News Police warn NRL about growing criminal 'danger' infiltrating rugby league

[Jackson_1994]

The NRL is facing a new and very present danger - organised gang violence.

The early rounds of the junior representative season in Sydney have been marred by scuffles on and off the field.

But it's fighting with a difference, with several of the participants allegedly members of rival Sydney gangs.

Only this week, the NSWRL issued Code of Conduct breach notices to five players, officials and spectators after a second straight weekend of mayhem.

And police fear things will get worse.

"It's the perfect storm for gangs - they known when and where games are being held and who is playing," a police source told Wide World of Sports.

"These gangs are organised and dangerous and security at junior league grounds is not overly strong.

"Gang members see the footy as the ideal place to settle scores and put claims on their turf.

"If it isn't clamped down on soon, the NRL and NSW Rugby League will have real problems on their hands - if they don't already."

NRL boss Peter V'landys is aware of the issue, telling brawling players, fans and parents that they "should go to the UFC" and have nothing to do with rugby league.

The drama has been escalated by Sydney clubs signing young players without doing their due diligence.

"They sign these kids at 14 and 15 and don't really look into their backgrounds or affiliations," one NRL club CEO told Wide World of Sports.

"It's all about winning and signing the best players - nothing about their character and off-field behaviour and it will come back to bite the clubs concerned."

 

[B-Train]

Talk about more sensationalism. They make it sound like the Crips and Bloods are playing each other every game with Suge Knight as the Bloods coach and O-Dogg as the Crips coach...

In case V'landys or anyone else haven't noticed, a shotload of players are mates with Bikies and other gang members and have been for years.

 

[senshidog]

Name and shame the clubs involved.

Surely Vlandys has dealt with similar gang/bikie issues during his horse racing days.

 

[Jackson_1994]

Name and shame the clubs involved.

Surely Vlandys has dealt with similar gang/bikie issues during his horse racing days.

Manly are the main issue atm .

here a post from a manly supporter From the incident that happened last weekend

It was absolutely disgusting. As a manly supporter, I live in Canberra and attended that game. I actually attended (A) because my son has made Raiders squads and I knew of a couple of the boys and girls playing in the raiders squads (including Trasha Gail) (B) I am a Manly supporter and wanted to see how the famous Fulton and Faniu boys played. I saw that fight and when it involves someone you actually know, I am ashamed I support these Juniors. Manly were sore loser s. I will not comment any further but thats twice in two weeks the same Manly junior team, have decided to take matters into their own hands off the field. Even targeting females. I was even going to write a letter to to the board to clean up this shit, because I have been a die hard manly supporter for 44 years (since the day I was born) and I won't put up with this shit. What are you teaching the next lot of Juniors that coming through the pathways, it's acceptable. I don't think so.

________________________________________________
Response from nswrl

NSWRL hands out punishment for Manly's ugly Belconnen incident


The NSW Rugby League has suspended a coach, three players and a spectator for the incident involving Manly junior players and spectators at Kippax on Saturday. Breach notices were issued to those charged, who have until the close of business Tuesday to respond.

Manly Harold Matthews Cup assistant coach Jay Younis was the hardest hit, banned for 20 months today, while a spectator has been banned from attending matches until the end of the year.

Three Manly under-17 players were also sanctioned: one until May 31, which ruled them out for the rest of the season, one for four matches and the other was given a two-game suspended sentence. The incident occurred following the Harold Matthews Cup game between the Sea Eagles and Canberra Raiders on the weekend.

 

[Jackson_1994]

Wannabe gangsters’: Canberra Raiders NRL club boss wants junior thugs stamped out
After another ugly weekend of alleged violence at junior representative rugby league, an NRL club boss wants a strategy to stamp out thugs on and off the field.

Fed-up Canberra Raiders chief Don Furner has hit out at some Sydney NRL clubs for allowing “wannabe gangsters” to run wild at junior representative football, claiming it is creating a culture of fear among players, parents and fans.
And Furner now wants the issue to be tackled at the next NRL chief executives’ conference so the entire game can work on a strategy to stamp out thugs on and off the field.

While not pointing the finger at any particular clubs, Furner’s comments come after another ugly weekend of alleged violence that sadly marred the opening round of the under 17s Harold Matthews Cup competition.

The latest incident being investigated by the NSWRL alleges a Manly under 17s player jumped the fence post match and bashed a Canberra spectator at the Raiders’ Belconnen facility. The alleged victim is said to be a year 12 student at a Canberra high school who had to be treated by the club doctor after the incident left him looking “visibly rocked”, with concerns he was displaying signs of concussion.

