What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Indigenous Dragons

Ben_Kusto_magic

Juniors
Messages
999
david nui. halfback - 5-8, from dragons juniors , schoolboy rep, very solid player for the dragons before the merge, he played most of his juniors with Jeff hardy, involved in USA rugby league for many years, since he moved there, he played for the national side. american eagles
Good player! Not sure he's indigenous Australian though? I thought I read somewhere he had a Fijian background? I could be wrong
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
36,722
Blacklock wants Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club
Adam Pengilly
September 10, 2020 — 7.45pm
Leave a comment

Nathan Blacklock wants the NRL to have an Indigenous welfare officer at every club as one of St George Illawarra's most celebrated players leaves the door ajar for a return to the club one day.

Blacklock, who revealed in the Herald he was driven away from the joint-venture club by racism, has made his pitch for further support systems to be put in place for Indigenous players within their club environment.

48687ea4fdb4c65d22bfe2b5464195453a4f4b05

Nathan Blacklock wants an Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club.Credit:Getty

The winger joined former Broncos great Steve Renouf in describing instances of racism within the game during their playing days.

While NRL clubs have been crippled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blacklock wants them to consider following a model used at the Panthers where Glen Liddiard works as an Indigenous welfare officer, who has helped mentor Brent Naden and Daine Laurie.

"I know there are guys there now and it would work well with a lot of guys away from home," Blacklock said. "I reckon it would be a great idea for them. It's just someone they can approach about every day things that might be affecting them.

"A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to. They're just somebody you can contact."

A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to.

Nathan Blacklock
Blacklock has been overwhelmed by the reaction to his revelation he left the club for the first time in 2002 due to racism.

He had a brief stint in rugby union with the NSW Waratahs before returning to the Dragons, where he had earlier forged his name as a prolific try-scorer, topping the NRL charts three seasons in a row.

St George Illawarra issued a statement on Sunday "apologising unreservedly" for Blacklock's treatment at the club.

He said he always wanted to be a one-club player, but "there's only so much you can take". And he left the door ajar for a return to St George Illawarra one day in an official capacity.

e5ac623655a735c760596bcb5ef697c029d10937

The Dragons have apologised to Nathan Blacklock for racism during his time at the club.Credit:Action Photographics

"It just shows its weighed on his shoulders for a long time and he feels a lot better," said Dean Widders, one of the game's biggest Indigenous advocates.

"It's disappointing around that time there wasn't the support and people weren't aware of what was being said and how they used their language and how they spoke and how it affected people.

"Across the wellbeing management teams at the clubs there's a sprinkling of Indigenous people involved in various roles, but it's not mandatory. Penrith have had a bit of success with Glen Liddiard and they're a club that's doing it really well."


Blacklock's former coach Andrew Farrar, who was in charge of St George Illawarra between 2000-02, said his former player's revelation "came as a surprise".

"I thought our team was very aware of any kind of racism or picking on other blokes," Farrar said. "They were a good group.

"'Mun' [Anthony Mundine] was there as well, Amos Roberts was a young bloke coming through and there were a couple of other Indigenous players in the lower grades as well. It wasn't as if him and 'Mun' were the only two.

"It was only the early years of the joint venture and Illawarra had some history with Indigenous players as well. By him coming out with it I hope he's got a weight off his shoulders."

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bl...fficer-at-every-nrl-club-20200909-p55tzp.html
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
19,115
Blacklock wants Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club
Adam Pengilly
September 10, 2020 — 7.45pm
Leave a comment

Nathan Blacklock wants the NRL to have an Indigenous welfare officer at every club as one of St George Illawarra's most celebrated players leaves the door ajar for a return to the club one day.

Blacklock, who revealed in the Herald he was driven away from the joint-venture club by racism, has made his pitch for further support systems to be put in place for Indigenous players within their club environment.

48687ea4fdb4c65d22bfe2b5464195453a4f4b05

Nathan Blacklock wants an Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club.Credit:Getty

The winger joined former Broncos great Steve Renouf in describing instances of racism within the game during their playing days.

While NRL clubs have been crippled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blacklock wants them to consider following a model used at the Panthers where Glen Liddiard works as an Indigenous welfare officer, who has helped mentor Brent Naden and Daine Laurie.

"I know there are guys there now and it would work well with a lot of guys away from home," Blacklock said. "I reckon it would be a great idea for them. It's just someone they can approach about every day things that might be affecting them.

"A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to. They're just somebody you can contact."

