Newcastle Saga

[The Colonel]

No evidence against Knights: police
February 21, 2005 - 7:44PM

Police say they have no evidence to support claims that a member of the Newcastle Knights rugby league team indecently assaulted a student at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.

Superintendent Martin Wookey said detectives interviewed students about the alleged drunken rampage through a student dormitory in the early hours of Sunday morning, but no-one has made a complaint.

"In the absence of any allegation other than anecdotal evidence reported in the media, there's nothing else we can do," he told the ABC.

Police also contacted the Knights rugby league club, the local hospital, media outlets and university officials in an attempt to verify the allegations.

"The university has had some discussions with police and certainly will maintain our liaison with police as we pursue our investigation of these matters," said acting vice-chancellor, Professor David Battersby

The National Rugby League confirmed that the Newcastle Club had received complaints from the university about the behaviour of several players.

Knights chief executive Ken Conway said he was deeply concerned about the allegations and the fact that players broke a club curfew.

"We are taking the matter extremely seriously and we'll be conducting a thorough investigation and disciplining people where discipline is necessary," he said.

Knights football manager Mark Sargent said the club had put in place rules governing appropriate behaviour, but it appeared they were not working.

"We spoke to them [the players] prior to and during the course of the trip and apparently that hasn't worked," he said.

"So we will, over the next couple of days, put methods in place that will hopefully get through to them."


http://www.theage.com.au/news/Break...e/2005/02/21/1108834725756.html?oneclick=true

 

[The Colonel]

Assault charges 'unlikely'
February 22, 2005

NEWCASTLE Knights was not expecting police to lay charges of indecent assault after players went on a drunken rampage in a university dormitory, the club's chairman said today.

After two days of investigations and a marathon board meeting, the Knights announced last night they had terminated a player's contract, but declined to reveal the player's name for legal reasons.

Media reported that player to be rookie front row forward Dane Tilse.

Newcastle officials also said the largest fines in the club's history, totalling $50,000, had been dished out to 12 players over the weekend incident in Bathurst, west of Sydney.

That included 20-year-old Tilse, who had his contract terminated following the breach of a 3am curfew and incidents involving a fire extinguisher and a bicycle at Charles Sturt University.

The NRL has fined the Knights $100,000 and deregistered Tilse.

The transgressions occurred at a university dormitory after a trial game on Saturday night.

One unnamed student yesterday described to a radio station how a player allegedly assaulted another student as she slept.

Police were yet to receive an official complaint and said they had no evidence to support claims of an indecent assault.

Knights chairman Michael Hill said today that he believed there was no sexual misconduct involved.

"Not at all. We're not going to the issue of sexual misconduct," Mr Hill said on ABC Radio.

"There was a breach of the curfew and we punished the players for breaching the curfew.

"There were a few related incidents including the unauthorised use of fire extinguishers by two players, and there was another incident that related to the riding of a pushbike.

"But in terms of the termination of the player's contract, we're not aware of any criminal charges pending or contemplated in relation to sexual activity.

"We've acted solely upon what the player has told us, and the players as a whole."

The club was not investigating anything of a sexual nature relating to the incidents, Mr Hill said.

"We have not had the opportunity to speak to the girl in question and far as we're aware the police have not received a formal complaint about that," he said.

Mr Hill said players were "constantly" receiving education about what they should and should not do on tour, and were warned on the day of the rampage.

In addition to the Knights being fined $100,000, the NRL also imposed another $100,000 penalty, which has been suspended on condition the club incurred no similar misconduct breaches over the next two seasons.
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,12334235-23210,00.html
AAP

 

[The Colonel]

Knights sacking 'wake up call'
February 22, 2005

THE sacking of Newcastle Knights player Dane Tilse will serve as a wake up call to younger players but more education is needed, NRL special adviser Catharine Lumby said today.

The Knights last night terminated the 20-year-old's contract and fined him and 11 other players a total of $50,000 following a drunken rampage in a dormitory at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst at the weekend.

The incident happened after the players breached a 3am curfew on Sunday following a trial game in the city on Saturday night.

University officials are investigating the incident amid a claim that a player behaved inappropriately toward a young woman in the dormitory.

Police said yesterday there has been no official complaint made to them.

The Newcastle club was hit with a $100,000 fine by the NRL and received a further $100,000 penalty, suspended on the proviso the club incurred no similar misconduct breaches over the next two seasons.

Lumby, who was contracted last year in the wake of the rape allegation against Bulldogs players in Coffs Harbour, said the sacking of a player will give young players a jolt.

"I think it is a huge wake up call," Lumby told Channel 9.

"One of the things we do know about these young guys is they put their heart and soul and lives into playing first grade football.

"To have your career ended at this point is a huge shock and I think a lot of young players will take notice."

But Lumby said more education programs are needed to help young men do the right thing.

"There are elements in the culture that haven't really got it," she said.

"There are two ways of getting through to people, one is through sanctions ... and on top of that we need education programs that are tailored to rugby league players' lives which really support them to do the right thing."

NRL CEO David Gallop confirmed that the organisation remains committed to ongoing player education.

"Our education process is in place and it will pay dividends," Gallop told a Sydney radio station.

"Obliviously I was not delighted (to hear about the University rampage). (However) I know we have got the right policies in place and the penalties are the right ones.

"I am not saying we have got all the answers. Obviously we don't. What I am saying is we've got our foot on the pedal and we've got the vast majority of people on board. If there are people who are not on board I think they are in minority and they will get punished."

Lumby said it is important that players are made aware that there is no benefit to closing ranks on bad behaviour.

"There are positive aspects of team bonding as well as negative ones and I think the important thing to get through to players is that they are not doing their team a favour by closing ranks when bad behaviour happens," she said.

"But in fact when any individual player behaves in an anti-social fashion he is staining the image of the team and the whole game and I think many players recognise that now."
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,12334242-23210,00.html
AAP

 

[NPK]

This thread is getting boring - just news stories copied and pasted into it.

 

[Willow]

]

They've been "quarantined" for "further inspection". Hopefully these willbe merged into the old thread once it's been torn apart by the mods.

"Quarantined" meaning deleted
"Further Inspection" meaning we deleted it, but we'll just pretend.

You have no idea how dumb that sounds. Perhaps you've grown so accustom to bullshitting that you think its the way everyone behaves.

Quarantined means just that. Threads are sometimes scrutinised after being transferred. Not deleted and not 'torn apart' as described by some drama queens. They can be sent back if Admin decide that its OK.

Its childish to continue to delete the threads...whats the point?

Pretending it didnt happen?

Of course not. But IF you can't back up your claims to the satisfaction of the moderators, the post can't stay.

Its very simple...
Stick to the facts which have been published in the mainstream, and there'll be no problem.
But post somethng which has the potential to put the site at risk, and Moderators will always err on the side of caution.