We have to talk about what happened on Tuesday with the Melbourne Storm players Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith and Chris Lewis. Both the punishments the NRL handed down, and the actions of the Storm club.
I have many questions and a few takes out of the whole mess. How else can you put it?
The biggest take is, does anyone believe this it's a satisfactory outcome? Does anyone believe right, that’s it, move on? That the game’s best interests have been served, the punishment is right and we move on.
Another take, and I know it was Grand Final week last week, but the delay in handling this, the lack of comment when the story broke, the old, ‘I haven’t spoken to them, I haven’t been able to get in touch with them’, yada yada.
That served no one any good, both the game and the club.
In hindsight, the way the Warriors got on the front foot with the Reece Walsh case shows getting on the front foot from the get-go is a far better approach.
I’ve listened to many points on this, and many good ones made by fans, journalists and commentators, I’ve also taken into account legal arguments, and that’s important.
In this case, we have a 10 second video, and nothing more, showing no criminal activity.
It is essentially a clip of some drunk blokes. A mystery white powder is detected on the table if you look close enough.
Neither the players, Integrity Unit or the club have given any clarification to what the substance was.
So, what have the players done? If you have no admissions and no evidence, what have they actually been punished for? So many questions.
The investigation just accepts the, ‘Can’t remember anything’, defence. What a benchmark for future investigations. That’s the card I’d play.
How does the Integrity Unit actually investigate, did they seek where this video was filmed? Do they attempt to get in touch with the others?
Cameron Munster, I wish him well, I say that sincerely, he is a super rugby league player.
I always look forward to my chats with him in a media-player situation, he’s a personality. Four weeks rehab beginning today, well that’s convenient, four weeks in the off-season.
You’re entitled to ask, hasn’t anyone observed this possible issue before now? They’ve been living in each other’s pockets for two years.
Brandon Smith, another terrific bloke to deal with in a media-player relationship, another great personality.
He’s one of the best players in the game, his words of remorse yesterday were genuine, the impact this has had on his family, but again the question, what was he actually admitting to?
It is so wrong that his family have had to put up with abuse and commentary directed at this because of this, so wrong, but you have to ask, how does how this was handled yesterday make it better for them?
What happened to the concussion protocol? Another question in the case of Brandon Smith.
We were told he failed a HIA in the Preliminary Final against Penrith, that means duty of care, no alcohol, no medication, he can’t even drive a car until he’s cleared by a doctor. You’re supposed to have another concussion test 24 hours later.
But here we’re told the player got so drunk in the next 24 hours that he can’t remember anything.
Chris Lewis, with the greatest of respect, who recognised him in the video? I didn’t and I still can’t.
Can you explain what he’s actually done here to be punished?
Bottom line, we’re told penalties are for bringing the game into disrepute, the Storm and their punishments are for bringing the club into disrepute.
My question this morning. Has the game been brought more into disrepute after yesterday than with the releasing of the video in the first instance?
Yet another episode of the never-ending soap opera that is rugby league.