Russel Packer. Did we dodge a bullet?

[Como Connection]

I hope he doesn't come back.

I disagree give him 1 1/2 seasons on West Tigers money.
Won't cost a lot at all.
Gotta be better, but not as funny as Lats!
CC

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

From the SMH today... D. Weidler.

Packer a caged Tiger
Russell Packer was once a club captain at the Tigers. Now he can’t crack it for a start in the top grade.

I’ve asked why and been told that his body is not what it should be. But, digging further, the word is he does not get along with coach Michael Maguire. Packer has some strong opinions and they are not always appreciated by his coach. It will be a surprise if Packer sees out his rich contract, a four-year deal due to end in 2021.

 

[possm]

From the SMH today... D. Weidler.

Packer a caged Tiger
Russell Packer was once a club captain at the Tigers. Now he can’t crack it for a start in the top grade.

I’ve asked why and been told that his body is not what it should be. But, digging further, the word is he does not get along with coach Michael Maguire. Packer has some strong opinions and they are not always appreciated by his coach. It will be a surprise if Packer sees out his rich contract, a four-year deal due to end in 2021.

We don't need Packer, better to let him soak up the Tigers cap space.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Packer has bad knees, is carrying far too much weight, and his fitness level is poor.
But, hey he fits the McGregor criteria perfectly, former international with over 50 games 1st grade experience.
Surely Basil is on the phone as we speak!

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Packer has bad knees, is carrying far too much weight, and his fitness level is poor.
But, hey he fits the McGregor criteria perfectly, former international with over 50 games 1st grade experience.
Surely Basil is on the phone as we speak!

Its all that coin and diplomas weighing him down.

 

[blacksafake]

Packer is not required imo.
There’s rumours we are looking at young Hetherington from the panthers who’s on the outer.If true I’d much rather him. Plenty of upside, but crazy & not afraid of anyone but can cart the ball up.

 

[blacksafake]

Packer has bad knees, is carrying far too much weight, and his fitness level is poor.
But, hey he fits the McGregor criteria perfectly, former international with over 50 games 1st grade experience.
Surely Basil is on the phone as we speak!

Nooooooooooo

 

[muzby]

Its all that coin and diplomas weighing him down.

Yep, rag on a bloke for turning his life around and preparing his family for post-footy..

Good work..

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Yep, rag on a bloke for turning his life around and preparing his family for post-footy..

Good work..

Packer did very well out of our involvement and good luck to him and his Family.
What I don't understand is that we were prepared to go out on a limb for Packer and we also did the same for Dugan and yet we didn't do the same for Fonua Blake.
If we are so big on rehabilitating bad boys at least pick the right ones.

 

[muzby]

Packer did very well out of our involvement and good luck to him and his Family.
What I don't understand is that we were prepared to go out on a limb for Packer and we also did the same for Dugan and yet we didn't do the same for Fonua Blake.
If we are so big on rehabilitating bad boys at least pick the right ones.

Do you think before you post?

Packer accepted his fate and did his time. Effectively as far as our legal system goes, he paid his penalty and is rehabilitated. So I’m leaving this out of the discussion.

Dugan skipped training, got drunk on a roof with a mate and got fired for it. AFB was convicted of domestic violence against a pregnant woman.

If you think these two examples of “rehabilitation” are even in the same ballpark you need help.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Do you think before you post?

Packer accepted his fate and did his time. Effectively as far as our legal system goes, he paid his penalty and is rehabilitated. So I’m leaving this out of the discussion.

Dugan skipped training, got drunk on a roof with a mate and got fired for it. AFB was convicted of domestic violence against a pregnant woman.

If you think these two examples of “rehabilitation” are even in the same ballpark you need help.

In that case, why is he playing FG for Manly?
Obviously he has been censored legally and is just as eligible to play as Packer.
I am not going to get into comparison of the transgressions because it is irrelevant.
As I said, in Packer's case, we were still prepared to sign him when no one else would.
You will remember the protracted negotiation with the NRL about him getting a start and the time and resources we spent getting him fit for FG without even being sure of registering a contract with the NRL..
FB was a St. George junior and Packer meant nothing to St. George.
I do need help...to understand why we couldn't rehabilitate FB and let him reach his potential at our club instead of Manly.

 

[SnowDragon]

Attitude is a huge thing.

Packer did well for us, and I definitely don’t blame him for chasing the money (assuming it was significantly higher than we were willing to pay). If he is subsidised, and wants to return, then check the attitude and health and make a decision. On form he toughens up our front for us...

So I’d welcome him back... conditionally...

