Board backing Gower despite assault evidence
By Jacquelin Magnay
January 3, 2006
THE woman at the centre of the Craig Gower controversy has given damning evidence to Penrith officials of indecent assault, but there is strong support among Panthers board members for the star halfback to retain his captaincy of the club.
Tatum Pearce, the 18-year-old daughter of Balmain great Wayne Pearce, told Penrith general manager and investigator Mick Leary that a drunken Gower had put his hand in her crotch at a poolside bar at the Twin Waters resort on the Sunshine Coast on December 19. During the interview, Leary asked her to be specific about exactly where Gower had put his hand, and she replied: "On my vagina." There were no witnesses to the incident.
Penrith board members have been given copies of the Leary report, which details the evidence from Pearce and second-hand evidence from swimming legend Dawn Fraser, who consoled Pearce immediately afterwards. Fraser told Leary that Pearce was greatly upset and embarrassed by Gower's behaviour.
Gower has been summoned to a Penrith board meeting tomorrow night to explain his actions. The player, who has the right to legal representation at the meeting, has previously claimed he cannot remember anything from that night.
The Leary report has largely cleared Gower of other allegations, including those that involved throwing a knife and the pursuit of Wayne Pearce's son Mitchell with a beer bottle.
Mitchell Pearce approached a group of people who were with Gower and told them to control the footballer. Gower then acted in a menacing way while holding a beer bottle.
Leary has statements from witnesses who saw Gower naked around the hotel but staff said such sightings of guests were relatively common. Golf club officials have also said the player was welcome back to the course at any time.
Gower also caused minor damage to a golf cart when he hit a rock on the course, but club officials said this was a regular problem that was of no concern.
However, the reluctance of Tatum Pearce and her father to take further action, including making a police report, is behind a push to save Gower's captaincy.
It is understood a majority of the board wants to fine Gower substantially - more than $30,000, to be donated to charity - but allow him to stay on as captain because he has publicly apologised.
Gower has not seen the Leary report and could not be contacted yesterday. Last week, he issued a statement that said:"With regard to an incident at Twin Waters last Monday, December 19, to the extent that I have caused the Pearce family any discomfort, I unreservedly apologise."
The Penrith board is chaired by Barry Walsh and includes premiership-winning players Greg Alexander, Col Bentley and former senior deputy state coroner John Hiatt.
NRL chief executive David Gallop yesterday said he was waiting for the club to complete the investigation process.
"After that the club will report to the NRL and we expect that report will include the full Mick Leary investigation and findings," Gallop said.
The NRL last year refused to register Knights rookie Dane Tilse, who had been sacked from the Newcastle club after a drunken night out that involved him breaking into university students' quarters and waking a sleeping female. The Knights were also fined $200,000. The NRL has allowed Tilse to sign with the Raiders for 2006.
Gower, who is marrying former cheerleader Amanda Flynn this month, has a history of alcohol-related issues, having been sacked from the Australian team in 1999 after exposing himself at the Coogee Bay Hotel. For that he was fined $10,000 but was subsequently picked to play 16 Tests from 1999 to 2005. In 2004, he was fined by the NSW Rugby League for not observing the curfew of the NSW Origin team.
