News Jackson Topine takes Bulldogs to court

[D0GMATIC]

Wonder if it was it his first indiscretion - first time being late?

I wonder if it was known, that if you're late, you wrestle the team

 

[wendog33]

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie added: “This is a landmark case. This is a very big case in rugby league. This could be bigger than concussion.

“I think the NRL has to step in and support the Bulldogs here in defending them against these accusations.”

Anasta replied: “I totally agree. It’s crazy. I can’t get my head around it.

“This is standard procedure at every football club. The NRL need to get involved in this. I don’t know how. They need to support the Bulldogs on this. It’s crazy. It just can’t get to that point.

“The RLPA need to be very careful with this. They represent the players but they could be supporting a player who could potentially be taking the game down.

“They need to think of the game and the hundreds of players that turn up on time, that train their arses off, that are disciplined, that are mentally tough, that know what they’re getting into — they’ve got to look after those ones as well.”

 

[D0GMATIC]

That Knight got a different punishment because Topine was late for wrestling. He wasn't. He was early. And by your reckoning that the punishment fits the session, what was Knight late for? Hair styling? Waxing?

A workplace where if you have already been site inducted within a set period of time, you don't need to do it again and waste everyones time. You think a tradie gets inducted on Tuesday when they were inducted on Monday? So just about every workplace in Oz that does inductions.

Not having a good day are we.

Semantics, The team were told to be there at 8

The induction thing was your irrelevant analogy

 

[wendog33]

Quoting from court documents, The Australian reported that the Bulldogs’ head trainer, Travis Touma, was alleged to have overseen an “assault” on Topine.

Touma is no longer with the Bulldogs. On Wednesday Roosters coach Trent Robinson, without knowledge of the alleged incident, said Touma was a “really outstanding person” and had the utmost care for his players.

The court documents say: “Each player in the Bulldogs roster, who were the plaintiff’s opponents in wrestling match-ups, possessed high levels of fitness and strength.

“(Touma) directed (Topine’s) opponents in the wrestling match-ups not to reduce intensity by saying words to the following effect: ‘Don’t let him up if he’s down. Jump on him straight away.’”

Topine’s lawyers allege Touma ignored their client’s exhaustion and distress, despite a “continued and marked deterioration in his capacity to compete”.

“As a result of completing the performance of all wrestling match-ups required under the wrestling direction, (Topine) required assistance in performing limited physical functions, including, standing and walking,” the documents claim.

Touma is alleged to have told Topine’s teammates “words to the effect” of: “No, don’t congratulate or help him. He deserved that. He was f***ing late.”

Topine’s legal team says he was a mere “eight to ten minutes late” for the wrestling session, having misread the day’s training schedule. The player actually thought he was arriving 20 minutes early.

In a statement to The Australian, the Bulldogs declined to answer several questions, but noted that they “categorically deny” a “number of allegations”.

“Some of the questioning ... relates specifically to employees or their contracts, and as with all employee matters, these are strictly confidential in nature,” the club said

“We also take player welfare very seriously and place the best interests and welfare of our players and staff as our number one priority

“As we do take mental health concerns very seriously and, given the appropriate sensitivities that should be applied in matters concerning mental health, the club will not be making any comment at this time on any of the individuals at the centre of the allegations

 

[Northern Beaches dog]

Will players start suing the NRL and referees if they have to defend 10 sets in a row on there try line because they when they were exhausted, the refs kept giving the opposition 6 again?
Seriously, what is this world coming to?

 

[Bad Billy]

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.

They spin a wheel for punishment.
im not sure if “shark bait” is still on it, but considering the standard they’re trying to set and the amount of Penrith influence in the club, I’m betting it is.
…and so it should be.

 

[Northern Beaches dog]

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.

It was an extension of training.
I know this is comparing apples with oranges, but i remember the San Antonio Spurs players in the NBA said that at the end of training, each player had to shoot something 3 free throws and if any player misses, then every single player has to do it again.
No one could leave until every player made there free throws without anyone misses.
Sometimes they would stay well back.

 

[belmore_utd]

Should let the weakest ***** set the standards to avoid this situation in the future according to some

 

[Blueandwhiteblood1968]

Should have mad him wrestle a boa constrictor then he would have had something to complain about.