 

[muzby]

In that case, why is he playing FG for Manly?
Obviously he has been censored legally and is just as eligible to play as Packer.
I am not going to get into comparison of the transgressions because it is irrelevant.
As I said, in Packer's case, we were still prepared to sign him when no one else would.
You will remember the protracted negotiation with the NRL about him getting a start and the time and resources we spent getting him fit for FG without even being sure of registering a contract with the NRL..
FB was a St. George junior and Packer meant nothing to St. George.
I do need help...to understand why we could rehabilitate FB and let him reach his potential at our club instead of Manly.

Conveniently omittinf Dugan from your argument now, I see?

The big difference between packer and AFB is that packer had served his time by the time we picked him up, AFB had just committed his when we terminated his contract.

How you can confuse the two is a little baffling.

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Addin Fonua-Blake wants to prove he's a better man than his record
By Daniel Lane
UpdatedMay 6, 2016 — 5.05pmfirst published at5.00pm


When Addin Fonua-Blake appeared before a judge last year he knew he was a facing a prison sentence after pleading guilty to pushing and kicking his partner Ana, the mother of his two children.

In order to prove to Ana he was sorry for an act he knows was despicable, Fonua-Blake, who was 19 at the time, realised he needed to take "ownership" of it.

Manly NRL player Addin Fonua-Blake with his partner Ana Pilimai and their two children Malachi and Aubrey.CREDITOMINIC LORRIMER

"I pleaded guilty because I done it," said Fonua-Blake, who was fined $1000, given a 12 month suspended jail sentence and ordered to undergo counselling. "Had I gone the other way and told the judge 'not guilty' it would've been a lie … I couldn't do that because it would have added to Ana's hurt.

"I needed to take ownership of what I did. I have to live with this for the rest of my footy career and the rest of my life. All I'm worried about is being the best father, the best role model and best family man possible. I can't change the past – I wish I could – but I can fix the future.


"The idea I could be in jail is a scary thought now. I didn't have a clear mind [at the time] … I was ashamed … but I had this feeling of 'I'm not scared of no-one' when I was charged. Now I realise it isn't about me. If I had've gone to jail who'd have provided for my kids?

"I was caught up in this life of thinking I was better than everyone else when I wasn't. I hadn't even played first grade but I carried on as though I had. I needed a reality check, someone to put me back in line and set me straight."

Fonua-Blake was cut by St George Illawarra when they learnt about the charges levelled against their talented NYC captain, who was earmarked as a future first-grader. But being axed was the least of the 19-year-old's problems.

As the couple sat together with their infant children, Malachi and Aubrey, at a beachside cafe in Maroubra, Fonua-Blake, who is now playing with Manly, spoke with a brutal honestly about those violent seconds he knows will define the way many people view him.

"People might have formed their judgements about me and while I don't want my kids walking around with people saying 'that's those kids whose father bashes their mum', all that matters to me is is Ana's opinion," he said. "She has given me the chance to prove I'm sorry."


Fonua-Blake, who was picked for City Origin but then had to leave the team days before the trip to Tamworth when the selectors realised he wasn't eligible after playing for the Junior Kiwis, said the flare-up that occurred after a boozy night out with his St George Illawarra teammates was fuelled by alcohol and the facade he was a big shot.

"When I was coming through the St George Illawarra ranks I had a bad drinking problem," he said. "I was always drinking and I was letting Ana and our kids down in the process. I went out one night and had a few drinks and came home hung over.

"We had an argument, one thing led to another and I was pushing her … I kicked her … and I'm very ashamed of it. I grew up around that sort of stuff and Ana deserves much better than that."

Government statistics released in 2015 documented one in six Australian women have experienced violence from a current or former partner, one in three will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Fonua-Blake hoped talking openly about his actions –and shame – might help some men realise there's no excuse for raising their hands to a woman.

Ana, who met Fonua-Blake when they attended school together, explained the reason why she's remained in the relationship was because she knows the man he really is.


"When it first happened I thought 'why me?'," she said. "But when I looked at Addin I could see he needed help and I couldn't leave him where he was.

"I loved him and I just wanted to be with him – not because of the kids, not because of his career – but because I loved him and wanted to help him. And he's improved so much."

Fonua-Blake said Ana convinced him to continue to train like a first-grader for the 18 months he was on the outer and uncertain whether the NRL's integrity unit would register him. He credited the encouragement and support from Manly coach Trent Barrett and official Bob Fulton provided him some hope his career wasn't over.

"Ana swayed me to keep going," he said. "She told me 'this is what you're good at, keep doing it'. She said I needed to make better decisions on the field and off it and I listened and I stuck with it."