A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to.

Nathan Blacklock
Blacklock has been overwhelmed by the reaction to his revelation he left the club for the first time in 2002 due to racism.

He had a brief stint in rugby union with the NSW Waratahs before returning to the Dragons, where he had earlier forged his name as a prolific try-scorer, topping the NRL charts three seasons in a row.

St George Illawarra issued a statement on Sunday "apologising unreservedly" for Blacklock's treatment at the club.

He said he always wanted to be a one-club player, but "there's only so much you can take". And he left the door ajar for a return to St George Illawarra one day in an official capacity.

e5ac623655a735c760596bcb5ef697c029d10937

The Dragons have apologised to Nathan Blacklock for racism during his time at the club.Credit:Action Photographics

"It just shows its weighed on his shoulders for a long time and he feels a lot better," said Dean Widders, one of the game's biggest Indigenous advocates.

"It's disappointing around that time there wasn't the support and people weren't aware of what was being said and how they used their language and how they spoke and how it affected people.

"Across the wellbeing management teams at the clubs there's a sprinkling of Indigenous people involved in various roles, but it's not mandatory. Penrith have had a bit of success with Glen Liddiard and they're a club that's doing it really well."


Blacklock's former coach Andrew Farrar, who was in charge of St George Illawarra between 2000-02, said his former player's revelation "came as a surprise".

"I thought our team was very aware of any kind of racism or picking on other blokes," Farrar said. "They were a good group.

"'Mun' [Anthony Mundine] was there as well, Amos Roberts was a young bloke coming through and there were a couple of other Indigenous players in the lower grades as well. It wasn't as if him and 'Mun' were the only two.

"It was only the early years of the joint venture and Illawarra had some history with Indigenous players as well. By him coming out with it I hope he's got a weight off his shoulders."

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bl...fficer-at-every-nrl-club-20200909-p55tzp.html
Andrew Farrar's statement says it all really.

f**king clueless.
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
132
Andrew Farrar's statement says it all really.

f**king clueless.
What's happened to the all- inclusive ideal? I don't get why indigenous players need 'special needs' treatment over over Islander players who are particularly family orientated and more likely more isolated from their cultural families....or even non-indigenous youngsters from interstate, etc.
Maybe run courses on how to use video-calling, or even how to make phone calls like the rest of the world. Until they stop acting like they're some sort of extra needy sub-species, how do they ever expect anything to change for the better?
Just wondering if European Football (soccer) has African Round or Asian Round.....or American Football has Ingenous Round (Indian) or Black America Rounds. Infact does any other sport on the planet have Indigenous rounds?.......FFS, only in Australia where 3% of the population controls 60% of the land!
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
19,115
What's happened to the all- inclusive ideal? I don't get why indigenous players need 'special needs' treatment over over Islander players who are particularly family orientated and more likely more isolated from their cultural families....or even non-indigenous youngsters from interstate, etc.
Maybe run courses on how to use video-calling, or even how to make phone calls like the rest of the world. Until they stop acting like they're some sort of extra needy sub-species, how do they ever expect anything to change for the better?
Just wondering if European Football (soccer) has African Round or Asian Round.....or American Football has Ingenous Round (Indian) or Black America Rounds. Infact does any other sport on the planet have Indigenous rounds?.......FFS, only in Australia where 3% of the population controls 60% of the land!

Your post shows your complete lack of understanding, so if you don't get it now, then no good of anyone explaining it to you, because you're never going to get it.

Discrimination is a scourge and is unfortunately well entrenched in our society and your post especially your last sentence shows your ignorance,

Are you related to Farrar?
 

Bayside Dragon

Juniors
Messages
132
Your post shows your complete lack of understanding, so if you don't get it now, then no good of anyone explaining it to you, because you're never going to get it.

Discrimination is a scourge and is unfortunately well entrenched in our society and your post especially your last sentence shows your ignorance,

Are you related to Farrar?
With the utmost respect, I think you're missed the whole point of my post.

I'M THE ONE who is arguing for non-discrimination in our sport!!

Arguing that one group deserves special consideration over any other group is the very definition of discrimination. Buy yourself a dictionary. I am pleading the case for 'inclusivity'.....which is the exact opposite of discrimination!! It's the very basis of the One Australia concept. Is that too hard to understand?

We ALL have needs -as human beings- for support, understanding and acceptance "regardless of colour, race or creed." Picking up a phone is how most people start.

