News Jackson Topine takes Bulldogs to court

[wendog33]

I'm sure Buzz will hammer the Bulldogs, Gus etc like usual. Maybe some of the other 360/Fox Sports people will be more reasonable but for the most part because it's a legal issue and mental health has been thrown out there, I doubt they truly express how they really feel.. Either way this doesn't help Topine now or in the future in regards to both his mental health or his career.

I doubt they get anything more than a small payout for whatever his contract was worth. Asking for $4 million is madness.

Buzz be dragging RFM into it again for sure.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Wrestling 30 to 35 team mates, big farkin deal, every game he would be expected to make at least 30+ tackles against opposition players, many of them bigger and stronger than you and running at you at speed with zero care for your wellbeing. In the Knoughts game Mahony (46), Salmon (41), Curran (34) and Hayward (43) all made more tackles than that, many times wrestling opponents to and on the ground.

If you want to be an NRL player, then there will be demands on you both physically and mentally that you have to train for. As Gould often says, being an NRL player is hard, very hard and only a tiny % of RL players can handle it. Not just once but every week, when injured, hurting, both mentally and physically fatigued well beyond what a normal person could even imagine, let alone handle.

The bottom line is Topine was being conditioned for the physical and mental requirements of being an NRL player and he failed. No shame in that, 99.9% don't make it.

The defense is simple, we were not asking any more of him than he would experience in an average NRL game.


Always a Bulldog

 

[Bulldogs09]

Joke. He turned up late and was told to wrestle at 30 seconds by 30 that’s 15 minutes… ffs I get he’s gonna be exhausted by this is a joke. It’s all over the fact it leaked and fucked his career.

 

[KiwiDog7]

If he somehow wins the case the precedent set would allow every past and present player sue their club (or former clubs ) for an easy money grab case citing “unfair and tough working conditions” which some people call hard work and in line with your profession and pay bracket

 

[DinkumDog]

Next minute, all the contestants of the Australian reality TV show "The biggest loser" sue Shine Australia and network 10 for over the top hard training program to make them lose weight.

Yep. Where does it end?
We’ve become such a litigious society now like the US. There’s no such thing as bad luck or an accident now. Just a search for who I can blame and a pay day.
What happened to personal responsibility?

The fast food industry better prepare for the fatties. Oops, I’ve probably just offended someone - sorry - the more generously proportioned individuals - who will claim they didn’t know eating deep fried goodness on a daily basis was bad for them. Sigh…

 

[InGusWeTrust]

This is not just a Bulldogs problem it's an NRL problem, because the rare chance he wins, it could be the first of other similar types of lawsuits.. heck why not sue the clubs for taking players to army camps and claiming you were humiliated by the trainers there.

That’s why I can’t see it having much validity. I don’t know the specifics though, just what has been published and rumoured.

It’s not the first time a player has sued though. One of the recent ones was James McManus. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fo...ury-after-10-concussions-20170621-gwvu3c.html

 

[Taylforth]

Wrestling 30 to 35 team mates, big farkin deal, every game he would be expected to make at least 30+ tackles against opposition players, many of them bigger and stronger than you and running at you at speed with zero care for your wellbeing. In the Knoughts game Mahony (46), Salmon (41), Curran (34) and Hayward (43) all made more tackles than that, many times wrestling opponents to and on the ground.

If you want to be an NRL player, then there will be demands on you both physically and mentally that you have to train for. As Gould often says, being an NRL player is hard, very hard and only a tiny % of RL players can handle it. Not just once but every week, when injured, hurting, both mentally and physically fatigued well beyond what a normal person could even imagine, let alone handle.

The bottom line is Topine was being conditioned for the physical and mental requirements of being an NRL player and he failed. No shame in that, 99.9% don't make it.

The defense is simple, we were not asking any more of him than he would experience in an average NRL game.


Always a Bulldog

Agree. What that whole sad exercise proved, was that the physical / mental standards & expectations of an NRL player were not something Topine could handle nor meet. Handy NSW cup player but not suited to NRL. Goodbye & good luck. Hope our lawyers can avoid a long expensive drawn out case.

 

[D0GMATIC]

This is the tricky part. As far as I’m concerned, unless there were previously known about conditions then the club is treating the players the same. I don’t know that for a fact but let’s assume. Now if this incident was the first time Jackson had mental distress, then as long as the club support him and offer professional help, what more can be done? The actual “punishment“ will be analysed, but as has been mentioned a lot, will it differ much from other difficult training methods?