Fonua-Blake endured a violent upbringing as a child in Sydney's south-east. He often witnessed his mother being attacked by her partner and he was also involved in vicious one-on-one street fights, although he's reluctant to go into much detail about either subject.


"It is a hard childhood but then again, a lot of kids grew up through it, too," he said. "But they don't get the right help. I had Ana, my manager Tyran Smith, my mother, my barrister Julieanne Levick and friends. I realised I had a lot of people around me and they were all willing to give me a hand.

"Growing up I fought a lot at school, out of school … wherever. I was bigger than most of the others so when I was a kid I fought older teenagers, when I was a teenager I took on men.

"I didn't feel as though I was angry. I thought I had something to prove; being this big kid you feel like you have to take on anyone and if they want to 'go' you have to be ready.

"I wish I could change all that but I can't. I'm older, I'm wiser and these days if anyone walks up to me and wants to carry on I just think 'good on you, do what you want and I'll do what I want'."

Tyran Smith said Fonua-Blake was desperate to redeem himself to Ana before suggesting the 20-year-old has it in him to teach others about the consequences of regrettable actions. Levick believes he could be a great counsellor.


Fonua-Blake said he's done everything the court ordered, and more, because he's also volunteered to talk to young NRL players about the consequences of poor judgement.

"But more important than anything else is Ana has given me the chance to prove myself to her and I'm grateful," he said. "I could be sitting in jail but I'm being a dad and a partner who loves his family more than anything else.

"In that [court-ordered] counselling course I realised a lot of my stuff stemmed back to my alcohol problem. While I'm in a much better place than 18 months ago I'm not finished yet. I can go a lot further."

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can ring the Domestic Violence Line for help on 1800 656 463 or 24 hour, National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line 1800 737 732.

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[The calm one]

Packer has bad knees, is carrying far too much weight, and his fitness level is poor.
But, hey he fits the McGregor criteria perfectly, former international with over 50 games 1st grade experience.
Surely Basil is on the phone as we speak!

A prop at his age with dicky knees may not be a great investment.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Conveniently omittinf Dugan from your argument now, I see?

The big difference between packer and AFB is that packer had served his time by the time we picked him up, AFB had just committed his when we terminated his contract.

How you can confuse the two is a little baffling.

I have no problem debating Dugan. I will come back to the FB question in a minute.
We signed Dugan after Canberra sacked him after repeated indiscretions.
Brisbane then threw him a lifeline which he dutifully flushed down the toilet because of another drunken rant on social media.
In spite of all that, we went ahead and signed him on big money with the commitment to rehabilitate him.
Once again we spent time and resources trying to rehabilitate a proven bad boy.
He not only got dumped by Canberra for missing training but also because of a drinking problem.
He improved with us but still kept drinking and did manage to miss the team bus back from a Brisbane hiding.
There was also a little matter of the drinking session with his old mate Ferguson prior to a SOO game that got plenty of media coverage.
So Dugan is better than FB and Packer because he wasn't convicted of a crime?
Are you willing to make that moral judgement? I'm not.
So coming back to FB - I realize the timeline of the players' situations but the question is there to be answered.
Why couldn't we try and help one of our juniors who obviously was going down the wrong path?
Keeping in mind that AFB was only 19 at the time he was convicted.

 

[TruSaint]

I have no problem debating Dugan. I will come back to the FB question in a minute.
We signed Dugan after Canberra sacked him after repeated indiscretions.
Brisbane then threw him a lifeline which he dutifully flushed down the toilet because of another drunken rant on social media.
In spite of all that, we went ahead and signed him on big money with the commitment to rehabilitate him.
Once again we spent time and resources trying to rehabilitate a proven bad boy.
He not only got dumped by Canberra for missing training but also because of a drinking problem.
He improved with us but still kept drinking and did manage to miss the team bus back from a Brisbane hiding.
There was also a little matter of the drinking session with his old mate Ferguson prior to a SOO game that got plenty of media coverage.
So Dugan is better than FB and Packer because he wasn't convicted of a crime?
Are you willing to make that moral judgement? I'm not.
So coming back to FB - I realize the timeline of the players' situations but the question is there to be answered.
Why couldn't we try and help one of our juniors who obviously was going down the wrong path?
Keeping in mind that AFB was only 19 at the time he was convicted.

How can you possibly think that Dugans indiscretions are even in the same stratosphere as FB or even Packer ? You mention a moral equivalency, .. no its a legal one. Yes Dugan, for all his faults, did nothing compared to the other 2. Granted Packer paid his price to society. I'M all for rehabilitation, but drinking on a roof top as opposed to violent felonies ? Yeah , nah

I know we are doing it tough at he minute, but looking back on a decision that let a player go on principle, just beacuse we need reinforcements now, ... Would we be having this discussion if our pack was fine and the JDB matter wasn't at hand ? I doubt it.

