Ben Te'o went public with his reasons for leaving Souths - they were largely related to copping a hard time since he was accused but cleared of assaulting Katie Lewis. He told reporters - not this one: ''That is what I have got to live with, about you bashed [a woman]. I cop it on social media. People yell it at games. If people only knew the facts.'' All of that is understandable - and it's not fair that Te'o is copping abuse from fans. He was cleared of any wrongdoing - and for that reason he doesn't deserve the heat.
What is hard to understand though, if Te'o is so hurt by the abuse he is copping, why did his agent shop him with a big price tag ($600,000 a season) to rival clubs. And, when we say rivals, we include the Roosters. Yes, the team that Souths can't cop. The Roosters didn't want a bar of Te'o - not because of Lewis. Perhaps they didn't like the stories they had heard from the way he left the Tigers - their players are not huge supporters of Te'o. If you missed it, Te'o gave me a nice blast at Souths training during the week. He refused to answer my questions at a media conference, which is fair enough if he does not like me. He then sprayed me in front of his teammates and other media calling me a grub among other things. He told me I was not welcome at Souths ''because nobody likes you''.
That was hardly a news flash. I've copped the cold shoulder from Souths players since I first reported the claims. I once had a good relationship with most of the players - that's gone. Souths have banned me from talking to their players in one-on-one interviews. None of that bothers me. Nor did the Te'o spray that was captured on camera. Souths reported that to the NRL, but it was not because I complained about it. As a journo you cop that. The cameras didn't capture Te'o eyeballing me and calling me a ''f---wit''.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/penrith-panthers-help-jamal-idris-fight-demons-20140607-39pu7.html
