Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
Seymour footage sign of the times
By Ricky Stuart
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25221098-5016307,00.html
FLEET St arrived in rugby league this week and our game will never be the same again.This might not be the most politically correct column in the current climate, but I'm going to have my say anyway.
Our game has been swept away by recent hysteria and, as a result, the goalposts have been moved forever.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning the bad behaviour that has damaged our game in recent months and seasons. We all know that it isn't good enough, but at some point we have to draw the line.
During the week our club, Cronulla, was forced to take stern action against Brett Seymour after he was filmed by a member of the public when drunk outside a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning.
Brett embarrassed our club and let down his team-mates. But most of all, he embarrassed himself.
For that, he received a two-match suspension and was fined $20,000.
I'm not saying this just because Brett plays for my club. We have proven in the past we will take strong action when it is warranted - as we did again this past week.
But what of the girl who sold the vision to Channel Nine for $3000? There are so many people out there who seem to want a make a quick buck by embarrassing footballers - and the media is happy to pay up.
Are we creating a situation where people go out on weekends with a mobile phone camera and follow a team around town on their night out hoping to find a player or official making a mug of himself and then sell it to the highest bidder?
I have always told my players never to act like they are better than anyone else, whether it is walking down the street or having a beer at the local pub.And most players don't believe they are better. They just want to play football and make the most of the talent given to them. But from now on, I will be teaching my players that they are different and they need to act accordingly.
This type of attitude, selling pictures for $3000, has caused untold damage to the relationship between the fans and the stars of our game.The players might not be doing anything illegal, or causing anyone harm, but as we've seen this past week that doesn't make a lick of difference.It doesn't matter if these players are on $15,000 or $500,000, you can't put an old head on young shoulders and people will always make mistakes.
You can counsel players, train them, give them guidance, but the one guarantee is that someone will always stuff up. And it seems when they do, there will be someone trying to take advantage.
None of this will stop us from continuing to offer support. Like on Friday, when I had Brett Seymour back at training with his team-mates.
I see my responsibility as protecting our game as best I can, but I know I have a bigger role in supporting my players.
Brett didn't want to be at training on Friday and some people will tell you he shouldn't have been there, but I made him be there. Not just for Brett to face the team-mates he let down, but to show him we're not going to turn our backs on him.
David Gallop can get up and declare "enough is enough'' all he wants, but the feeling within our NRL clubs is that there are double standards going on and we are fed up with it. You can't make a policy on the run.
As I said, there are bigger issues here than a rugby league player having too much to drink. We need to look at the relationship between players and the public and the cult of celebrity being created within the media.
If we don't, the scary thing is what comes next. Will $3000 turn into $10,000 for footage of the next player to fall down drunk? Will people try to set up players, as has happened in England? Where does it stop?
A couple of years ago we got a good laugh out of Shane Warne when vision of him and a couple of likely ladies appeared on the News Of The World website.
Last year, Benji Marshall accused a so-called fan of trying to pick a fight with him in a Kings Cross nightclub.
A few of us doubted if Benji was telling the truth, wondering whether he was just being a big-head? I had my doubts. But now I don't.
Getting back to Brett Seymour, I'm not condoning what he did. The kid made a mistake. But he won't be the last.
By Ricky Stuart
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25221098-5016307,00.html
FLEET St arrived in rugby league this week and our game will never be the same again.This might not be the most politically correct column in the current climate, but I'm going to have my say anyway.
Our game has been swept away by recent hysteria and, as a result, the goalposts have been moved forever.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning the bad behaviour that has damaged our game in recent months and seasons. We all know that it isn't good enough, but at some point we have to draw the line.
During the week our club, Cronulla, was forced to take stern action against Brett Seymour after he was filmed by a member of the public when drunk outside a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning.
Brett embarrassed our club and let down his team-mates. But most of all, he embarrassed himself.
For that, he received a two-match suspension and was fined $20,000.
I'm not saying this just because Brett plays for my club. We have proven in the past we will take strong action when it is warranted - as we did again this past week.
But what of the girl who sold the vision to Channel Nine for $3000? There are so many people out there who seem to want a make a quick buck by embarrassing footballers - and the media is happy to pay up.
Are we creating a situation where people go out on weekends with a mobile phone camera and follow a team around town on their night out hoping to find a player or official making a mug of himself and then sell it to the highest bidder?
I have always told my players never to act like they are better than anyone else, whether it is walking down the street or having a beer at the local pub.And most players don't believe they are better. They just want to play football and make the most of the talent given to them. But from now on, I will be teaching my players that they are different and they need to act accordingly.
This type of attitude, selling pictures for $3000, has caused untold damage to the relationship between the fans and the stars of our game.The players might not be doing anything illegal, or causing anyone harm, but as we've seen this past week that doesn't make a lick of difference.It doesn't matter if these players are on $15,000 or $500,000, you can't put an old head on young shoulders and people will always make mistakes.
You can counsel players, train them, give them guidance, but the one guarantee is that someone will always stuff up. And it seems when they do, there will be someone trying to take advantage.
None of this will stop us from continuing to offer support. Like on Friday, when I had Brett Seymour back at training with his team-mates.
I see my responsibility as protecting our game as best I can, but I know I have a bigger role in supporting my players.
Brett didn't want to be at training on Friday and some people will tell you he shouldn't have been there, but I made him be there. Not just for Brett to face the team-mates he let down, but to show him we're not going to turn our backs on him.
David Gallop can get up and declare "enough is enough'' all he wants, but the feeling within our NRL clubs is that there are double standards going on and we are fed up with it. You can't make a policy on the run.
As I said, there are bigger issues here than a rugby league player having too much to drink. We need to look at the relationship between players and the public and the cult of celebrity being created within the media.
If we don't, the scary thing is what comes next. Will $3000 turn into $10,000 for footage of the next player to fall down drunk? Will people try to set up players, as has happened in England? Where does it stop?
A couple of years ago we got a good laugh out of Shane Warne when vision of him and a couple of likely ladies appeared on the News Of The World website.
Last year, Benji Marshall accused a so-called fan of trying to pick a fight with him in a Kings Cross nightclub.
A few of us doubted if Benji was telling the truth, wondering whether he was just being a big-head? I had my doubts. But now I don't.
Getting back to Brett Seymour, I'm not condoning what he did. The kid made a mistake. But he won't be the last.
