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HE is one of rugby league's most upstanding players - and Brett Kimmorley has had enough of drunken NRL stars bringing down the game he loves.
The Bulldogs halfback last night called for players charged by police for misbehaviour to be banned from the game for a year - and repeat offenders kicked out of the NRL for life. Kimmorley told The Daily Telegraph rugby league could not continue to sustain off-field drama by drunken footballers.
A former NSW, Australian and premiership-winning halfback, Kimmorley said he would take his plan to the Rugby Leagues Players Association for support.
"We don't need to be continually kicked in the guts like this," Kimmorley said.
"This isn't something rugby league can keep tolerating. We have to protect the game. When an incident happens we are all tainted. We have to start learning.
"If you are charged then there should be a one-year penalty. If they do it again then it's see you later. AFL and cricket have tougher guidelines. We have to do something."
The NRL must make the "hard decisions", he said.
"This is doing a lot of damage to rugby league and the game won't grow its revenue if the sponsors don't keep putting money in."
"We have to make the hard decisions of which the players will take notice. (Former Canberra halfback) Todd Carney must wonder where his $400,000 a year has gone.
"If you have a criminal record you can't take off to England either.
"There are a lot of good blokes in the game but how many more mistakes can the game take?
"We just can't make mistakes any more - the game has changed from when I first started playing."
Souths chief executive Shane Richardson also said players must be stood down for misbehaviour.
"You can fine players all you want but standing them down affects them," Richardson said. "I just feel a greater punishment is telling them they cannot play.
"We have got to have standards and players are just going to have to live up to those standards."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,25207777-5003409,00.html
The Bulldogs halfback last night called for players charged by police for misbehaviour to be banned from the game for a year - and repeat offenders kicked out of the NRL for life. Kimmorley told The Daily Telegraph rugby league could not continue to sustain off-field drama by drunken footballers.
A former NSW, Australian and premiership-winning halfback, Kimmorley said he would take his plan to the Rugby Leagues Players Association for support.
"We don't need to be continually kicked in the guts like this," Kimmorley said.
"This isn't something rugby league can keep tolerating. We have to protect the game. When an incident happens we are all tainted. We have to start learning.
"If you are charged then there should be a one-year penalty. If they do it again then it's see you later. AFL and cricket have tougher guidelines. We have to do something."
The NRL must make the "hard decisions", he said.
"This is doing a lot of damage to rugby league and the game won't grow its revenue if the sponsors don't keep putting money in."
"We have to make the hard decisions of which the players will take notice. (Former Canberra halfback) Todd Carney must wonder where his $400,000 a year has gone.
"If you have a criminal record you can't take off to England either.
"There are a lot of good blokes in the game but how many more mistakes can the game take?
"We just can't make mistakes any more - the game has changed from when I first started playing."
Souths chief executive Shane Richardson also said players must be stood down for misbehaviour.
"You can fine players all you want but standing them down affects them," Richardson said. "I just feel a greater punishment is telling them they cannot play.
"We have got to have standards and players are just going to have to live up to those standards."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,25207777-5003409,00.html
