Penrith's reputation isn't AS bad as ours. How much more shit does the club have to deal with since it's existence, really? Losing millions in sponsorships isn't enough?
If it was your business and your company was mentioned on the news and one of your employees was involved in an incident that was against your policies and ethics and that would run your company through the mud. Would you still keep him?
Yes I would because that's what being a leader demands. Lets not get so worked up about losing a so called $2m Rashays sponsorship. Take it from me this current lockdown has hit Rashays so hard that they like many other restaurant groups are on the brink of collapse if landlords enforce their leases. They would of pulled out of the deal so lets put things in perspective.
These guys did nothing illegal. Furthermore as reported by the NRL integrity Commission directorate...this is NOT a sex scandal as nothing other than consensual sex happened here. Our beloved Club talks about the players causing massive damage to the reputation of the Club, having broken some esoteric players integrity regulations. What rules and regulations are they referring to? Do THEY live by the same standards? This doesn't even take into account the responsibility and duty of care our Club has to rehabilitate the players. Who gives a fuck about rehabilitating them eh?...the Club is a fucking disgrace in this matter.
The imposition of the Club and indeed the NRL into the private affairs of players is totally out of order. In fact the imposition into the private lives of players reminds me of what the Police State is doing now in NSW and Victoria in the name of halting a virus. A liberal free society allows individuals to choose who they have consensual sex with, who they meet, when and where. We are not Communist Russia or Communist China.
Lets not forget that Israel Folau would of won his unfair dismissal case, hence why Rugby Australia with our darling ex CEO Raelene Castle front and centre in dishing out Israels discipline having to offer a multi million $ settlement to prevent a loss in the Federal Court.
Professional sport has grossly overstepped the mark in imposing controls on players over the civil liberties that all of the rest of us enjoy. Its about time the players revolt about the treatment dished out to our players here. If the RLPA is serious about representing the interests of players, they need to step in here and negotiate a more realistic application of expectations and controls put upon players in any contracts going forward. We are in the midst of resetting the terms of our great game and this issue is important to ensure players enjoy the same freedoms concerning consensual sex with adults that the rest of us enjoy.