George Burgess

[Mojo]

IMO the standard in law is innocent until proven guilty. The legal process exists to hear the evidence, assess guilt or innocence and apply punishment if proven guilty. The NRL, the club, the fans, the media don’t have the authority to do so. Two juries couldn’t arrive at a verdict in the case of JDB yet he was out of the game for a long time pending the result. If found guilty of a crime of sex or violence, I would be happy for the club, or even the NRL, to apply a policy of a permanent ban from the game.

 

[Dragon David]

To me irrespective of innocence until proven guilty, our players just shouldn't allow themselves to be put into these "questionable" positions in the first place. We don't know the circumstances to these cases but even if found no cause for further action, the black mark has been stamped on our club's cultural reputation nonetheless.

This is possibly a reason why we keep on getting hit with these harsh ref/judiciary penalties.

 

[thebigredv]

This is possibly a reason why we keep on getting hit with these harsh ref/judiciary penalties.

This is correct.

I wasn't holding my breath waiting for an apology from some faction of the NRL for Sua sin bin which was unanimously criticised by fox, 9 and radio commentators and directly cost us 2 points

Instead V'landys has come out and attacked DeBelin again.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-boss-investigating-female-journo-snub-at-jack-de-belin-interview/news-story/539ff933008d2a04c6160ef7b1bd34d8

The hate for our club is clear as day.

 

[st.phil]

bench prop w a track record - w/o knowing the details, stand him down and rip the band aid off

 

[Crush]

Warranted or not, the JDB saga killed Dragons image and reputation. Ever since that incident we have been the laughing stock and its just been one thing after another, people hate our club.

 

[Nanadragon]

So the accompanying photo to the story in the paper shows Burgess with his fingers on the face of the tackled player trying to gouge his eyes out. Don't know why we ever wanted him at our club.

 

[twinkletoes]

Apparently though it's OK to be cocaine addicts with no/minimal penalties...aka numerous other players in Storm, Warriors etc

 

[Draginzaaar]

As if more proof were needed that it was a dumb idea to sign this ageing eye-gouger with a plastic hip,!
I was dead against signing this numbnut from day one. We've not even blown the dust off the new season and he's onto his second (alleged) misdemeanor which, naturally, is eagerly lapped up by scandal hungry sports "journalists"

And if you think this doesn't reflect badly on the image of the club you are kidding yourself. We are made a laughingstock - again - by someone to whom we offered a lifeline. And we will get our ar$e$ handed to us by the Scum on Thursday night, just to add insult to injury.

Season 2022 buggered, and it's only 21 March. At least last year I could cling to the illusion of semi-competence and a finals berth until July.

I think the Tigers are the laughing stock.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

Apparently though it's OK to be cocaine addicts with no/minimal penalties...aka numerous other players in Storm, Warriors etc

No offence mate, there's a significant difference in degree between a night on the coke and sexual assault.

 

[Walpole]

And an unnerving number of people who can't tell the difference.

 

[Trifili13]

No offence mate, there's a significant difference in degree between a night on the coke and sexual assault.

Agree, however i think the argument is that the Storm blokes simply allegedly said "I have no recollection of what the white stuff was as I was drunk" they got a slap on the wrist from the NRL and we all moved on.

I am happy for Burgess to be stood down, so long as others are judged the same way, but we know the NRL has favourites.

 

[Gareth67]

This season has promised so much for we the long suffering fans of this club , but now we have yet another headline of the worst possible type .

I just hope that this is put to bed as quickly as possible so as the Dragons can move on . April hearing which will undoubtedly be put back to May and then who knows ?

By the time the case is actually heard his contract may be over , but we cannot expect any sympathy from the NRL on this as they will more than likely stand Burgess down .

Unfortunately however the stigma will remain .

 

[matPORTS]

Innocent until proven guilty notion remains...

But this is the third sexual assault misdemeanor out of our club in front of the courts within the last three years.

Putting to one side - BBQ Gate & the constant disciplinary issues on the field directly contributing to loss of games through sin binnings and players becoming unavailable due to suspension.