 

[belmore_utd]

That Knight got a different punishment because Topine was late for wrestling. He wasn't. He was early. And by your reckoning that the punishment fits the session, what was Knight late styling? Waxing?

A workplace where if you have already been site inducted within a set period of time, you don't need to do it again and waste everyones time. You think a tradie gets inducted on Tuesday when they were inducted on Monday? So just about every workplace in Oz that does inductions
Not having a good

He was late. The instructions were ' arrival/strapping not arrival/wrestling

 

[Rodzilla]

Will players start suing the NRL and referees if they have to defend 10 sets in a row on there try line because they when they were exhausted, the refs kept giving the opposition 6 again?
Seriously, what is this world coming to?

maybe they should if its the wrong call, ive seen terrible 6 agains and decisions made ffs

felipe massa is suing formula 1 for knowing a race was rigged in 2008 and not doing anything about it which cost him the championship

 

[Bad Billy]

Topine was 10 mins early for wrestling training. He was 20 mins late for strapping before the wrestling. Which he claimed he didn't need.

So maybe he should have been strapped then?

That’s not how it works, and he knows it. It’s not like it was his first day at the bulldogs?
Day starts at 8, prep for half an hour, 8:30 training starts.
you dont get to roll in at 8:30 if you don’t think you need prep.
That’s a stupid argument.

 

[shaun5150]

A great example of the soft attitude that was killing the club for years. He and the other players had to be removed so we can start getting success back.
No club or player will want him now. Plus did he have to win every wrestle?
For 45 years i've followed this club and what I love about it is the foundations of Toughness, Mongrel, Family and a lot of Fuck you we will beat you.
The later showing in last weeks game.
Jackson get a trade and go build us some houses.

Club first
Team second
Player third.

 

[wendog33]

That’s not how it works, and he knows it. It’s not like it was his first day at the bulldogs?
Day starts at 8, prep for half an hour, 8:30 training starts.
you dont get to roll in at 8:30 if you don’t think you need prep.
That’s a stupid argument.

Who decides on the strapping situation also.

Do the trainers, medical staff, strappers assess the players before they commence their training tasks OR do the players just rock up and tell them they're good and medical/physical assessment is not required?...this self assessment of his needs (and maybe some others were doing it as well), may be an issue the club's high performance staff wanted to stamp out and get to a more professional assessment by those whose job it was.

This self assessment may have been an issue as well as the assumed slack attitude last year that was throughtout a lot of the roster. We don't know all the circumstances.

 

[steeliz]

Topine was 10 mins early for wrestling training. He was 20 mins late for strapping before the wrestling. Which he claimed he didn't need.

So maybe he should have been strapped then?

Quoting from court documents, The Australian reported:

" Topine’s legal team says he was a mere “eight to ten minutes late” for the wrestling session, having misread the day’s training schedule. The player actually thought he was arriving 20 minutes early. "

Thanks @wendog33



The Daily Mail reports:

"Ex-Bulldogs star Jackson Topine has hit the NRL club with a bombshell $4million lawsuit alleging he was assaulted by up to 35 of his teammates and was deprived of his liberty during a brutal punishment handed out in July last year."

A FG squad holds 30 players and we all know what our injury toll was last year. Where did we find 35 players to wrestle?

 

[Doogie]

That’s not how it works, and he knows it. It’s not like it was his first day at the bulldogs?
Day starts at 8, prep for half an hour, 8:30 training starts.
you dont get to roll in at 8:30 if you don’t think you need prep.
That’s a stupid argument.

Strapping is to prevent injuries. If you don't need strapping, then what are you there for?

Are you part of the inner circle and know how it works? Same with you @belmore_utd . I'm not. Just making the case that, if someone said to me we're at training for goal kicking training at 8 then wrestling at 830 and I don't goal kick and I'm not explicitly told I have to be there, then I'm showing prior to 830. Which he apparently did. He didn't need strapping so same same in my book.

Now in all fairness - from a reddit I know of that does have some inside connections - this was floating around in August last year.

It wasn’t Cameron Ciraldo who prescribed the now infamous “wrestle” penalty that caused such a storm this week.

Ciraldo has worn much of the flak after revelations a Bulldogs player took indefinite leave after being lined up to wrestle his teammates as punishment for being late to training, but the coach has not backed away from his aim of setting high standards at the club.

