IT was the school visit by two Knights players that moved the Four Corners production team to tears but never made the final cut of their controversial Code of Silence program.
As part of an investigation of the sexual and social behaviour of rugby league players, Four Corners was given access to all areas of the Knights' football operations for more than four weeks but most of the footage was not used.
Reporter Sarah Ferguson said yesterday that it was heart-breaking watching Knights players Ben Rogers and Wes Naiqama interact with disabled children on a visit last month to the Hunter Orthopaedic School, at Waratah.
Hunter Orthopaedic relieving principal Belinda Ryan said the school's 34 students, who have physical or intellectual disabilities or autism, always enjoyed visits by Knights players.
"It was a great scene and unfortunately didn't make it into the story," Ferguson said.
"The kids were incredibly excited to see them. A couple of the kids just wouldn't let go. It was so moving, I think all of the crew and myself and my producer all had to kind of step outside for a minute, because it was just heart-breaking, because these kids are in such dire straits . . .
"Some of these kids, it's a little bit confronting, because they're very disabled and some people do find that very hard. But both Ben and Wes were right in there with them and not in the least bit perturbed by the scene.
"They were really impressive and so full of compassion for them. They spent a bit of time there, hanging out with the kids individually one after the other and clearly brought a great deal of joy to the kids they were talking to."
Mrs Ryan said Knights players helped out for several hours at the school's athletics carnival last December and would do likewise at their swimming carnival next month.
"Ben and Wes were so lovely with the kids," she said.
"They get down to their level and chat to the kids about football and other stuff that isn't about football.
"For our athletics carnival last year . . . they came along and had a ball. They were wonderful. Normally it's the staff that have to do all the pushing and running but we got all the burly Knights to help do that and they're coming along to help us with our swimming carnival.
"The media never sees any of that, which is pretty sad."
Rogers, who spends some of his spare time helping Down Syndrome NSW and the John Hunter Hospital children's ward, said: "It's not exactly going out of your way. If it puts some smiles on their faces, it's not that hard to do, is it?"
In the aftermath to the Four Corners report last week, Primary Principals Association president Geoff Scott said some government primary schools considered it inappropriate to continue contact with rugby league players.
Mrs Ryan said the relationship between the Knights and her school and students had always been positive.
