What dogs do
Montgomery said rugby league was in a bind because the promotion of masculine values such as toughness, aggression and competitiveness has a direct correlation in promoting "side effects" such as risky behaviour, an inability to deal with emotions, less intimate relationships and a greater belief that male-female relationships are adversarial.
"The risk is, without anybody intending it, that the organisation promotes a culture associated with the attitude that women are something to be used," Montgomery said.
"That may not be their intention, but it is a side effect, and sometimes that can be their deliberate intention." Montgomery said any atmosphere and culture is set from the top because people in any organisation pick up on examples.
Rugby league prides itself on being the macho game, the toughest of tough games, and for eons the role of women in the code has been subservient. There are the cheergirls with their skimpy shorts, low-cut tops and pom-poms, mothers who wash the socks and jerseys, and pandering wives and girlfriends who bask in the reflected glory of "their man".
For a long time women have been the playthings of these glorified heroes. Some clubs have their regular "buns" or groupies that provide sex on demand. The Herald has previously reported that some league teams used to hire prostitutes for group sex, as part of a team "bonding" process.
Unsubstantiated stories swirl around the locker room that paint women in a degrading light: one involves a coach who ordered his team into his hotel room while he was in the midst of having sex with a woman and told them "this is what we are going to do to [a certain team] tonight".
But women throw themselves at their stars, surreptitiously writing phone numbers on pieces of paper, hanging out around training venues and frequenting known nightspots of the players. Many women aggressively pursue the players and record a notch on the wall when they score with one. But there is a code among some players that "bonus" points are given if women are shared among their mates: the more mates, the more points, and the more laughter afterwards. It is called roasting (a bit of meat being stuffed).
"The sharing of women is a bit pervasive and has developed over time," says sports psychologist Jeff Bond. "Just look at how women are portrayed in the advertising, going back to the Tina Turner ads which had the raunchy female. Now there is The Footy Show and the way they treat women, just as dumb blondes, is so wrong."
Even the language in the rugby league clubs is telling. The most insulting words a coach can make about a lacklustre performance on the field is to comment that he "played like a girl". It is in this disrespectful environment that players are conditioned.
"The culture that surrounds some clubs is wrong; it provides a platform for sex and violence," said Bond.
"Clubs protect players, it is treated as 'boys being boys' and there is a cone of protection and silence. The players have got the income to do lots of things, they have got the time and sometimes they get bored, they don't know what to do with themselves so they turn to drink, horses and sex."
There is also the question of whether illegal supplements such as steroids or testosterone are involved. These drugs have side effects of heightening aggressiveness and sex-drive.