 

[muzby]

I have no problem debating Dugan. I will come back to the FB question in a minute.
We signed Dugan after Canberra sacked him after repeated indiscretions.
Brisbane then threw him a lifeline which he dutifully flushed down the toilet because of another drunken rant on social media.
In spite of all that, we went ahead and signed him on big money with the commitment to rehabilitate him.
Once again we spent time and resources trying to rehabilitate a proven bad boy.
He not only got dumped by Canberra for missing training but also because of a drinking problem.
He improved with us but still kept drinking and did manage to miss the team bus back from a Brisbane hiding.
There was also a little matter of the drinking session with his old mate Ferguson prior to a SOO game that got plenty of media coverage.
So Dugan is better than FB and Packer because he wasn't convicted of a crime?
Are you willing to make that moral judgement? I'm not.
So coming back to FB - I realize the timeline of the players' situations but the question is there to be answered.
Why couldn't we try and help one of our juniors who obviously was going down the wrong path?
Keeping in mind that AFB was only 19 at the time he was convicted.

Dear god.. where do I start?

So Dugan is better than FB and Packer because he wasn't convicted of a crime?
Are you willing to make that moral judgement? I'm not.

Dugan was a jerk who got on the drink & shirked his responsibilities to his employer.. Whilst the other two were convicted of violent crimes against other human beings.

Dugan is far, far better than the other two.

I’m happy to make that judgement call. If you can’t as well, that speaks volumes about your whole argument.

So coming back to FB - I realize the timeline of the players' situations but the question is there to be answered.
Why couldn't we try and help one of our juniors who obviously was going down the wrong path?

Cool.. whilst we are playing hypotheticals, let’s say we stood by him, despite what he did.. and the judge didn’t go lenient on him and he went to jail..

Do we just wait there with an open contract till he’s out?

Keeping in mind that AFB was only 19 at the time he was convicted.

18 is old enough to be an adult and he was tried as such.


If he should be excused because he was 19, at what age do you consider the right age to hold people accountable for domestic violence? Is it 20? 25?

Should a 30 year old at the end of his NRL career be treated any different by the courts or his club?

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

How can you possibly think that Dugans indiscretions are even in the same stratosphere as FB or even Packer ? You mention a moral equivalency, .. no its a legal one. Yes Dugan, for all his faults, did nothing compared to the other 2. Granted Packer paid his price to society. I'M all for rehabilitation, but drinking on a roof top as opposed to violent felonies ? Yeah , nah

I know we are doing it tough at he minute, but looking back on a decision that let a player go on principle, just beacuse we need reinforcements now, ... Would we be having this discussion if our pack was fine and the JDB matter wasn't at hand ? I doubt it.

I am not comparing any of them - maybe that's the problem with this debate.
19 year old junior who was convicted of a crime and was punished accordingly.
He got rehabilitated somewhere and is now one of the best front rowers in the comp.
Why couldn't it be at St. George?
The rest of your post with regards to doing it tough and looking back is nonsense.
This is a stand alone debate that I have mentioned numerous times before.

 

[Saints Forever]

Addin Fonua-Blake wants to prove he's a better man than his record
By Daniel Lane
UpdatedMay 6, 2016 — 5.05pmfirst published at5.00pm


When Addin Fonua-Blake appeared before a judge last year he knew he was a facing a prison sentence after pleading guilty to pushing and kicking his partner Ana, the mother of his two children.

In order to prove to Ana he was sorry for an act he knows was despicable, Fonua-Blake, who was 19 at the time, realised he needed to take "ownership" of it.

Manly NRL player Addin Fonua-Blake with his partner Ana Pilimai and their two children Malachi and Aubrey.CREDITOMINIC LORRIMER

"I pleaded guilty because I done it," said Fonua-Blake, who was fined $1000, given a 12 month suspended jail sentence and ordered to undergo counselling. "Had I gone the other way and told the judge 'not guilty' it would've been a lie … I couldn't do that because it would have added to Ana's hurt.

"I needed to take ownership of what I did. I have to live with this for the rest of my footy career and the rest of my life. All I'm worried about is being the best father, the best role model and best family man possible. I can't change the past – I wish I could – but I can fix the future.


"The idea I could be in jail is a scary thought now. I didn't have a clear mind [at the time] … I was ashamed … but I had this feeling of 'I'm not scared of no-one' when I was charged. Now I realise it isn't about me. If I had've gone to jail who'd have provided for my kids?

