Redemption must play on a level field
Where does the NRL draw the line when it comes to reinstating controversial players
THE NRL have painted themselves into a corner. Having reregistered Matt Lodge, Russell Packer and Danny Wicks, how can they possibly not give Todd Carney the green light?
Packer did jail time after being found guilty of assaulting a 22-year-old man after being thrown out of a Sydney pub. The court was told Packer knocked the man to the ground and then punched and kicked him, leaving him with two fractures, including his eye socket.
Wicks spent 18 months behind bars after being convicted on charges or supply and possession of illegal drugs.
Matt Lodge … well, if anyone doesn’t know what he did in an alcohol and pill-induced rampage in New York, they’ve been living under a rock for the past month. As one commentator put it this week, “he’s played 15 games and he’s had more publicity than Dally Messenger”.
Now I’m not commenting on the rights or wrongs of those three being allowed back into the NRL, other than to say that the behaviour of Tigers’ cocaptain Packer has been exemplary since his return; Wicks gave good service to the Eels before opting out for a quiet life and Lodge is making all the right noises at this early stage of his redemption.
What I am saying is, you can’t have one rule for one (or three) and one rule for another.
I asked Carney whether he felt he deserved another chance.
“I haven’t been in jail, haven’t bashed my wife, haven’t sold drugs to kids or done drugs, and those are players who seem to be allowed back in,” he said.
“It annoyed me when people said when I got into trouble that, ‘it’s the crowd you hang around with’. I don’t agree … A lot of the things that have happened to me are purely my error of judgment and I’ve put my hand up … I have learned from my mistakes. People will say they’ve heard that all before and they’ll keep saying it until I prove it.”
Those comments were made in January 2015 when he had just joined Catalans in France, but he did make a point that is just as valid today.
On the scale of indictable offences, Carney’s misbehaviour has ranged from stunning stupidity to driving under the influence. But the fact is, nothing he has done – and it’s a list as long as his arm – has been judged serious enough to see him locked up for more than a few hours.
True, setting someone’s trousers on fire or drinking your own urine isn’t the type of behaviour you would expect of a Dally M winner, but is it worse than drug dealing or assault?
Surely the NRL must say “welcome back Toddy”.
It’s called precedent.