Court cases wearing down NRL patience
One-day results merit-worthy but Black Caps have more homework to do yet
In 2015, NSW premier Mike Baird was so outraged by domestic violence allegations against Shaun Kenny-Dowall that he phoned NRL CEO Dave Smith and urged him to “show some leadership” by standing down the Sydney Roosters winger mid-season. Weeks before the start of the 2016 season, and seven months after Baird had demanded Smith take immediate action, Kenny- Dowall was found not guilty of 11 charges after a three-day trial in Downing Centre Local Court. The withdrawal of false domestic violence allegations against Hazem El Masri a few weeks later sparked another attack on the NRL for suspending the Canterbury great from ambassador roles with the game and club until he was exonerated. “Instead of waiting for the law to decide, the NRL’s actions branded Hazem guilty in the court of public opinion,” El Masri’s former wife, Arwa Abousamra, said. Kenny-Dowall and El Masri are examples of the no-win situation the NRL faces when players are charged with serious offences, such as those faced by St George Illawarra forward Jack de Belin and former Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne. The sexual assault allegations detailed against de Belin in Wollongong Court on Tuesday and Hayne in Newcastle Court on Wednesday are abhorrent and damaging to the game’s image, but both have pleaded not guilty. Hayne does not have a contract for this season so the NRL does not have to consider action against him but de Belin will not be stood down until he gets the opportunity to plead his case. If de Belin was banned from playing and later found not guilty, the NSW forward may be able to argue he was denied the opportunity to earn $90,000 in this year’s State of Origin series and had also suffered reputational damage. It may not be a popular decision but most in the game can still remember the fall-out from the four-match suspension imposed on Manly fullback Brett Stewart at the start of the 2009 season after he was charged with sexual assault — only for a court to acquit him 18 months later. While the ban was officially for breaching the NRL code of conduct at a boozy Manly season launch, no other player was suspended and the decision caused a lingering ill will that spilled over when Stewart and his brother Glenn confronted NRL CEO David Gallop on stage after the Sea Eagles won the 2011 grand final. The NRL does not have the capacity to investigate criminal matters and prefers to wait until they have been dealt with by the judicial system, which has prosecutors, judges, juries and other resources to help determine guilt. In instances where a player admits guilt, such as the drinkdriving charge against Greg Inglis last October, the NRL is able to take immediate action and he was denied the honour of captaining Australia after being banned from the two tests against New Zealand and Tonga, as well as incurring a $20,000 fine. Canberra star Jack Wighton had been allowed to play last season after indicating he would plead not guilty to assault charges but he later changed his plea in court and the NRL handed him a seasonending 10-match ban and $30,000 fine. It remains a possibility that Ben Barba will be charged by police over domestic violence allegations at a Townsville casino on Australian Day but the NRL and North Queensland were able to effectively put an end to his career after viewing video footage of the incident. If an incident is on video, it is easier for the NRL to act and CCTV footage also enabled the NRL to slap a $25,000 fine on Canterbury forward Adam Elliott over his Mad Monday antics after being photographed dancing naked at a Sydney hotel. The NRL won’t take action against de Belin now but if found guilty the 27-year-old can expect heavy sanctions and like Barba his time in the game will likely be over.