Who is running this place? Someone has got to be held accountable for this !!

 

[twinkletoes]

No offence mate, there's a significant difference in degree between a night on the coke and sexual assault.

No I'm not downplaying the seriousness of the charges against Burgess, but turning a blind eye to drug taking and the influence on young kids seeing the pathetic punishment handed out by the NRL is also a serious matter and yet the NRL don't want to go there for fear of what they might find. They then want to reprimand the Dragons for their handling of the JDB media interview where no female journalist was invited which they seem to view as more serious than drug taking offences against players...talk about woke

 

[Dragon David]

I can see V'Landys meeting up with the hierarchy at this Club to warn our Board to clean up the act of the players and that these misdemeanours are addressed immediately otherwise points will be deducted from any wins.

I know he cannot do this but he will certainly come at us hard now and everything we do will be checked and double checked every year. Any indiscretion will be treated harshly.

 

[Dragon David]

With all of these dramas happening at the Dragons, no wonder we aren't able to attract better players to the club. We need players who want to play for the club and not just for the money. Nowadays it is for money, money, money which is understandable but the heart needs to be in it as well.

When a player or players digress it is an individual problem. We don't know who will be the next person, if any - hopefully no more. The club could have a general meeting and discuss these things and the players will be saying we hear you, but like so many things in life, the temptation might be too great and there is deviation.

We have only played two games and already disappointment has worked its way into the fabric of a lot of us. The only thing the Dragons can do now to get back some decent respect is to play great footy and win, win, win.

 

[jeffdragon]

No I'm not downplaying the seriousness of the charges against Burgess, but turning a blind eye to drug taking and the influence on young kids seeing the pathetic punishment handed out by the NRL is also a serious matter and yet the NRL don't want to go there for fear of what they might find. They then want to reprimand the Dragons for their handling of the JDB media interview where no female journalist was invited which they seem to view as more serious than drug taking offences against players...talk

I can see V'Landys meeting up with the hierarchy at this Club to warn our Board to clean up the act of the players and that these misdemeanours are addressed immediately otherwise points will be deducted from any wins.

I know he cannot do this but he will certainly come at us hard now and everything we do will be checked and double checked every year. Any indiscretion will be treated harshly.

If only the league came down on teams rorting the cap with third party payments.

 

[be55]

V’landys unhappy with Dragons’ handling of de Belin’s first interview

The Dragons chief executive and chairman are now at odds on how Jack de Belin’s first interview in three years should have been conducted.

www.smh.com.au

So on one hand V'Landys is demanding that all media be allowed full access to the players to ask any type of question they like, but coaches and players aren't even allowed to comment when a referee has made obvious mistakes in a game. If they do the NRL fines them so fast their heads spin. How about you put the referees in front of a feral media scrum to answer questions when their mistakes directly effect the outcomes of games. But of course you won't do that...

What a f**king hypocrite...

 

[Mojo]

No I'm not downplaying the seriousness of the charges against Burgess, but turning a blind eye to drug taking and the influence on young kids seeing the pathetic punishment handed out by the NRL is also a serious matter and yet the NRL don't want to go there for fear of what they might find. They then want to reprimand the Dragons for their handling of the JDB media interview where no female journalist was invited which they seem to view as more serious than drug taking offences against players...talk about woke

The use of class A narcotics is a criminal offence. The Storm guys should have been investigated and charged if appropriate and any player found guilty of such an offence should be kicked out of the sport. There are people all over the world killing themselves with the shit. Sports 'stars' indulging in it like its a joke is disgraceful and deadly.

 

[Walpole]

The use of class A narcotics is a criminal offence. The Storm guys should have been investigated and charged if appropriate and any player found guilty of such an offence should be kicked out of the sport. There are people all over the world killing themselves with the shit. Sports 'stars' indulging in it like its a joke is disgraceful and deadly.

If three Storm players had been accused of sexual assault in the last three years and two Dragons players had been caught out with coke in the privacy of their hotel room, what would your opinion be?