DETAILS OF BLUES PLAYERS' NIGHT OUT
May 21 - The NRL website has published a detailed account of incidents for which Anthony Minichiello has been dismissed from the NSW Origin team and for which several others have been fined. Here is the report ...
The NSWRL has dismissed a second player, Anthony Minichiello, from the team for Wednesday’s (May 26) State of Origin Match and imposed fines on five other players.
The five players: Willie Mason, Trent Waterhouse, Craig Wing, Craig Gower, and Mark O’Meley were fined $3,000 for unprofessional behaviour in leaving the team hotel after the side returned en-masse from an evening out.
Willie Mason and Trent Waterhouse have been fined an additional $2,000 for their further actions, which ended with the players travelling on a public bus in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Willie Mason has also been fined an additional $1,000 for having signed another player’s name during an autograph session.
Minichiello’s dismissal is on the basis that he took a telephone out on the night, contrary to team instruction, and that he was observed in the presence of Mark Gasnier as telephone calls were made. It has been established beyond doubt that the offensive call was not made from a taxi.
The Board today has also determined that all team management, security positions and team protocols will be reviewed at the conclusion of Origin 1.
In the meantime players will not be allowed to leave the team hotel after the evening meals unless specifically approved by team management.
The actions follow a further 24 hours of investigation, which revealed:
That when the team returned to its hotel shortly after 3:00am on Wednesday morning, everyone went to their rooms and team security checked off each player’s arrival.
Nine players then changed and went out a second time.
Two players, Ryan O’Hara and Andrew Ryan accompanied a team security guard in search of a meal but returned soon after without incident. They have not been penalised.
The offensive phone call that saw Mark Gasnier stood down was made from the phone of Anthony Minichiello from outside the team hotel in Coogee and not from a taxi.
Enhanced recordings of the message show clearly that another voice was on the taped message that led to Mark Gasnier’s dismissal.
Only one voice however directed offensive remarks to the woman.
Anthony Minichiello, Craig Gower, Mark Gasnier and Trent Waterhouse were in one taxi.
Mark O’Meley, Willie Mason, Craig Wing and a security guard were in the other taxi.
The players later split into separate groups.
Gasnier, Mason and Waterhouse are believed to have travelled together to continue drinking. Craig Wing returned to the hotel.
Gower, O’Meley and Minichiello attended the Star City Casino.
Willie Mason signed the name of a team-mate at an autograph signing session.
The NSWRL Board held two meetings today, one to authorise team management to require players to attend an investigation at Phillip Street, and the second to review the day’s investigations.
“At the conclusion of that process the Board is of the belief that it has pieced together as accurate a picture as is possible of the events,” NSWRL General Manager, Mr Geoff Carr, said today.
“It is unfortunate that yesterday that quality of the speaker phone used to listen to the phone message did not allow us to detect the second voice and I apologise to all concerned for being incorrect in relation to that matter.
“I accept that the public are entitled to feel disappointed at the time it has taken to complete this investigation and it’s been unfortunate that we were not able to establish all the facts as quickly as we would like.
“However the Board today has shown the seriousness with which it is treating this matter.
“Players have lost their place in the team, others have been fined and the positions of senior team officials and security personnel is to be reviewed.
“The NSWRL will insist on greater scrutiny in all team arrangements going forward and the message to all players is that the camp environment will change dramatically and that players will be accountable.
“Again the NSWRL apologises to the woman who received the phone message, as I did personally yesterday evening, and to all Rugby League fans and players who have been embarrassed by the performance of some team members.
“They have our assurance that such behaviour will not be tolerated at representative level in the future.”
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