Elliott antics give Barrett’s new Canterbury credo an early test
Honesty. Trust. Respect. Accountability.
Just before lunch last Sunday, new Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett told football club members that these would be the four pillars that the club’s culture would be built upon under his tenure.
“Values for me are really important,” Barrett told members tuning into Canterbury’s annual general meeting via Zoom.
“One of the things we’ve worked hard on this year – post Christmas it’s been an everyday thing for us – is building the culture.
“Being able to identify, for us to know what we’re about, here at Canterbury.”
Just a few hours prior to uttering those words, Adam Elliott – a member of the Bulldogs’ senior leadership group –
allegedly kissed the partner of one of his closest friends, former teammate Michael Lichaa. Happy Valentine’s Day.
The incident triggered an altercation between Lichaa, his partner Kara Childerhouse and Elliott. Lichaa’s fate will be decided in court after attracting three police charges, beginning with the first mention of the case at Sutherland on Wednesday.
The question for the Bulldogs is this; what to do with Adam Elliott?
Given the incident is a private matter that took place in a private residence – no charges have been laid against Elliott – the NRL is unlikely to sanction him. An argument could be made that the Bulldogs forward has brought the game into disrepute, but it is likely to be a matter for the club rather than the governing body.
Which will put the onus for action on Canterbury in what is shaping as an early test for Barrett’s pillars. The response has the potential to not only shape the season ahead but also place a marker for what the “family” club’s new regime stands for.
There is a new coach, new chairman, new chief executive and new recruiter (former Eels talent spotter Peter Sharp starts on Wednesday). How will they respond to rugby league’s very own
Wayne Carey moment?
Most mornings, Bulldogs players are engaged in a discussion about culture upon their arrival at Belmore at 7.45am. It’s part of an initiative introduced with the help of another new staffer, former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. What would Hansen have done with Elliott had this happened in his previous gig?
Such incidents have the potential to torpedo a season before it has even started. This time last year the club was rocked by revelations of players Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera becoming embroiled in a sex scandal. The pair were deregistered and
then had their contracts reinstated on appeal. The Bulldogs never recovered and narrowly avoided the wooden spoon. If the latest issue isn’t handled judiciously, Barrett’s tenure could get off to an inauspicious start.
The matter is a delicate one for the club hierarchy. Elliott is one of the game’s premier forwards, one who took less money to remain a one-club player after knocking back a huge offer from the Warriors. If his contract is ripped up, the 26-year-old won’t struggle to find a new club.
Off the field, the Bulldogs have seen the best and worst of their star forward. The Tathra product was nominated for the Ken Stephen medal for his community work, which has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars being raised for the Autism Community Network.
“He’s the world’s greatest bloke when sober, the problem is when he drinks,” a source close to Elliott said.
For proof, look no further than his
Mad Monday antics from 2018. Elliott was fined $25,000 for wilful exposure, while the club was slugged $250,000 by the NRL, an amount that was later halved. It’s not the only time nude pics of the back-rower have made their way into the public domain.
“I’m through those dark times now and I’m a lot wiser,” Elliott told the
Herald after the Mad Monday debacle. “I’ve learned from what happened.”
Canterbury powerbrokers are agonising over what to do next. Of all the feedback to be considered, that of the senior leadership could prove pivotal. Some members remain close to Lichaa.
Barrett is said to be in favour of retaining Elliott. If that occurs, Elliott will need to own his mistakes and repay the faith. Otherwise, those pillars won’t stand for anything.
Just before the club’s latest off-field scandal, new Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett spoke about the values the club stands for. They will now get an early test.
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i'm neutral on the guy but the reactions are over the top imo.YES get the group to vote maybe or just give him a last chance and move on..whatever happens sort it out quickly ffs.