What do the “mock exams” against Bangladesh and India tell us about the Black Caps’ readiness for the big test of the impending limited-overs ICC World Cup in England from May to July? It was a predictably sedate eightwicket victory over Bangladesh in the opening one-day international at McLean Park, Napier, on Wednesday and some will argue such mundane but cathartic exercises are necessary in sharpening the pencil, as it were, during dress rehearsals. The 4-1 flogging at the hands of India here in the preceding ODI series in the country perhaps demanded the chance for a mental and psychological tonic that Bangladesh offer. But the prudent will argue exorcising the demons requires more than a game of hammering in positives and driving out negatives. Just as the three-match Twenty20 affair against India, which the New Zealanders clinched 2-1, was a meaningless exercise so is going through the motions with the Banga Boys in the remaining two ODIs. That, of course, does not mean the tourists are about to lose their aura as giant-killers any time soon — as the Black Caps will attest after the deep cut Bangladesh inflicted on them in Cardiff, Wales, before they were unceremoniously bundled out of the ICC Champions in June 2017. Having won the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh skipper Masrafee Bin Mortaza’s men scrambled to 233 — clawing their way back from 94-6 — before they were skittled on a wicket that made it painfully obvious batsmen would have to get themselves out with irrational shots rather than break into a sweat on a balmy Hawke’s Bay day trying to get themselves in. The bumper crowd that had packed out McLean Park in the India opener was conspicuous by its absence — understandably — against a side which had succumbed to its 11th defeat on New Zealand soil. Even the weather gods had granted leniency in ensuring the arc of the blazing sun, notorious for blinding batsmen and fielders facing the Chapman Stand, was lower than usual. However, century maker Martin Guptill said it did bother him. “I just sort of batted through it. I have batted that time before but you can just push on through it.” Guptill accepted it was playable and it did help that the New Zealanders were batting for time and not facing someone of the ilk of speedster Lockie Ferguson. Damningly the tourists, despite posting a record eight-wicket partnership of 84 runs between Mohammad Mithun and Mohammad Saifuddin against all opposition, were seven balls shy of completing their allotted 50 overs. But, as coach Gary Stead had declared in his pre-match interview, the series was more about what the Black Caps intended to do after the India brainstorming session than any threats Bangladesh were going to pose — world-class Shakib Al Hasan or not. Guptill’s unbeaten 117 to post his 15th ODI ton is commendable but certainly not remarkable. The 32-year-old took 103 deliveries, including eight boundaries and four sixes, for his milestone in helping eclipse a modest target on a ground where even India’s women felt they were capable of eking out 300 runs. That isn’t to rub the sheen off Trent Boult and his ball-shining gang’s brilliant effort in restricting the tourists to a below-par total. Guptill was returning from a back injury after bowing out against India on a slim run of 5, 15, 13 and 14 although that lean patch goes back another two games. Guptill expected his back to be a little stiff after 192 minutes on a “low/ slow” wicket. Emphasising what had happened in Wellington was a “freak injury”, he said it was always satisfying to help the Black Caps cross the line. What came through resoundingly was a game of patience, which was in contradiction to “the natural game” he said the Black Caps wished to employ from ball one. “It was set by the bowlers who set the tone, at the end of the day, to make sure Bangladesh weren’t going to get away from us.” Boult claimed 3-40 and Matt Henry 2-48 although the latter had hobbled back to his run up after his first delivery. Guptill did not know whether Henry had done himself any serious harm after bowling through the pain with gritty resolve. The field, he said, was sharp and the 103-run partnership he had forged with promoted opener Henry Nicholls (53 runs) were pivotal. “We obviously pushed through a tough period because it wasn’t easy to bat out there today with the sun coming down as well [but] we were able to get through to make sure we were able to set the platform so it got a lot easier for us towards the end,” he said. Guptill gave a tick to his partnership with Nicholls but said he equally enjoyed opening with Colin de Grandhomme. “Cricket’s a funny game and it might not just work in the next game, so you never know.” Bin Mortaza agreed up to 300 runs were in the offing, lamenting his toporder batsmen’s inability to muster runs and complete their overs. “If we had scored 290 or 300 it would have been a different match,” he said. He and Tamin Iqbal Khan have a phobia of taking “small” domestic aircraft in New Zealand and have opted to travel to Christchurch tomorrow on a direct flight for the second ODI on Saturday. Bangladesh scribes said Bin Mortaza and Khan, who had a nervewracking experience at the capital airport in 2008, had opted to pay their own way rather than take the pre-booked flights, via Wellington, that New Zealand Cricket had organised. The pair had also opted to drive to Napier as well.