On Tuesday night, only a week after James Tamou was stood down for drink driving and 2 days after the controversy surrounding Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan's Sunday drinking session, Mal Meninga was asked to leave a bar in Brisbane on Tuesday night following birthday celebrations for Billy Slater and Cameron Smith.
This incident is rarely minor compared with the incidents earlier in the week. However, it is another incident which will embarrass the NRL and contibute to a perception of a game that does not take behaviour seriously. Timing is extremely unfortunate.
Meninga was quite critical of players bringing the game into disrepute earlier in the week - which now seems extremely hypocritical of him. Every incident like this contributes to a negative perception of the game. Coaches are in extremely important positions and have a huge role to play in shaping the culture of their Clubs and setting the standards for the players that look to them for leadership.
In a week of importance for Meninga and his Maroons, this was a headline the NRL certainly did not need.
Love,
I'm not sure that this was relatively minor compared to the others. I don't know the law, but I would expect that it is illegal for a non licensed person to work behind a bar. Even more so, someone who has been drinking getting behind the bar and pouring their own drink.
ReplyDeleteThe only difference is that no-one pressed charges, unlike the other offences. However does this really make the offense excusable. "Mal just had a few drinks and got a little impatient, no-one got hurt." "Blake just had a few too many drinks and grab a girl on the arse, boys will be boys." "Tamou got caught, but no-one got hurt." all things that were probably said at one time or another.
So in the end;
Tamou gets dropped from Origin.
Blake gets dropped from origin.
Mal, does he get dropped from origin?
Isn't a coach & ex international just as much a role model as the players?
Just my 2c