"I was caught up in this life of thinking I was better than everyone else when I wasn't. I hadn't even played first grade but I carried on as though I had. I needed a reality check, someone to put me back in line and set me straight."

Fonua-Blake was cut by St George Illawarra when they learnt about the charges levelled against their talented NYC captain, who was earmarked as a future first-grader. But being axed was the least of the 19-year-old's problems.

As the couple sat together with their infant children, Malachi and Aubrey, at a beachside cafe in Maroubra, Fonua-Blake, who is now playing with Manly, spoke with a brutal honestly about those violent seconds he knows will define the way many people view him.

"People might have formed their judgements about me and while I don't want my kids walking around with people saying 'that's those kids whose father bashes their mum', all that matters to me is is Ana's opinion," he said. "She has given me the chance to prove I'm sorry."


Fonua-Blake, who was picked for City Origin but then had to leave the team days before the trip to Tamworth when the selectors realised he wasn't eligible after playing for the Junior Kiwis, said the flare-up that occurred after a boozy night out with his St George Illawarra teammates was fuelled by alcohol and the facade he was a big shot.

"When I was coming through the St George Illawarra ranks I had a bad drinking problem," he said. "I was always drinking and I was letting Ana and our kids down in the process. I went out one night and had a few drinks and came home hung over.

"We had an argument, one thing led to another and I was pushing her … I kicked her … and I'm very ashamed of it. I grew up around that sort of stuff and Ana deserves much better than that."

Government statistics released in 2015 documented one in six Australian women have experienced violence from a current or former partner, one in three will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Fonua-Blake hoped talking openly about his actions –and shame – might help some men realise there's no excuse for raising their hands to a woman.

Ana, who met Fonua-Blake when they attended school together, explained the reason why she's remained in the relationship was because she knows the man he really is.


"When it first happened I thought 'why me?'," she said. "But when I looked at Addin I could see he needed help and I couldn't leave him where he was.

"I loved him and I just wanted to be with him – not because of the kids, not because of his career – but because I loved him and wanted to help him. And he's improved so much."

Fonua-Blake said Ana convinced him to continue to train like a first-grader for the 18 months he was on the outer and uncertain whether the NRL's integrity unit would register him. He credited the encouragement and support from Manly coach Trent Barrett and official Bob Fulton provided him some hope his career wasn't over.

"Ana swayed me to keep going," he said. "She told me 'this is what you're good at, keep doing it'. She said I needed to make better decisions on the field and off it and I listened and I stuck with it."

Fonua-Blake endured a violent upbringing as a child in Sydney's south-east. He often witnessed his mother being attacked by her partner and he was also involved in vicious one-on-one street fights, although he's reluctant to go into much detail about either subject.


"It is a hard childhood but then again, a lot of kids grew up through it, too," he said. "But they don't get the right help. I had Ana, my manager Tyran Smith, my mother, my barrister Julieanne Levick and friends. I realised I had a lot of people around me and they were all willing to give me a hand.

"Growing up I fought a lot at school, out of school … wherever. I was bigger than most of the others so when I was a kid I fought older teenagers, when I was a teenager I took on men.

"I didn't feel as though I was angry. I thought I had something to prove; being this big kid you feel like you have to take on anyone and if they want to 'go' you have to be ready.

"I wish I could change all that but I can't. I'm older, I'm wiser and these days if anyone walks up to me and wants to carry on I just think 'good on you, do what you want and I'll do what I want'."

Tyran Smith said Fonua-Blake was desperate to redeem himself to Ana before suggesting the 20-year-old has it in him to teach others about the consequences of regrettable actions. Levick believes he could be a great counsellor.


Fonua-Blake said he's done everything the court ordered, and more, because he's also volunteered to talk to young NRL players about the consequences of poor judgement.

"But more important than anything else is Ana has given me the chance to prove myself to her and I'm grateful," he said. "I could be sitting in jail but I'm being a dad and a partner who loves his family more than anything else.

"In that [court-ordered] counselling course I realised a lot of my stuff stemmed back to my alcohol problem. While I'm in a much better place than 18 months ago I'm not finished yet. I can go a lot further."

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can ring the Domestic Violence Line for help on 1800 656 463 or 24 hour, National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line 1800 737 732.

• Share on Facebook

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All I know is we could certainly do with a player of his calibre right now.

Packer would be an improvement on Lats provided he is fit and healthy.

Otherwise I would be very happy to have Hetherington from the Panthers.

Timm is the pick of what we have in CC.

Kerr is inconsistent and needs to up his work rate.

Blacker has an imposing frame, but I suspect he runs out of gas quickly.