Chook
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,9618934-23209,00.html
Three more in the frame
By Anthony Peterson, Michelle Cazzulino and AAP
May 21, 2004
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr has identified three more New South Wales players as being involved in the State of Origin phone sex scandal.
Gasnier - sacked by his State, suspended by his club.
Carr told Sydney radio station 2GB he will speak to the trio today and it's expected he'll be calling on them to come forward and admit their involvement.
Carr yesterday sacked Mark Gasnier from the NSW Origin team for making the call after a team drinking session, but said there had been only one voice on the tape.
Today, after Sydney radio station 2GB played computer-enhanced excerpts from the tape, Carr conceded there is more than one voice.
"What we did last night was went back to the Origin camp and re-interviewed a player," Carr told Sydney radio station 2GB.
"We have to get another player to admit he was there.
"What I said to the players in the pre-camp was that if everyone blinks you will be front and back page.
"I also said if you do anything wrong we will be hanging them out to dry.
"We're not in a position of trying to defend anybody.
"We're going to continue to try to get to the bottom of it.
"We will continue to go over what we already know, we will continue to talk to players."
Carr yesterday called newspaper reports of the phone message a "media beat-up" before holding two press conferences in the space of four hours, finally announcing Gasnier's sacking from the NSW side.
Gasnier was subsequently fined and suspended by his club St George Illawarra while Brisbane's Michael De Vere was called into the Blues side as his replacement.
But DeVere will have to wait until Sunday to join his team-mates after coach Phil Gould ended the Origin camp last night 24 hours early.
"In talking to security ... some phone calls were made prior to people getting in a cab," said Carr.
"Hotel security has been a bit vague with that as well.
"I was of the belief that the phone call was made prior to getting in the cab.
"What I think is they were waiting for a cab. But I may be wrong."
Meanwhile, Gasnier's club, St George Illawarra, last night fined and indefinitely suspended the 22-year-old centre as the game was rocked by its latest scandal involving how players treat women.
But the lid came off the crisis about midday when team officials heard the voice message left for a 27-year-old woman, asking her in explicit terms to have group sex with four players.
They then confronted Gasnier, who conceded he made the call using Origin teammate Anthony Minichiello's mobile phone at 3.41am on Wednesday. Minichiello had told officials his phone was lost and he had not made the call.
Last night, Gasnier issued a statement in which he apologised for his actions.
"I will make contact with the person to personally apologise," he said.
"I was under the influence of alcohol but I understand I have to be responsible for my actions."
Gasnier, the nephew of league legend Reg Gasnier, also said he had apologised to his girlfriend, family and the Dragons for his misdemeanour. "I have paid a huge price for my actions in the circumstances," he said. "It has been my life ambition to play State of Origin."
The new crisis to hit the game - just weeks after police announced they had insufficient evidence to prosecute up to six Bulldogs players over rape claims - erupted after an Origin team bonding night.
The 27-year-old Sydney woman awoke on Wednesday to hear a message on her mobile phone which had come from Minichiello's mobile phone.
In the message, Gasnier said there were four men in a taxi looking for sex. Their names were not mentioned.
NRL boss David Gallop yesterday did not hide his disappointment.
"Respect for women could not have been any higher on the agenda for everyone in the game," he said.
Earlier yesterday, Carr was quick to denounce The Daily Telegraph for reporting a "massive beat up" that the woman had complained to Minichiello's Roosters' club call.
He said he believed Minichiello's story he lost his phone at Star City Casino. But casino staff examined footage and did not find any evidence of his phone being lost or stolen.
Carr said there was only one voice on the message and the call was made before Gasnier caught a taxi.
However, The Daily Telegraph maintained there were two different voices on the message.
Carr's initial comments yesterday were made after management confronted Origin players and they denied having done anything wrong.
The players and coaching staff also closed ranks, believing it to be a media-driven agenda.
But the defence of the players changed rapidly when NRL officials received a copy of the voice message and recognised a player's voice.
When it was identified as Gasnier's, he was played the tape and admitted immediately it was him despite being unable to remember making a call.
Last night coach Gould addressed the team, re-stressing the importance of the messages he had made soon after the camp began on Monday about behaviour. If Gould's advice had been followed, Wednesday morning's incident would not have happened.
The Daily Telegraph
