The last thing an indigenous players' tournament needed was news of alleged racist behaviour, writes Adrian Proszenko.
Timana Tahu was the victim - rather than the perpetrator - of racial abuse at an Aboriginal rugby league tournament, a team official says.
Glen Boyd, delegate for the Yowies side that Tahu represents, claims that Northern United coach Chris Binge racially abused the Parramatta centre during the opening match of the competition.
Binge earlier claimed that his son, 16-year old United player Caleb, was racially sledged by Tahu.
''When there was a bit of a scuffle, he might have thought 'T' was kicking someone, but he was clearly off balance and had his leg in the air,'' Boyd told the Herald. ''[Binge] was running down the sideline like a mad man, calling 'T' a black dog and a black c---.''
Tahu strenuously denied making racist remarks and said he didn't hear any directed towards him either. ''Nothing was said by me … they have to be dreaming,'' Tahu said. ''This is really going to affect the Aboriginal community. We need positive aspects highlighted from these carnivals.
''If these things happen then all NRL clubs are going to ban their players from attending.''
After going public with his claims on Wednesday, Chris Binge wasn't backing away last night. ''Myself and the players involved have been pretty clear in what we've said,'' Binge said. ''The captain of the club, the vice-captain, they know what was said. If you watch the footage and you see the reaction of the players, you can see that something was said that wasn't right.
''And we have to go through this rigmarole, making things go through the Country Rugby League or the NRL. All he needs to do is pick up the phone so we can have a meeting and sort it out.''
However, players from both the Yowies and United came out in support of Tahu last night.
''I played outside him for the whole tournament and there is no way that Timana racially abused anyone,'' said Yowies halfback Denis Moran, a former NRL player for Parramatta.
News Limited reported that United captain Willie Hammond had gone on the record, stating that Tahu made a racist remark. However, Hammond told the Herald last night: ''I was on the bench at the time it was supposed to have happened. There is no way anyone could have heard anything over the noise of the crowd.''
Despite playing for United, forward Daine Laurie backed Tahu.
''If anything [racist sledging] was the other way around,'' Laurie said.
''I called about 15 people black c---s when we played against them and it doesn't worry me if he did say it, because he is a black man. [I'm supporting Tahu] straight up.''
Walgett player George Rose, who plays for Manly in the NRL, added: ''I'm very surprised by the allegations. None of that happened.''
Aboriginal leader Patsy Laurie, the mother of Daine, said the incident has divided the community.
Aboriginal footballer-cum-boxer Anthony Mundine believed Tahu was the victim of a smear campaign.
''He's a straight-up man, so if he said he didn't say it, he didn't say it,'' Mundine said. ''The media is against Timana, trying to make him out as a hypocrite and having less integrity. That's bullsh*t.
''It's embarrassing for the guy who came out and [made the claims].
''It's like an African-American footballer calling another African-American the 'N' word. You can do that because you're one of them and this is the same situation.
''If somebody of Aboriginal descent called me a black 'C', that doesn't bother me.''
The ARL Indigenous Council will investigate the incident.
"The first step is to get to the bottom of what people are saying," Council chairman William ''Smiley'' Johnstone said. "At the moment we are seeing claim and counter claim in the media. "The ARL Indigenous Council this year offered its assistance on these issues and we believe it is important for everyone that we get to the bottom of things.''
After making a brave stance against racism during the Origin series, Tahu met Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Mick Gooda. However, he didn't believe that Gooda's intervention would be required on this occasion. Asked if any policies needed to be in place to address such situations, Tahu said: ''This has never really happened before. We might have to put something in place but I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.''