When anybody pulls on a footy shirt, why do they have to have be singled out as being so different that they have to have special designated rounds and the club guernseys painted up as if nobody has ever seen Aboriginal art before?

It's actually insulting, patronising & demeaning when you think about it. Better to give respect and dignity by treating them as equals. That means no 'special treatment' in most moderate thinking.

Oops, silly me. It's all about merchandising and money making for the NRL. (how could I have forgotten that?)

Please re-read my original post and try to stick to the questions I posed. Can you do that?

Have yourself a great week. Without discrimating, I think we all deserve that!
 

WepnutV

Juniors
Messages
338
Your post shows your complete lack of understanding, so if you don't get it now, then no good of anyone explaining it to you, because you're never going to get it.

Discrimination is a scourge and is unfortunately well entrenched in our society and your post especially your last sentence shows your ignorance,

Are you related to Farrar?
Im his nephew
 
Last edited:

WepnutV

Juniors
Messages
338
Your post shows your complete lack of understanding, so if you don't get it now, then no good of anyone explaining it to you, because you're never going to get it.

Discrimination is a scourge and is unfortunately well entrenched in our society and your post especially your last sentence shows your ignorance,

Are you related to Farrar?
Sorry bra but I think your post shows you have a complete lack of understanding.
 

Victoire

Juniors
Messages
1,400
What's happened to the all- inclusive ideal? I don't get why indigenous players need 'special needs' treatment over over Islander players who are particularly family orientated and more likely more isolated from their cultural families....or even non-indigenous youngsters from interstate, etc.
Maybe run courses on how to use video-calling, or even how to make phone calls like the rest of the world. Until they stop acting like they're some sort of extra needy sub-species, how do they ever expect anything to change for the better?
Just wondering if European Football (soccer) has African Round or Asian Round.....or American Football has Ingenous Round (Indian) or Black America Rounds. Infact does any other sport on the planet have Indigenous rounds?.......FFS, only in Australia where 3% of the population controls 60% of the land!
Yikes. You've either stumbled into the wrong forum, or the mouth-breathers at One Nation haven't figured out how to build one yet. This is some fragile boomer all-lives-matter bullshit.

Fancy telling a people who've lived harmoniously on this continent for 60,000 years they need to "change for the better". Two of this game's Immortals are first nations people, and Nathan Blacklock is one of the greatest, most joyful players ever to grace the red V. Frankly, I'd pay more respect to the turd in Blacklock's Tingha toilet than I would to the vile filth you've angrily typed into your dandruff-covered keyboard. This is why your grandkids stopped visiting the retirement home, pops. Be better
 

Flinstone

Juniors
Messages
177
Blacklock was great to watch, really looked like he enjoyed doing what he's doing.
Had speed, did his job on the wing scoring plenty of tries and came in the middle in support looking for the ball.
Didn't sit on the wing waiting.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
19,115
I think your post shows you have a complete lack of understanding.
FYI

If your alter ego had of posted

“How sad is it that in 2026 we are discussing racism and that a true legend of our club and the game of rugby league has confided in us something deeply personal and confronting.

As it is a lived experience for this man we should be taking note and acting upon his recommendations and resist our natural white man urge to argue with him and “tell” him why his requests are ill founded.

It is to be hoped that one day a person of Aboriginal heritage can say that our indigenous people no longer suffer discrimination and racism and there is no longer a need for mentoring”

Such a post would show understanding and empathy of a most difficult situation but instead your alter ego under the thin veil of inclusiveness highlighted what they get that others don’t and topped that off with his 3% of the population have 60% of the land statement and if that’s not the catch cry of a racist I haven’t heard one.
 

AyiosYiorgos

Coach
Messages
14,720
FYI

If your alter ego had of posted

How sad is it that in 2026 we are discussing racism and that a true legend of our club and the game of rugby league has confided in us something deeply personal and confronting.

As it is a lived experience for this man we should be taking note and acting upon his recommendations and resist our natural white man urge to argue with him and “tell” him why his requests are ill founded.

It is to be hoped that one day a person of Aboriginal heritage can say that our indigenous people no longer suffer discrimination and racism and there is no longer a need for mentoring”

Such a post would show understanding and empathy of a most difficult situation but instead your alter ego under the thin veil of inclusiveness highlighted what they get that others don’t and topped that off with his 3% of the population have 60% of the land statement and if that’s not the catch cry of a racist I haven’t heard one.
You do know that the article is from 2020, its not in the last week?
 

Latest posts

Top