The Bulldogs have established a rule about punctuality under Ciraldo. It’s simple: if you are late, ring or text the coach or the footy manager. If you don’t have a good reason, turn around and go home.

There had been a couple of punctuality issues earlier in the season and when the player in question arrived late for an off-site wrestling session, it was felt this was the time to take a stand.

Trainer Travis Touma initially wanted to send the player home. He can’t be blamed for what took place. He consulted two senior players, who felt that course of action was unfair and that he should have to complete the gruelling wrestling session like everyone else. So it was decided the player should take part in the session, then complete an extra penalty afterwards.

If a player is late for a running session, the penalty is usually extra runs. If it’s a gym session, the penalty might be extra gym work. This was a wrestling session. So the player was asked to complete extra wrestling. To the best of my knowledge, it lasted for just over four minutes. One by one, there were 24 players, who had very quick wrestles, on their knees, with the player. Each individual wrestle lasted between five and 10 seconds. The player was spent after the session. It’s exhausting work. It’s supposed to be. Afterwards, he was sitting against a wall near the wrestle mats, smiling because he had completed the task.

He wasn’t broken, bruised or bleeding. He kept training with the side for the rest of the week and did not miss a session. His mental health issues, which were not known then, were triggered by external reaction to his punishment.

As for talk some players were upset with the punishment, that would seem to be a falsehood. Two weeks after the session that led to the player taking leave, Braidon Burns called a wrestle session penalty on himself, as a punishment. Burns said he didn’t find it as hard as some pre-season tackle sessions.

The young man’s mental health issues should be taken seriously. Some of the reporting on this matter should not be. One newshound was trying to blame Canterbury’s culture for Payne Haas not coming to the club. He was never even close to joining the Dogs. Agendas are creeping in, and it’s part of an ongoing campaign against the club – or against some of the individuals therein.

So I'll say this again. I don't know the ins and outs of what happened. What I do know is based on the statement of claim, if proven, the Dogs have some questions to answer to. Proven is the key here - not what nrl360 says or the telecrap or whatever says. Could also make an argument that Knight got a light penalty because his missus would paste the club on Sunday footy - like who needs Candice Warner 2.0. Any basis for that? Nah - but we can all go into conspiracy theories.

 

[Doogie]

Quoting from court documents, The Australian reported:

" Topine’s legal team says he was a mere “eight to ten minutes late” for the wrestling session, having misread the day’s training schedule. The player actually thought he was arriving 20 minutes early. "

Thanks @wendog33



The Daily Mail reports:

"Ex-Bulldogs star Jackson Topine has hit the NRL club with a bombshell $4million lawsuit alleging he was assaulted by up to 35 of his teammates and was deprived of his liberty during a brutal punishment handed out in July last year."

A FG squad holds 30 players and we all know what our injury toll was last year. Where did we find 35 players to wrestle?

1st post.

In the statement of claim, it is alleged that Topine had no idea why he was being punished – he thought he had arrived 20 minutes early, as he didn’t need strapping prior to the session.
“The plaintiff arrived late to training in circumstances where he made a mistake in relation to reading the training schedule for 18 July 2023 of “Arrive/ strapping 8am” then “Wrestle 8.30am”, the statement reads.
“On arrival, he greeted numerous players and staff. He was available and prepared for the commencement of the scheduled wrestling training at 8.30am.
“After completing the scheduled wrestling training (which was undertaken by all players in the Bulldogs player roster present over an hour and a half) from approximately 8.30am until 10.00am, the second defendant (Touma) directed the plaintiff (Topine), as a condition of his employment, to engage in individual wrestling match-ups with between 30 to 35 players in the Bulldogs NRL Player Roster (the “wrestling direction”)

Thanks @Dogbul

 

[steeliz]

1st post.