 

[The DoggFather]

Have to admit, there wasn't a single altercation that I heard of last year in the Parra comp.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Manly are the main issue atm .

here a post from a manly supporter From the incident that happened last weekend

It was absolutely disgusting. As a manly supporter, I live in Canberra and attended that game. I actually attended (A) because my son has made Raiders squads and I knew of a couple of the boys and girls playing in the raiders squads (including Trasha Gail) (B) I am a Manly supporter and wanted to see how the famous Fulton and Faniu boys played. I saw that fight and when it involves someone you actually know, I am ashamed I support these Juniors. Manly were sore loser s. I will not comment any further but thats twice in two weeks the same Manly junior team, have decided to take matters into their own hands off the field. Even targeting females. I was even going to write a letter to to the board to clean up this shit, because I have been a die hard manly supporter for 44 years (since the day I was born) and I won't put up with this shit. What are you teaching the next lot of Juniors that coming through the pathways, it's acceptable. I don't think so.

________________________________________________
Response from nswrl

NSWRL hands out punishment for Manly's ugly Belconnen incident


The NSW Rugby League has suspended a coach, three players and a spectator for the incident involving Manly junior players and spectators at Kippax on Saturday. Breach notices were issued to those charged, who have until the close of business Tuesday to respond.

Manly Harold Matthews Cup assistant coach Jay Younis was the hardest hit, banned for 20 months today, while a spectator has been banned from attending matches until the end of the year.

Three Manly under-17 players were also sanctioned: one until May 31, which ruled them out for the rest of the season, one for four matches and the other was given a two-game suspended sentence. The incident occurred following the Harold Matthews Cup game between the Sea Eagles and Canberra Raiders on the weekend.

The problem with manly juniors is that they are mostly from the penrith district, hence why blacktown is their feeder club. They bus them down to the games from blacktown.

 

[B-Train]

Can you imagine if this was a Canterbury-Bankstown junior game and not Manly and Canberra? I'm sure there'd be no details left out about which clubs were involved. They'd probably even have a picture of Bin Laden in a Bulldogs jersey for added effect.

 

[The DoggFather]

The problem with manly juniors is that they are mostly from the penrith district, hence why blacktown is their feeder club. They bus them down to the games from blacktown.

Stupid question, is Blacktown Penrith or Parra comp?

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Stupid question, is Blacktown Penrith or Parra comp?

blacktown is penrith comp, but manly have recruited players have st clair and St Marys etc

 

[Dogmonster]

Mixing 2 ages in harold Matthews was unnecessary last year, not needed, younger kids would have played it this year anyway. Leaving many good players to look elsewhere. They should keep harold Matthews u17 and not be allowed to take on 15 year olds turning 16. You want every kid to have a fair shot at playing rep footy. Keep kids interested cause so many give up.

 

[ddt192]

Stupid question, is Blacktown Penrith or Parra comp?

Its the putrid comp lol

 

[2144superman]

It's the Manly junior teams ... fucking sack them and set a precedence.

 

[senshidog]

Manly should be punished or warned one more fuckup and their team is ejected from the comp this season.

Makes you wonder more about Fainu now, and what happened there.

The problem with manly juniors is that they are mostly from the penrith district, hence why blacktown is their feeder club. They bus them down to the games from blacktown.

Panthers have never had this issue though. Nor Parra.

 

[brockodore]

Put claims on their turf. Between Canberra and Manly ?

 

[B-Train]

Just re-read the article.. "A police source says"..

It's amazing how they print shit like this with explosive quotes from an anonymous "police source" which was probably just the journo making it all up.

 

[Disposable Hero]

Its growing?

Yeah cause no one in the 80's or 90's early 2000's were affiliated with any gang/criminal/syndicates/ drugs/
FFS. What a croc of horse shit article.

 

[Dognacious]

What's the nrl supposed to do about it? It's the police's job to deal with gang violence. Cant exactly ask ppl coming to games if they intend to fight at the game.

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

shits getting out of hand, fuckin ducky boys. As long as the wongs are ready to rock n roll everything will be sweet.

 

[B-Train]

Its growing?

Yeah cause no one in the 80's or 90's early 2000's were affiliated with any gang/criminal/syndicates/ drugs/
FFS. What a croc of horse shit article.

I remember when the Commonwealth Bank Cup changed to the Aussie Home Loans Cup when I was in High School because there were so many bad brawls in high school footy that they didn't want to be associated with it anymore.

Like you said there have been brawls on and off the field in junior footy for decades.