Watch more please!

[TheDalek079]

Nothing has ever gripped the start of a NRL season like the ‘Wing Affair,’ where young Rooster Riley Brown steamed in and dislocated Craig Wing’s shoulder. The uproar in the Souths camp is understandable, but the universal condemnation of Riley from most of society is not. People from all corners of Australia (and beyond) agreed that it was a cheap shot; many said that it was a pre-meditated attack to put Wing out of the game. Former South Sydney player Scott Sattler came out and said it was cowardly. On sites where comments can be posted, the public are one in their dislike of Riley and his tackle. How could all these people be so wrong?
Well, the answer is they judge the whole affair purely on the footage of the tackle. This is just folly. Do courts make their rulings based on one piece of evidence? You need more than footage of one tackle to make judgement on this issue. Instead, they merely watch the tackle on Wing and assume that is Riley’s tackling technique. It is not. If they judged the incident after watching some other tackles in the match that Mr Brown made, their conclusion may be different. If you watch these other tackles, you can see that the intent is not to maim, but to gain valuable defensive metres. Two players hold the offensive player up, and Riley charges with his shoulder charge, forcing the ball-carrier backwards. With this momentum, Riley wraps his arm around the ball-carrier and drives him towards the goal line, gaining metres. This is the tackle. Not just a shoulder charge to cause injury. It is followed up with rushing the player back towards his own goal line.
Now, Wing admits that they started this tackle at the Roosters, so he should know all about it. He knows the true intent of the tackle. That’s why he hasn’t joined in the accusations that it’s a cheap shot. With Tupou and Anasta holding him up, Wing clearly realised what was about to happen: he was to be driven backwards, losing metres. Not wanting to surrender these yards, he fights to the ground. Unfortunately, this means that Riley’s shoulder charge wouldn’t push Wing backwards; instead Wing would receive the full force of it. That is how Wing got injured: attempting to save yardage; not by some cowardly act of maiming.
Perhaps next time our “experts” should watch more before judging.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Well i am sure you must love that theory so you go ahead and stck to it.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

When did Seagull Sattler play for Souths?

 

[The Tank]

Scott Sattler never played for Souths.

 

[Brycey]

lol a huge spiel like that and all you get is a Scott Sattler didn't play for Souths. It says it all about the post doesnt it.

 

[Shorty]

Oh ffs,this is the second time now...
Roosters think Souths are bad with their moaning and groaning but apparently Easts fans are that important an essay is essentially needed because somehow everyone who thought opposed on the issue will suddenly agree with this heartfelt and tremendous essay!!!

 

[Tom Ace]

This issue should of died when he was cleared.

Nothing more really needs to be said about it and now Roosters supporters are getting dragged into the whingeing by defending Brown.

It's a vicious circle

 

[smeghead]

:lol: Scattler calling anybody cowardly

 

[Pass the Ball]

June 11, 2004
A family tragedy has shaped the future of one of Newcastle's rising rugby league stars, writes Brett Keeble.

After what he has endured in the past four years, playing rugby league comes easily to Riley Brown. Living his life has been the tough part.

Indeed, without football and the support of the Newcastle Knights, the 19-year-old rookie does not know how he would have coped with the tragic and traumatic circumstances that changed his life forever on June 2, 2000.

That was the day his mother, Judith, was killed in their Anna Bay home near Port Stephens. His father, Ross, was found guilty of her murder and is serving an 18-year sentence in Lithgow Jail.

Only 15 at the time and fiercely protective of his then 11-year-old brother Joel and seven-year-old brother Gene, Riley supported his father through the police investigation and court case.

They even lived under the same roof at Tanilba Bay at various times during that period and Riley remains convinced of his father's innocence. He does not speak about his past with his Knights teammates or coaches; they know the basics but do not ask for details. He has also "brushed" counsellors and other offers of sympathetic ears or shoulders to lean on.

But he agreed to speak on the eve of his starting debut against North Queensland Cowboys at Townsville's Dairy Farmers Stadium tomorrow night. He has already played three games off the bench this year - including his maiden appearance against the Dragons in Wollongong on April 4 - and the Knights have earmarked the Singleton junior as not just another talented kid but a genuine blue-chip prospect.

"I believe he didn't do it," Riley said in defence of his father. "We write letters to each other and he rings me every now and then. He saw my debut because he's got a TV in his cell and he rang me after the game and congratulated me.

"I visited him a couple of times when he was at Bayswater but they moved him to Lithgow which is a lot further away, so it's hard to get there.

"I was pretty upset when they put him in jail. After my mum died, we talked about anything and everything. He was like a really good mate and helped me a lot . . . He'd do anything for me and my brothers."