In the statement of claim, it is alleged that Topine had no idea why he was being punished – he thought he had arrived 20 minutes early, as he didn’t need strapping prior to the session.
“The plaintiff arrived late to training in circumstances where he made a mistake in relation to reading the training schedule for 18 July 2023 of “Arrive/ strapping 8am” then “Wrestle 8.30am”, the statement reads.
“On arrival, he greeted numerous players and staff. He was available and prepared for the commencement of the scheduled wrestling training at 8.30am.
“After completing the scheduled wrestling training (which was undertaken by all players in the Bulldogs player roster present over an hour and a half) from approximately 8.30am until 10.00am, the second defendant (Touma) directed the plaintiff (Topine), as a condition of his employment, to engage in individual wrestling match-ups with between 30 to 35 players in the Bulldogs NRL Player Roster (the “wrestling direction”)

Thanks @Dogbul

So you are disputing the documents Topines legal team lodged with the court?

What do you know that his lawyers don't?

Just because he didn't know why he was late at the time, it has obviously been accepted by his legal team that he was late.

 

[Bad Billy]

Strapping is to prevent injuries. If you don't need strapping, then what are you there for?

Are you part of the inner circle and know how it works? Same with you @belmore_utd . I'm not. Just making the case that, if someone said to me we're at training for goal kicking training at 8 then wrestling at 830 and I don't goal kick and I'm not explicitly told I have to be there, then I'm showing prior to 830. Which he apparently did. He didn't need strapping so same same in my book.

Now in all fairness - from a reddit I know of that does have some inside connections - this was floating around in August last year.

It wasn’t Cameron Ciraldo who prescribed the now infamous “wrestle” penalty that caused such a storm this week.

Ciraldo has worn much of the flak after revelations a Bulldogs player took indefinite leave after being lined up to wrestle his teammates as punishment for being late to training, but the coach has not backed away from his aim of setting high standards at the club.

The Bulldogs have established a rule about punctuality under Ciraldo. It’s simple: if you are late, ring or text the coach or the footy manager. If you don’t have a good reason, turn around and go home.

There had been a couple of punctuality issues earlier in the season and when the player in question arrived late for an off-site wrestling session, it was felt this was the time to take a stand.

Trainer Travis Touma initially wanted to send the player home. He can’t be blamed for what took place. He consulted two senior players, who felt that course of action was unfair and that he should have to complete the gruelling wrestling session like everyone else. So it was decided the player should take part in the session, then complete an extra penalty afterwards.

If a player is late for a running session, the penalty is usually extra runs. If it’s a gym session, the penalty might be extra gym work. This was a wrestling session. So the player was asked to complete extra wrestling. To the best of my knowledge, it lasted for just over four minutes. One by one, there were 24 players, who had very quick wrestles, on their knees, with the player. Each individual wrestle lasted between five and 10 seconds. The player was spent after the session. It’s exhausting work. It’s supposed to be. Afterwards, he was sitting against a wall near the wrestle mats, smiling because he had completed the task.

He wasn’t broken, bruised or bleeding. He kept training with the side for the rest of the week and did not miss a session. His mental health issues, which were not known then, were triggered by external reaction to his punishment.

As for talk some players were upset with the punishment, that would seem to be a falsehood. Two weeks after the session that led to the player taking leave, Braidon Burns called a wrestle session penalty on himself, as a punishment. Burns said he didn’t find it as hard as some pre-season tackle sessions.

The young man’s mental health issues should be taken seriously. Some of the reporting on this matter should not be. One newshound was trying to blame Canterbury’s culture for Payne Haas not coming to the club. He was never even close to joining the Dogs. Agendas are creeping in, and it’s part of an ongoing campaign against the club – or against some of the individuals therein.

So I'll say this again. I don't know the ins and outs of what happened. What I do know is based on the statement of claim, if proven, the Dogs have some questions to answer to. Proven is the key here - not what nrl360 says or the telecrap or whatever says. Could also make an argument that Knight got a light penalty because his missus would paste the club on Sunday footy - like who needs Candice Warner 2.0. Any basis for that? Nah - but we can all go into conspiracy theories.

Strapping is a professional sporting term for preparation.
we used to call prep, strapping when I was a swimmer, and no one was being strapped.

 

[Dogna88]

Breeding a generation of soft pricks.

Clearly he is not mentally strong enough to remain competitive in a confrontational, physically demanding sport.

If the game got tough, he'd be the first to pack up shop at half time.

He couldn't handle the heat. Instead of getting out of the kitchen. He tries to sue the kitchen for getting too hot. Lol.

See ya later mate. Enjoy working for your money like the rest of us for the rest of your life.