OPINION: Dangers of alcohol - on and off the road By ROBERT DILLON Jan. 28, 2014, 10:30 p.m.
WHICH is the more serious and potentially dangerous offence: drink-driving or drink-tweeting?
In the eyes of the law, the answer would appear obvious. Police don’t set up random breath-testing units and suspend alcohol-affected offenders from using their Twitter accounts.
Whether the same logic applies in the eyes of Newcastle Knights management remains to be seen.
Since Willie Mason was arrested on Monday morning and charged with mid-range drink-driving, Knights officials have shed little light on how they plan to address this issue.
A Knights representative told the Newcastle Herald yesterday that ‘‘the club will continue to investigate this matter internally’’, while two perfunctory statements on the club’s website insisted there would be ‘‘no further comment until the matter is concluded’’, presumably after Mason appears in court on February 20.
But judging by an interview printed yesterday in the Knights’ official newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, the veteran forward is not anticipating disciplinary measures from the powers that be.
“I’ve spoken to Gids [CEO Matt Gidley] and I don’t think there will be any action there,” Mason was quoted as saying.
That may prove to be wishful thinking on Mason’s behalf.
Once he has been dealt with in court, the Knights may well feel obliged to enforce their own sanctions.
But on the off chance that the 33-year-old receives nothing more than a stern talking-to from coach Wayne Bennett, at least one former Newcastle player will be entitled to raise an eyebrow.
It is now more than three years since Mark Taufua parted company with his home-town club in controversial and costly circumstances.
Taufua, who had signed with Cronulla after five years at the Knights, made the mistake of mixing alcohol and Twitter in the days after Newcastle were bundled out of the 2011 play-offs.
In particular, Taufua caused a stir by labelling Bennett a ‘‘9ball’’ and revealing the master coach had been in Newcastle to meet with players just days before he coached the Dragons in a do-or-die final.
Even though Taufua had played his last game for Newcastle, and apologised both publicly and in person to Bennett, club officials saw fit to haul him before a disciplinary hearing and announce a $5000 fine.
Initially a fine of $12,500 – one month’s salary – was proposed, but it was reduced after a senior player successfully argued for leniency.
At the time, Gidley said Taufua was ‘‘a good guy’’ and noted the incident was ‘‘completely out of character’’.
Yet apparently Taufua still needed 5000 reminders to learn the error of his ways.
All of which brings us back to Mason, who was quite happy to lecture Canberra’s ‘‘senior players’’ last season about the club’s handling of serial miscreants Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan.
‘‘I put it down to that club and the lack of leadership down there ... you don’t put your whole club underneath all that pressure,’’ Mason said on a Foxtel panel show.
Now Mason finds the boot on the other foot.
At a time when a member of the club’s leadership group should be setting an example – after much-publicised incidents involving Russell Packer, Zane Tetevano, Dane Gagai and club official Ben Rogers – big Willie has dropped the ball.
Moreover, judging by his attitude in yesterday’s interview, he hopes that after his heartfelt apology it will be play on, without so much as a penalty, let alone a stint in the sin bin.
Last night Mason was back on Twitter: ‘‘Just want to say thanks to all the support tweeps it really helps..obviously not everyone is happy. But whats done is done.#letsmoveon.’’
Parramatta’s Mitch Allgood and North Queensland’s James Tamou will be watching developments with interest.
Allgood was fined $10,000 recently by Parramatta – $5000 of it was suspended – after pleading guilty to mid-range drink-driving.
Tamou was banned for two matches, including Origin II, last year and fined $20,000 by the Cowboys for a high-range offence. It also cost him his $30,000 Origin appearance fee for the game he missed.
In announcing Tamou’s punishment, NRL chief executive Dave Smith said: ‘‘Drink-driving puts lives at risk.
‘‘Our players are well educated regarding alcohol management and there is no excuse for such behaviour.’’
Educated they may well be, but it seems some still haven’t learnt their lesson.
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2051876/opinion-dangers-of-alcohol-on-and-off-the-road/?cs=306