It’s an unusual situation because part of NRL players’ jobs is going beyond the normal level of fatigue etc. I’ve worked a tough labouring job, lifting and dragging heavy loads in up to 45c heat, but I could take a break when I was buggered. When you’re in the middle of an NRL match, you can’t generally do that. I watch Curran and Kikau and wonder how tf they can handle it, but handle it they do and they still perform at a high level. They’re the examples to say, this is the level that an elite NRL player must reach and maintain. Look at some of the efforts in origin matches!

NRL and professional sport in general is an unusually highly demanding career. Duty of care etc is still required of course, but one of the key factors is having the mental fortitude to handle it, so if this actually does go to court (which I doubt) it would be interesting how they view it.

We also should remember there’s some other similar player welfare issues ongoing, e.g: Keith Titmuss’ passing, after gruelling training in excessive heat.

Ideally,all our players get to training on time and this in an isolated incident. But right now, I hope it isn't. If this,or similar, has happened to plenty of blokes in the current squad and they found it reasonable, then it blows wide holes in his case imo

 

[InGusWeTrust]

I can't help but notice that they used the article as an opportunity to remind everyone of the Coffs Harbour bullshit as well.

Scumbag journos will always be scumbags I guess...

Seriously?! I didn’t read it but to bring up what only resulted in allegations after 20 years is ridiculous. No wonder so many dopey fans of other clubs still mention it. Someone should remind Buzz how his Sharks team destroyed a woman in 2002. Funny how no one ever mentions this, ye some players have actually admitted it.

Matthew Johns in group sex scandal

NZ woman 'left traumatised' after night of group sex involving rugby league identity Matthew Johns.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Dognacious]

Too soft for first grade. There is someone who will never play FG for us again (and maybe not for anyone as he isnt that good)

 

[(((((SMACK)))))]

Sad state of affairs. To me he seemed to comfortable within the club. I am sure Ciro and his team felt that way about a heap of players as well. This was the clubs way of setting a high standard and trimming the fat.
And let's be clear... anybody that has played any level of footy knows that "strapping time" is included in the overall time. He should have been there before 8am in my opinion.

 

[J_Cooper]

My biggest hope for this year is that we pump the dragqueens , Nu Brown and RFM they are the ringleaders behind this shit. Grubs.

100%
2 of the biggest snakes in this. we stood by RFM with injury after injury and made him captain. Lets see if they have the balls to put their names to this and come out and speak on it.
Nu Brown also is the biggest attention seeker you just have to look at his IG posts everytime he changes footy clubs as if the stars have aligned for him perfectly and its a fairytale ending. Has always been nothing but an average footy player.

 

[cuzza]

I assume he could of said i'm not doing that and leave right there and then

 

[Juniorluke]

100%
2 of the biggest snakes in this. we stood by RFM with injury after injury and made him captain. Lets see if they have the balls to put their names to this and come out and speak on it.
Nu Brown also is the biggest attention seeker you just have to look at his IG posts everytime he changes footy clubs as if the stars have aligned for him perfectly and its a fairytale ending. Has always been nothing but an average footy player.

Nu Brown has been at 5 clubs in 2 years. He is a gigantic waste of space.

 

[wendog33]

Guys maybe it's now time to stop posting on this matter? Or at least be circumspect in what we say...no more ammunition for Buzz etc.
We are on a hiding to nothing and they twist the truth of what fans say and our opinions.

 

[Hound Dog]

I gotta say it’s unpleasant. And I’m not really sure how I would react myself… but to sue the club is pretty bad. Surely this could have been settled behind closed doors?

I also cannot see how this would be different in a “boot camp” setting for defense forces

I've heard of pro boxers sparring a different fresh fighter at the gym each round, for 12 rounds.

Obviously tough stuff but you've got to be in it for the right reasons. A player with passion to be the best footballer would handle or react differently.

 

[alwaysthesun]

That’s why I can’t see it having much validity. I don’t know the specifics though, just what has been published and rumoured.

It’s not the first time a player has sued though. One of the recent ones was James McManus. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/fo...ury-after-10-concussions-20170621-gwvu3c.html

I think the issue with the Topine situation is that it's more based on feelings than something that is an ongoing genuine health problem. It seems to me Jackson may have found out that to be an NRL player it's not as fun for people who aren't mentally cut out for it.. it needs to be considered that the Dogs had previously not been training to the level of a genuinely competitive NRL team, and it was a rude awakening for a few players when Ciraldo and co arrived..

 

[Bulldog Wrestler]

Make a ridiculous monetary claim, in the hope that it gets settled for some amount (usually considerably less), just to make a pestiferous complaint go away.

Straight out of the ambulance chaser playbook.

 

[D.O.W.]

NRL is not for everyone, Superleague is a better suited to some.

 

[John Matrix]

Buzz be dragging RFM into it again for sure.

Isn’t buzz got mates with flanno, If he is I doubt he will because it will drag(on) them into it too.