Rugby League: Fittler caps week of shame
5:00AM Wednesday Apr 28, 1999
Pictured: Brad Fittler
Pictured: Brad Fittler
Australia's rugby league reputation is in tatters following another booze-related incident, this time involving Kangaroos captain Brad Fittler.
In the past week Australia's league stars have made a habit of disgracing themselves in public with the latest discovery capping off a week of shame for the code.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that Fittler was found "drunk to unconsciousness" outside an inner-city Sydney police station 11 days ago, the day before being named Australian captain.
The newspaper report said Fittler had been drinking on a harbour cruise with his team-mates after Sydney City had beaten North Sydney.
It is understood the taxi driver who was to take him home spoke little English, got lost and simply dumped Fittler outside Glebe police station. A passerby found him and took the 27-year-old inside where he spent three hours sobering up.
NRL spokesman John Brady said the NRL would look at the matter along with several other alcohol-related incidents from the past week.
News of Fittler's drunken binge came hours after former Australian winger John Hopoate reportedly turned up to a Manly club training intoxicated.
Hopoate, who was last week involved in a nightclub incident that led to four Sea
Eagles players being fined, was expected to front the Manly board where his contract could be terminated.
Last week in the buildup to the Anzac test, Penrith and Australian hooker Craig Gower was ejected from the test team after exposing himself to an Irish woman in a pub.
Cronulla chief executive Peter Gow clocked one up for the administrators on Sunday night after allegations that he punched former international player Barry Beath and slashed a St George-Illawarra fan's jersey in a Sharks leagues club restaurant.
Gow, the father of model Elle Macpherson, has been accused of taking an autographed St George jumper from St George-Illawarra supporter Jason Kelly and cutting it up with a pair of scissors shortly after the Sharks' win over their neighbouring club at Shark Park.
The Sydney millionaire has been stood down by the club and Sharks chairman Barry Pierce said a further board meeting would consider Gow's future with the club. - NZPA
