I'm in NZ and haven't seen the show. Can I ask what kind of coverage the Manly/Brett Stewart incident got? Feels like it was hardly mentioned...?
The program started with that one.
Personally, I'm disgusted by what I saw last night and some of the comments in here today. Like just about every other league supporter, after Coffs Harbour, I bagged out the Doggies and felt pretty smug that that sort of crap seemed to be the restricted to a few bad apples (and mainly at the likes of Canterbury and Newcastle).
I'd only heard some vague stuff about the 2002 incident in Christchurch, but didn't think too much about it. Complaint made, investigated and the team cleared - end of story. Can't remember too much media coverage of it at the time.
I was always proud of being a Cronulla supporter because I felt that we were a "family" club with values. Now for the full story about Christchurch to come out, I am appalled that this sort of crap went on (and possibly still does given the d*ckheads sending pictures of their todgers to this Charmyne bird - she didn't say what club/s these turkeys were from) at the Sharks. The attitudes of the players indicates that this kind of behaviour was entrenched and I'm sure it is going to spur more women to come out of the woodwork.
The behaviour of the Newcastle players at their education session with Vagana and O'Neill also showed how little clue many of the players still have as to what is and isn't acceptable. That d*ckhead who said something about saying some nice things afterwards (or words to that effect) should get a good swift kick up the backside. All in all, I can't see too many parents, particularly mothers, who watched this program being keen to let their sons play rugby league.
Now that this is all out in the open, I will be waiting to see how the club responds. This could be a make or break moment for the club. Sponsors are going to be ropable over this (I certainly wouldn't want my company's brand linked to this sort of rubbish). There was some positive stuff from Brian Smith and Newcastle, though not enough given the education program responses, and we probably need to go way beyond what they are doing.
I can't help thinking that a huge part of the problem is the combination of young blokes with (too) big egos with too much money and time on their hands. Back in my playing days, you played on a Sunday afternoon, had a couple of beers after the game and then went home, mainly because you had to go to work the next day. The club and the NRL need to break the ingrained booze culture of the game and the senior players and coaching staff need to get more involved in the education and wellbeing of the junior players and give them a good swift kick in the pants when needed. Curfews, compulsory and ongoing education programs, community work etc will all help.
I don't know what behavioural clauses are in player contracts, but the NRL needs to either introduce or strengthen them. The nebulous bringing the game into disrepute isn't good enough. Drunkenness and unacceptable behaviour need to be better policed. I know that people should be responsible for their own behaviour, however if players see other players doing things (and not being punished or, worse still, encouraged) they think of this as the norm and acceptable.
Rant over (for now).
