Then you get this one.
Two-week ban for Inglis likely to satisfy NRL
Brad Walter SMH | August 12, 2009
STORM star Greg Inglis is set to be stood down from playing for a shorter period than the four-match ban Manly's Brett Stewart received earlier this year because of the swift action taken by the Melbourne board after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
Inglis, who will today appear in Sunshine Magistrates Court on counts of recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault, has already been ruled out of Monday night's match against Newcastle, but how much longer he remains sidelined might depend on the evidence presented by police.
The Herald was told last night Inglis might plead guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful assault, while his girlfriend, Sally Robinson, is understood to have told friends that the 22-year-old Australian and Queensland representative did not punch her.
Channel Nine last night reported that the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, followed an argument between the pair after Inglis found a series of text messages on Robinson's phone.
While admitting that it was ''disappointing and frustrating'' to have both stars of this year's NRL advertising campaign embroiled in off-field scandals, league chief executive David Gallop said all players would be held accountable if they brought the game into disrepute.
However, he also said clubs had to take responsibility for meting out sufficient penalties to players who misbehaved, and indicated that the Sea Eagles' refusal to stand down Stewart, who was charged with sexual assault after the club's boozy season launch in March, had resulted in his receiving a longer ban than usually expected.
''Each issue has to be dealt with on its merits,'' Gallop said. ''Manly didn't take any action at the time, [so] the league took action on the basis that a player was publicly drunk and asked to leave licensed premises at their season launch - a player who had been handed the responsibility of being the face or one of the faces of our ad campaign.''
The Herald reported at the time that if Manly had stood down Stewart for two matches, the NRL would likely have been satisfied, and a similar ban on Inglis may also be considered sufficient.