Knights poised to cut Wicks
BY BRETT KEEBLE
KNIGHTS chief executive Steve Burraston said Danny Wicks had no place at the club, or in the NRL, if multiple drug-related charges were proven against the front-rower.
Wicks was charged yesterday with six counts of supply and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug and spent last night in police custody after failing to lodge $50,000 bail with Newcastle Court.
Burraston said yesterday that Wicks had been stood down from all club duties, effective "immediately and indefinitely", but indicated the 24-year-old Grafton junior could have his three-year contract torn up before his court case is concluded.
Asked if he could comprehend the idea of a Knights player, or any NRL player, facing such serious drug charges, Burraston said: "I don't think there's any excuse for that.
"Professional footballer, average Joe Blow, it's just something I won't condone and the club won't condone, and my chairman [Rob Tew] sits beside me and he won't condone anything like that either.
"If charges are laid and if he is found guilty, well then he has no place in this organisation. I don't think it's acceptable at any level of society, even though it's part of it."
Asked to consider the possibility of the Knights sacking Wicks only to see another NRL club sign him, Burraston said: "If charges are laid and proven, then I don't think he has a place in our game, but I'm happy to let that run its course first then make a decision after that."
Burraston said the Knights would be guided by the police investigation and legal process but made it clear the club could sack Wicks before the court case ends if the evidence against him is damning enough.
"We'll let the police run the investigation," he said.
"They've done a lot of surveillance over a period of time, and they're more qualified and skilled than us, so we'll be taking our lead from the police here.
"We'll be having as many meetings and briefings as we can with the police to get an understanding of what sort of evidence they have, and we may be able to make a decision based on that evidence.
"At the very worst scenario, we'd let it run to a court date but have him stood down not playing or training or having any involvement with the club to make a final decision once the charges were proven."
In a case of unfortunate timing, the Knights had planned a noon press conference yesterday to announce a lucrative sponsorship with Coca-Cola, but that was scrapped when Burraston and club management learnt Wicks had been arrested.
Burraston, who was confident the Coca-Cola deal would still go ahead and that the Knights would not lose any major sponsors, still fronted the media at the club's Turton Rd administration building, but to answer questions about the former St George Illawarra forward.
"We have to, until charges are laid and proven, give the player the right respect in being innocent until proven guilty," he said.
"But at the same time the matter is of the utmost seriousness, so we'll be keeping an arm's length relationship until the matter is sorted.
"It's very important that we protect the image of our sponsors and also our members, and of course that of the Newcastle Knights, so we had to work very swiftly and take serious action and we intend to follow that through.
"Everybody in our organisation is very, very clear on our values and our policies in these matters, and they do understand that we will take serious action when there's ever a breach of those values or the code of conduct or any of our policies, as we're doing in this case.
"Our reputation, our sponsors' reputations and the image that we present to our community is of vital importance to us and we'll take whatever action is necessary to protect that."
Burraston said he had spoken to NRL chief executive David Gallop and Wicks's manager, Steve Gillis, about the stunning developments yesterday morning.
Gallop told The Sydney Morning Herald: "We are waiting to get further detail but it's a very serious matter. Beyond that, I can't really comment."
Gillis said he had been in regular contact with the Knights and Wicks's family in Grafton.
"His dad rang this morning about eight o'clock. I was stunned," Gillis said.
"We have to go through the process, talk to the legal people, talk to his parents, and I'll probably talk to Danny."
Herald
)), Junior burger and *insert another 20 nuffies outside of Mullo, Taia, De-Gois, House at our club* are involved.
crazy:
