News Jackson Topine takes Bulldogs to court

[Rockford]

But don't they usually claim future earnings as well? since they are too psychologically damaged they won't find work elsewhere (type of thing)

 

[wendog33]

There is a huge, Grand Canyon sized, difference between working in a commercial business and competing in professional sports like rugby league. Employees in the average commercial business are not expected to tackle 100+kg players 30/40/50 times a game running at them at pace. Stop their progress and then wrestle them to the ground. They are also expected to do the reverse and run at 2/3/4 100+kg tacklers 20/30/40 times a game. That requires both physical and mental toughness, endurance and an unbelievably high pain tolerance.

When training, employees or players, the training regimen has to represent what they will encounter during their working day. To do otherwise would negate the effect of the training. From what we have heard from multiple sources there was nothing in the disciplinary action that deviated from the common training practises for NRL players that are undertaken by all NRL Clubs.

Of course this would be considered unacceptable in a non professional sports environment, but such a comparison is meaningless. If I were on our legal defence team the first thing I would do is to take the moderator/judge to an average high intensity Tuesday/Wednesday training session and show them what an NRL player has to endure. That then would give them an appropriate lens to view this claim through.


Always a Bulldog

And take that moderator/judge to every single one of the 17 NRL clubs, and how they deal with late arrivals to training and other misdemeanours in a team environment.

 

[Doogie]

I'm not saying he's got no issues. I'm saying that they've not been caused or worsened by having to do what every other player at every other club has done for years. Which is why there is no case.

If there was, then why doesn't every other player that has had to endure such horrific punishments over a century of Rugby League having the same mental health issues from being asked to train harder?

So you saying the punishment was horrific? And what century of football? No one practiced wrestling until the late 90's. Go back to the 70's and training was running around the block and a few mock drills on the park.

And now you say he has issues and then you say that it was due to being asked to train harder. You don't even appear to know what this was about. He was punished for being late. Sounds to me if his view is to be believed he had a decent excuse around the wrapping. And he was asked to do as punishment what was miles in front of anything I've ever heard of and based on Liam Knight, at a completely different level.

Say it again. Think he's been ill advised on this but I'm not gunna say there's no case. Because obviously there is if lawyers are involved. And even more so when you have ex-players (who I assume no more about what happened than you or I) saying either the NRL has to jump on this or clubs need to pull their head in. If it was a non event, then wtf are they talking about?

 

[King Gus]

Or the Dogs fckd up and now if you are late for training you get to dye your hair white. I don't pretend to know exactly what happened and why. You seem to though - please share your sources.

Unless you are talking your opinion again. So we wait to see what the court case is about. Not that anyone will ever know - guarantee the Dogs settle out of court with no blame and non disclosures.

Bottom line is topine fucked up and should’ve kept quiet and would’ve still had a job. Now it’s gone out of his hands and footy career is dead he has one last chance at getting paid.

 

[Doogie]

There is a huge, Grand Canyon sized, difference between working in a commercial business and competing in professional sports like rugby league. Employees in the average commercial business are not expected to tackle 100+kg players 30/40/50 times a game running at them at pace. Stop their progress and then wrestle them to the ground. They are also expected to do the reverse and run at 2/3/4 100+kg tacklers 20/30/40 times a game. That requires both physical and mental toughness, endurance and an unbelievably high pain tolerance.

When training, employees or players, the training regimen has to represent what they will encounter during their working day. To do otherwise would negate the effect of the training. From what we have heard from multiple sources there was nothing in the disciplinary action that deviated from the common training practises for NRL players that are undertaken by all NRL Clubs.

Of course this would be considered unacceptable in a non professional sports environment, but such a comparison is meaningless. If I were on our legal defence team the first thing I would do is to take the moderator/judge to an average high intensity Tuesday/Wednesday training session and show them what an NRL player has to endure. That then would give them an appropriate lens to view this claim through.


Always a Bulldog

Except this wasn't training. This was punishment for a team infraction that when compared to another who committed a similar infraction, was miles apart.

 

[B-Train]

So you saying the punishment was horrific? And what century of football? No one practiced wrestling until the late 90's. Go back to the 70's and training was running around the block and a few mock drills on the park.

And now you say he has issues and then you say that it was due to being asked to train harder. You don't even appear to know what this was about. He was punished for being late. Sounds to me if his view is to be believed he had a decent excuse around the wrapping. And he was asked to do as punishment what was miles in front of anything I've ever heard of and based on Liam Knight, at a completely different level.

Say it again. Think he's been ill advised on this but I'm not gunna say there's no case. Because obviously there is if lawyers are involved. And even more so when you have ex-players (who I assume no more about what happened than you or I) saying either the NRL has to jump on this or clubs need to pull their head in. If it was a non event, then wtf are they talking about?

If your logic is that because lawyers took the case on that there is a legitimate case, then you don't know much about the legal profession. My Mum is a barrister and two of my Uncles are solicitors. Other lawyers take on no hope cases all of the time because they can get some money out of the client..

 

[Rodzilla]

It's no coincidence that we get rid of players like RFM, Brown, Okunbur etc who were lazy on the field and not good enough, replace them with true professionals that have an unwavering work ethic, and now we're one of the most competitive teams in the comp week to week and the best defensive team in the comp after conceding over 30 points a game last year.

its too early to make that call, it could turn to crap and we might need more people to blame

 

[wendog33]

If your logic is because lawyers took the case on that there is a legitimate case, then you don't know much about the law. My Mum is a barrister and have two uncles that are solicitors. Other lawyers take on no hope cases all of the time because they can get some money out of the client..

(I refer you to the beginning of the Brittany Higgins thread and the now discredited Spotlight interview).

 

[Doogie]

They probably will settle for a small amount to make the story go away but it'd be for a fraction of the $4 million they're asking for. I'd be surprised if he got more than a few hundred k as that would be roughly what he was on per year.

So if the Dogs had no case to answer for, why settle? Let all the facts come out in court.

This is my guess as to what happened. And its a guess. Nothing to base it on at all except the media.
1) Topine is late because he doesn't need strapping
2) Gets told he's getting punished and basically says why, I'm not late
3) Him and Touma get into an argument about it
4) Touma 'makes an example' of him
and I reckon everyone knows the rest.

Now I'm not touching the mental health stuff but like any workplace, if you are made to do this when someone like Knight is late and has to dye his hair white, you can make a very solid argument that you are being bullied. Thats workplace HR rules. And if there is permanent damage from the bullying, then someone is paying out some cash. Not my opinion, just how I've seen workplace bullying complaints play out.

And if my guess (and what we've heard to date) is correct, for whatever reason, Touma lost it and went overboard. Is that overboard worth $4M? Not my place to judge.

 

[cookieman909]

I also find Panthers fans blowing up at the situation hilarious. Our coach came from there system. They do army camps pre season. There’s a reason there team is a juggernaut. There so mentally strong and resilient. Didn’t get that way training like pansy’s

 

[Nate DAWG]

So if the Dogs had no case to answer for, why settle? Let all the facts come out in court.

This is my guess as to what happened. And its a guess. Nothing to base it on at all except the media.
1) Topine is late because he doesn't need strapping
2) Gets told he's getting punished and basically says why, I'm not late
3) Him and Touma get into an argument about it
4) Touma 'makes an example' of him
and I reckon everyone knows the rest.

Now I'm not touching the mental health stuff but like any workplace, if you are made to do this when someone like Knight is late and has to dye his hair white, you can make a very solid argument that you are being bullied. Thats workplace HR rules. And if there is permanent damage from the bullying, then someone is paying out some cash. Not my opinion, just how I've seen workplace bullying complaints play out.

And if my guess (and what we've heard to date) is correct, for whatever reason, Touma lost it and went overboard. Is that overboard worth $4M? Not my place to judge.

Ive known many NRL players and the Topine incident in no where near the pointy end of consequences. Your argument is flawed

 

[Doogie]

If your logic is that because lawyers took the case on that there is a legitimate case, then you don't know much about the legal profession. My Mum is a barrister and two of my Uncles are solicitors. Other lawyers take on no hope cases all of the time because they can get some money out of the client..

Then you should know that its about interpretation. And its for the courts to decide whether the interpretation is substantive. Someone here posted about Topine punching the poker tables hard last year so what money are you getting out of him. Was probably on $200k a year. Not exactly Haas money.

As i said b4. Guarantee the Dogs settle out of court. Because there is something there. And I don't know exactly what went on that day other than the same stuff you and others have read. But I can look at Topine vs Knight and say - thats a problem.

 

[Shanked]

So if the Dogs had no case to answer for, why settle? Let all the facts come out in court.

This is my guess as to what happened. And its a guess. Nothing to base it on at all except the media.
1) Topine is late because he doesn't need strapping
2) Gets told he's getting punished and basically says why, I'm not late
3) Him and Touma get into an argument about it
4) Touma 'makes an example' of him
and I reckon everyone knows the rest.

Now I'm not touching the mental health stuff but like any workplace, if you are made to do this when someone like Knight is late and has to dye his hair white, you can make a very solid argument that you are being bullied. Thats workplace HR rules. And if there is permanent damage from the bullying, then someone is paying out some cash. Not my opinion, just how I've seen workplace bullying complaints play out.

And if my guess (and what we've heard to date) is correct, for whatever reason, Touma lost it and went overboard. Is that overboard worth $4M? Not my place to judge.

not if its an agreed upon punishment by the playing group

 

[WDV]

Shows how badly these sooks that left the club were, complaining about the unrealistic training yet how come all the players this year arent complaining, CC did the right thing getting rid of the weeds

By far the biggest reason we've improved so much this year. So many lazy players Topine, Okunbor, Pangai etc etc are now gone and its really showing the team doesn't give up like it did last year

 

[Doogie]

Ive known many NRL players and the Topine incident in no where near the pointy end of consequences. Your argument is flawed

Not my argument. Thats workplace laws for you. You cannot 'punish' workers differently for the same issue. Topine was 20 mins late with what seems a reasonable argument. How late was Knight? You get a new hair do for 10 mins but get flogged badly for 20 mins?

Don't make the rules bro. I have some real dicks working for me and yet, when they fck up and someone who's good fcks up have to treat them exactly the same. Dem the rules.

 

[wendog33]

Ive known many NRL players and the Topine incident in no where near the pointy end of consequences. Your argument is flawed

The hair dying so-called punishment has not been confirmed has it? We are just guessing on that being factual as well? Plus it was several months after Jackson's incident. So Knight's (possible) punishment is not relevant to the circumstances of Topine in July last year?

 

[D0GMATIC]

Apparently he's calling on former team mates to support he's claim, let me guess mariner and that flop pengai jr

And the 3 that went to Hull

 

[sifter6]

So it went from 12 players wrestling him, to "seinor squad", to an entire squad. Sounds like there is some creative elaboration there, and if that can be proven by clubs lawyers, then other exaggerations might form part of our legal teams arguements.

I do wonder too if perhaps he has breached part of his playing contract with the club (by being late).

I'm sure the clubs lawyers will be all over this one.

...

As for those other rumoured players involved and backing him up... only Topine has no career currently.

Nu Brown recently signed with Dragons, and joined back up with RFM.


Carroll and O'Dea Lawyers are a sponsor of the club. They have legal experts in workplace fields (safety, law, mediation), including Special Counsels.

Pretty certain that Topines lawyer is mainly in criminal law, not workplace law.

By the time this story hits the courts 'Rothfield the Cnt/face' will have escalated the story to 'half of Bankstown and the homeys from Punchbowl' also wrestled Topine.

 

[D0GMATIC]

Not my argument. Thats workplace laws for you. You cannot 'punish' workers differently for the same issue. Topine was 20 mins late with what seems a reasonable argument. How late was Knight? You get a new hair do for 10 mins but get flogged badly for 20 mins?

Don't make the rules bro. I have some real dicks working for me and yet, when they fck up and someone who's good fcks up have to treat them exactly the same. Dem the rules.

Was Knight late to wrestling training ?

 

[Doogie]

Was Knight late to wrestling training ?

Was Topine?