Tahu

[swoop]

I know it was wrong for johns to make racial comments and I don't condone, but how long is tahu going to drag this on. Apparently he's been given a couple of days off to deal with the situation.

It's only going to divide the NRL community for no apparrent reason. Johns has been sacked so it's time to move on, but no, let's get all the media mileage out of it as we can.

Surely after the resignation of Johns, Tahu should have come back into the squad and showed how he can get over it, instead we are talking about racial vilfication instead of rugby league.

 

[Matabele]

Sweeping it under the carpet will do nothing to endress endemic racism in the game.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Sweeping it under the carpet will do nothing to endress endemic racism in the game.

Don't you mean "Endemic racism in society, of which Rugby League is a part?" To put League out there alone in sport is ingenuous. Tahu was brave in what he did the but the media hype has overshadowed his stand.

 

[ManlyBacker]

Who says it is endemic in the NRL these days? My gut instinct is that most players get picked on ability and are more likely to miss out selection if they have pissed off the coach rather than because of their race. At least I hope I am right.

 

[swoop]

Sweeping it under the carpet will do nothing to endress endemic racism in the game.

I'm not suggestting to sweep it under the carpet. I come from an enthnic background and was exposed to racial abuse, but I think most people, players and administion have got the point and are ready to move on. Dragging it out will only make rugby league look like the only racist code.

There's racism in all walks of life and every code of sport. I just think it's time to take in onboard and move on.

 

[ayjay007]

A lot of people seem to forget the so-called "indigenous" photo that was taken with the SoO trophy after QLD won it last year.What was that they said?Oh,that's right-"no whitefellas in the photo".Reverse racism?Noooo,that doesn't happen!

 

[bob dylan]

A lot of people seem to forget the so-called \"indigenous\" photo that was taken with the SoO trophy after QLD won it last year.What was that they said?Oh,that's right-\"no whitefellas in the photo\".Reverse racism?Noooo,that doesn't happen!

And you seem to of forgot Lockyer and the other boys haven their photo taken and laughing saying something to the effect of "no brothers".

What is reverse racism?

This matter does need to be finished as soon as possible but it will be good if everyone learns something from it.

I detest Ray Hadley but he said something on the tv tonight that was right, "anyone who thinks Tahu is a cry baby and Johns meant nothing by the comments, well its simple they are wrong".

He is 100% correct about that.

 

[codewana]

Hey Bob, glad you could make it :-D

I don't think Johns meant anything by it, but I also think he was wrong (and incredibly stupid) to say what he said. Tahu leaving is fine by me.

To be honest, I think the whole situation has been blown way out of proportion.

 

[mozgrame]

I find the whole situation absurd. I fully understand that some comments and name calling upset certain people no end, but on the other hand, it seems strange to me that people get so carried away with it all.  I grew up in a small country town in central queensland called Baralaba, made famous by Jason Hetherington.  We played all our football in teams that were at best 50/50 aboriginal and white blokes.  Any name calling (usually, white ****s, black ****s) was something that was always present.  It was there during training and during game time.
To us, i guess, it was very similar to the african- americans and their use of the term, "nigger".  We used these terms in a gee up sort of way.  Myself, being white, might take a hard hit during training and retaliate with a spray at the tackler using the "bc" term.  If i was to knock on during a game, i could be called a lazy or dopey wc.  The terms were almost endearing and somehow bonding.  I don't think i will be able to explain to a lot of you how it worked, but it was truly a mateship thing.  We all had very strong bonds and although we might not have won many games, we won pretty much every fight.  Maybe that is queenslands secret.  We take somethings less seriously, and hold mateship as sacred.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

The context is all important mozgrame; clearly in yours the name calling was acceptable through implicit convention as a way of taking the piss out of each other.

Perhaps the most charitable take on john's deed is that he brought a similar small local community mindset to a place where that just didn't apply, when he wasn't just another member of the group but a leading figure supposed to set some kind of example.

I don't think this is about 'political correctness' or thought policing etc. It's missing the point to think that certain words or terms are the villains, and that it's not fair if X gets into trouble for using them while Y does not. It's about contexts of use and choices made by people in those situations. Society (incl the sports and media so important as reflections of and influences in it) is not a level playing field and certain elites and select groupings continue to dominate others. Johns managed to aggravate a particularly sensitive aspect of that in the context of the ethnically diverse nrl playing community. 

 

[Rusty]

Truth be told I have no doubt that Johns meant nothing by his comments, perhaps he was just trying to be one of the boys or perhaps it was acceptable where he was from or whatever, doesn't make it right, or smart.

Johns has a long history of poor judgment calls, this is just the last in a long list.

Tahu is making a stand, this is something he obviously feels strongly about and good on him for it. Its so rare to see people act on conviction these days and I for one am impressed. By doing this he has highlighted what is obviously a very important issue to him.

 

[DSM5]

Mozgrame, small towns are full of racism, and your comments prove that point.  Why refer to a persons colour when baiting or retaliating?  Just '****s' would do fine.

 

[Dan]

Just 'c**ts' would do fine.

c**ts is the queensland term for mate. I have never heard that word bandied about so much as I have up here

 

[Utility Player]

I don't want to be seen as defending John's but if as Tahu said he had been putting up with it from John's for years why did he not make his feelings known earlier.

If John's had used the term before in Tahu's presence and not been pulled up about it how would he know he was offended by it.

Fair enough John's was stupid but I wonder if he had said something like Lebbo **** or Wog **** or Kiwi **** would it have attracted as much attention.

 

[The Gronk]

Tahu said he walked to be an example to his kids to not put up with those comments and to stand up for yourself. 

Got to admire that. 

 

[clontaago]

9 out of 10 blokes would have had the courage to walk up to Johns and say listen I am a bit sick of you using these terms, cut it out or I will have to say something.

Done, dusted, end of story.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Race is a sensitive issue and it is a good thing it is out in the open. I am also glad Mundine is not around to be in this discussion, going back to his claims that Laurie Daley was in the State team ahead of him due to race.

The world has changed but in some sub-cultures, times have not moved with public sentiment. The hard thing too is to sort real concern with political correctness. Joey is probably not smart enough and also too insulted from the real world to make wise decision.

In America I have heard blacks talk to each other saying things like "Get your black nigger ass over here now." Had I said the same thing however, I would have been seen as racist and totally inappropriate. It is a fine line to walk!!

 

[DSM5]

What goes on in America bears no relation to what happens here, and nor should it.  Johns is just a white cock and should be rubbed out of the game.

 

[WAMF]

How much more shame can the Johns boys bring to the game and themselves?
Their parents must be very proud of the fine, upstanding gents they raised.

 

[clontaago]

What goes on in America bears no relation to what happens here, and nor should it.  Johns is just a white cock and should be rubbed out of the game.

But it does DSM5. I hear it from the blokes I play Union (last year) and touch footy with every week.