Yesterday proposed fines were handed down by the NRL to three Panthers players, Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton and Tyrone May.
The defences if you will against Cleary and Crichton I will move on from and forgive, the players have the right to defend themselves on the charge of disrespecting the game, but I think the NRL have got it right, these are quite extraordinary times.
But, the Tyrone May case has reached a head.
Not only was he fined for his social media post, but he’s been stood down from the Panthers.
Stood down in the off-season, some would say for what? Was it because of his post?
Perception shows he has little remorse for his crimes that saw him a whisker away from going to jail.
Let me remind you the magistrate at the time had said Tyrone May had shown ‘little remorse’, I doubt if the magistrate if they were asked today would think any different.
I will note at this point, this is an interesting situation as we know Tyrone May is best mates with Nathan Cleary, the coach’s son, but none of that need matter.
We need to know as a game what do Penrith as a club stand for? What are Panthers standards.
Do Penrith owe Tyrone May anything? I say they don’t owe him a damn thing.
The club has to be bigger than any one player.
I said at the time of the offence, if I was Penrith I would’ve sacked him on the basis that this is not what we stand for.
That would have been a marker for the club showing what they stand for.
I’m sick to death of clubs trotting out the line that they’ll do what they can to help the player, blah, blah, blah.
No, I believe that ends up sheltering the player from the real world.
I think there’s evidence right now of Tyrone May as evidenced by what he put out post the Grand Final. He is living a sheltered existence, sheltered by the force field that’s around rugby league clubs.
Whatever help the player got in this instance, Tyrone May, based on his social media post putting it out there just hours after what should’ve been one of the best moments in his life – winning a Grand Final – proved he has learned nothing. None of it helped.
Players are employees, not role models in my book, but employees of organisations that see in their role to set examples and be a positive influence in the community.
That’s part of the unofficial charter of a rugby league club and teams.
Another question right now. In what capacity would the Penrith Panthers have Tyrone May represent them in any community activity?
Would Tyrone May have been stood down from the Grand Final if the post came out Grand Final week?
If you are standing him down now because of a social media post – a short post on social media – then surely he needed to be sacked at the time.
He is a grown man, he is owed nothing by the game or by his club.
Spare me the mental health card, spare me the bleeding heart, face this one head on.
Panthers, you are the champion rugby league club on the field for 2021 and deservedly so.
Now, you need to prove yourselves as a leader off it.
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