Born in Bundaberg but raised in Singleton, Brown played all his junior football for the Greyhounds and represented the town in first grade at the ripe old age of 17. He was 15 when he joined Newcastle's Harold Matthews representative squad and - apart from a year off after his mother's death - has been a standout in the Knights' junior teams ever since and represented NSW under 19s last year.

Talking to Brown it is difficult not to notice the tattoos on his arms, including a cross as a tribute to his mother. His T-shirt is emblazoned with the words "Too tough to die", his stoic expression masks whatever mental scars must linger and he responds to questions with short, simple answers.

Apart from declaring his faith in his father, he recalled how he first turned to boxing, then returned to rugby league, to deal with what was effectively the loss of both his parents.

"I was angry about mum passing away and I wanted to get rid of my aggression, so I took the year off from footy and took up boxing," he said.

"I was upset that she'd passed away and boxing helped. It served its purpose but boxing is a mug's game and, after I made NSW Country under 18s, I thought I'd give footy another go."

Brown quit his job as an apprentice builder in Singleton to move to Newcastle and focus his attention on building his league career into something substantial to provide for himself and his brothers.

The Knights rate him as an exceptional talent with a long future in first grade, and probably beyond, but have been more impressed with his ability to take so much grief, anger, anguish and responsibility in his stride.

Coach Michael Hagan recruited him into the club's world sevens squad for the annual pre-season tournament in January this year, then used him in a trial against the powerful Sydney Roosters at Nelson Bay in February. Just two weeks after his father was sent to jail, he scored two tries and stood out against an almost full-strength Roosters squad.

"Riley has channelled all his energy and time into his football, which is probably why he is now a part of our first-grade squad," Hagan said. "He's probably even exceeded our expectations a little bit. He worked very hard in the off-season, doing all the first-grade sessions he could, and all the reports were that he was doing a lot of extras as well.

"I can't speak highly enough of him and we think he's very important to this football club."

Brown's younger brothers still live at Tanilba Bay with their step-grandmother and are already following in his footsteps. Joel, now 15, is a member of the Knights' Harold Matthews squad and 11-year-old Gene recently emulated the achievements of both older brothers and was selected in the NSW primary schools representative team.

Gene, whose middle name is Lewis, was named in honour of Queensland Origin greats Gene Miles and Wally Lewis.

"My brothers are my best mates," Riley said. "My step-nan looks after them at Tanilba Bay and I see them every second day - they're coping pretty well.

"It's been pretty hard but footy and the Knights have been great," he added. "They're a good bunch of blokes here and the club has been good to me so you can't ask for much more than that."

The Newcastle Herald


For all those that publicly called this guy a coward or a dog need to have a good look at themselves in the mirror...

I mean you Sattler...and the rest of you



​

 

[Jatz Crackers]

How on earth does that article bear influence on opinions of wether the tackle on Wing should or shouldnt be legal ?

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

His point has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the tackle should be legal.

 

[Pass the Ball]

How on earth does that article bear influence on opinions of wether the tackle on Wing should or shouldnt be legal ?

Who is talking about about legalities here Jatz...not me..

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Who is talking about about legalities here Jatz...not me..

Fair enough. I still dont see how that article could change anyones perception of Brown if they thought the tackle on Wing was "a low act" or "cowardly"

 

[Shorty]

And that's well and fair,and my heart goes out to Riley but that does not chance my stance on the issue that he intended to hurt.

 

[Pass the Ball]

Fair enough. I still dont see how that article could change anyones perception of Brown if they thought the tackle on Wing was "a low act" or "cowardly"

My point is that anyone who can call this guy a coward (ala Sattler) needs to think again...

I do apoligize... I did not realize it had already been posted in the Roosters section. I just posted it under a comment about Sattler because I was aiming it at him..

Are you the the LU police Jatz...???

 

[Jatz Crackers]

My point is that anyone who can call this guy a coward (ala Sattler) needs to think again...

I do apoligize... I did not realize it had already been posted in the Roosters section. I just posted it under a comment about Sattler because I was aiming it at him..

Are you the the LU police Jatz...???

No not LU police, although some people reckon im a right bastard. I think im very nice.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

My point is that anyone who can call this guy a coward (ala Sattler) needs to think again...

By the way.....i still cant see how those people will think again about Riley from that article. They can be sympathetic but I cant see it changed peoples perceptions of the Riley incident.

 

[imasharkie]

That certainly is a sad storey but does not excuse his intensions in that tackle. After watching it again on Back Page there was definetly elbow in it.
Maybe he should attend an anger management course to get rid of his angst against footy players.

I'd like to know what his feelings would be if it happened to him.

 

[Junior Bunny]

o m g. Get over it. I think the Roosters supporters are whingeing more about it than the actual Souths supporters. Read my keyboard letters - You are going to cop it the next game we play you scum bags.