if a company CEO can't get away with being drunk, mate, why should footballers who earn the same wage? These demands, yeah, they now come with the contract."
And if it's all too much . . . well, Billy will point you to the nearest exit.
Rebecca Wilson is on leave

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sass

Juniors
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1,073
finally a sensible article! being a professional league player is like being a celeb. when people are always in the tabloids and always involved in scandalous reporting it's because they court it or because they do dumb things. if you wanna get blind and groupf**k people then go ahead, but if you do it at the sapphire suite, people will know. if you do it out on the town with your whole team people will notice.

and if you'd rather do that and be notorious than be under the radar then don't bitch about it.
 

Kiki

First Grade
Messages
6,349
i feel sorry for the boys not being able to have privacy, but unfortunately its a price you pay to be a pro league player...at least in sydney.

also boys STOP GOING TO SAPPHIRE SUITE.
 

Twigg

Juniors
Messages
868
i feel sorry for the boys not being able to have privacy, but unfortunately its a price you pay to be a pro league player...at least in sydney.

also boys STOP GOING TO SAPPHIRE SUITE.

Newcastle and Townsville are just as bad.

If they want to leave the fishbowl without whinging, go to Melbourne where sadly AFL is still dominant there.

As for Sapphire Lounge, bomb the place. Who gives a sh*it if an ex-league player runs it.
 

Kiki

First Grade
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6,349
oh yeh im sure they are bad too, just the sydney media is so brutal u know??
 

Kiki

First Grade
Messages
6,349
yes but he was always very protected by the newcastle people to some degree. i think in a smaller town like newie or townsville residents will close ranks a bit and protect their own. like when it all came out that Joey was doing drugs and what not, all my friends from Newie were like um duhhhh hes always been doing that, everyone in Newie knows. but i had never heard anything in Sydney.

sydney is just vicious to footy players and no one cares about the boys well being.
 

butchmcdick

Post Whore
Messages
54,755
yes but he was always very protected by the newcastle people to some degree. i think in a smaller town like newie or townsville residents will close ranks a bit and protect their own. like when it all came out that Joey was doing drugs and what not, all my friends from Newie were like um duhhhh hes always been doing that, everyone in Newie knows. but i had never heard anything in Sydney.

sydney is just vicious to footy players and no one cares about the boys well being.

Oh bullsh*t. You can't tell me sydney clubs are not quietly paying people off to protect their stars from lawsuits and the like.
 

Kiki

First Grade
Messages
6,349
yes, because they all have soooo much money to spare.

most clubs are so inept they cant even handle contract disputes, let alone cover ups. as if.
 

sass

Juniors
Messages
1,073
Oh bullsh*t. You can't tell me sydney clubs are not quietly paying people off to protect their stars from lawsuits and the like.

I can't think of any club I know of that could manage that. most are about as stealthy as willie mason.

meanwhile I forgot to say in my post that the boys I do feel bad for are the ones who move interstate or from the islands to aus to play really young. they do need someone looking out for them that isn't their manager, and someone to guide them a bit (other than the older guys in the team). I think it's really really easy for them to get in trouble.

i can't imagine what I would've done if I was living in another country on my own and earning a decent wage when I was 18. I would have been a menace.
 

sass

Juniors
Messages
1,073
exactly! they need someone to say
NO don't go to sapphire suite
NO it is not a good idea to take the girl with the fake hair in the lycra dress home

and why don't you have a water and a kebab bb instead of another bourbon and coke?
 

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