Not sure Adam. Freddy admitted there was ice throwing, but the impression I got was that they were being sledged first, my understanding that is was young Earl that was copping it. That the ice throwing had nothing to do with it.
The boys were literally strong-armed out of the club by the bouncers. Freddy reckons he isn't worried about the incident at all and it looks like no charges will be laid.
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Friend facing the sack
28/06/2009 5:43 PM
Adam Lucius
Sportal
Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend is facing the sack after allegedly assaulting a woman at a nightclub in the hours after his club's 19-12 win over Cronulla on Saturday night.
Friend is alleged to have struck Kristy Bradley, niece of veteran ABC Radio broadcaster David Morrow, following an argument at nightclub in The Rocks around 3am.
Bradley, 31, was treated by ambulance officers for facial wounds after telling them she was punched in the face.
Eyewitnesses reported Friend was with Roosters team-mates when he began throwing ice at patrons, prompting Bradley and her cousin – former Manly and Wests Tigers player Nick Bradley – to approach the group and tell them to 'grow up'.
It's then alleged Friend hit Ms Bradley in the face. Mr Bradley also suffered minor injuries.
"All I was told was Jake Friend hit her but I've got no further comment," David Morrow said at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday, where he is calling the Eels-Broncos clash.
Roosters coach Brad Fittler has jumped to the defence of Friend, claiming the contact to Bradley was accidental.
Fittler told
BigPond Sports Weekend he had spoken to the players involved.
"The initial story I got was that there was glass thrown and then Jake assaulted a girl," he said.
"I've been speaking about it all morning and I've been speaking to the boys and getting their side of the story."
Fittler said initial reports suggested a glass had been thrown but was then told it was ice, not glass.
"Now I've spoken to the boys and they said they haven't thrown any ice"
"A person then came over to the table who was an aggressor towards one of our younger blokes Sandor Earl, who has just made his first grade debut and apparently he (the aggressor) threw the first punch, he (Earl) got up there was a couple of punches and a bit of a scuffle and a girl was in the middle trying to break it up."
Fittler then described how Earl and Friend were upset with their treatment at the hands of the club's bouncers who towed the two out in wrist holds and lined them up against the wall.
"We have to be very careful and not drag people's names through the mud so heavily," Fittler said.
"It's very nice to throw the word alleged around and people should be accountable for what they say."
"If they did nothing wrong and a bloke confronted them and it ended up there was a bit of a scuffle it has been happening for four thousand years and it'll happen for the next four thousand years"
"Hopefully this comes out clear and hopefully the girl is ok if she did cop a hit in amongst that scuffle"
Randwick Police confirmed that they had spoken to a man in relation to the incident.
"It appears a 19-year-old Randwick man has spoken to the two and there's been a physical altercation resulting in the 29-year-old man and 31-year-old woman sustaining some minor injuries," a police spokeswoman said.
"Police attended, but the victims refused to give statements and inquiries are continuing at the moment."
The drama comes just days after Friend was fined $850 and suspended from driving for 16 months after being convicted of high-range drink driving.
Roosters CEO Steve Noyce is refusing to comment on the alleged assault – and Friend's future at the club – until he is presented with a full report into the matter.
