Communication Breakdown Causes Great Divide (2017)

“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate”

In recent years the media has complained about not getting the sort of access to NRL players and officials enjoyed by media personnel in other sports and countries.

And they were right. But the problem isn’t that they don’t have the same access, it’s a distrust in the media by clubs, players and officials caused by the denigrating reporting and attitude of the media in recent years towards the game.

Many mainstream media personnel simply don’t like or respect the game and it’s players anywhere near enough and, in turn, the game doesn’t respect them. It’s the most backwards and ignorant attitude to have from people who want to be rugby league reporters. For some of these people, they are out to get a scoop and try and get famous instead of doing their job properly.

A quick look to how the media and the sport of AFL work together shows just how good it could be. But instead the vicious circle of heaping hatred and distrust upon each other in Rugby League is only going to be detrimental to both the media and the game.

Last weekend the Wests Tigers suffered a heavy defeat. The post-match press conference, however, inevitably saw the coach and captain pummelled with questions about deregistered player Tim Simona. Jason Taylor stated that he nor Aaron Woods would be answering questions about Simona until the next week. He was then asked a few more questions before have to again assert that no comment was going to be made about the Simona situation. After a brief period of talking about the game, another question about Simona came up, after which Taylor and Woods just stood up and left.

Naturally, the media focussed on the departure from the press conference. This is only the most recent incident where the media try to manufacture negative news about the game. One of the best examples came in 2012 when the Bulldogs held their Mad Monday celebrations behind locked doors at Belmore Sports Ground. What transpired was Channel 9 sending a helicopter over the venue to get images of what was going on, while sending a crime reporter to the venue to ask questions. She was obscenely and wrongly abused by some of the people inside the venue. But if the media hadn’t turned up and prodded them with a stick, then the attacks wouldn’t have happened. But they did and the media had a story to cover about the poor woman and the arsehole rugby league players.

This nasty incident showed brilliantly this distrust and arguably hatred between the two. It surfaced again publicly in 2014 when South Sydney player Ben Te’o refused to take questions from Danny Weidler, then footage showed Te’o speaking to Weidler after the presser, telling him to never ask him questions before calling him a germ.

When you also consider the hostile relationship between News Ltd columnist, the late Rebecca Wilson and rugby league fans as well, you can see that the animosity has spread into the wider rugby league community.

You can find countless more examples, but at the end of the day what needs to be sought is some sort of truce between the two. If the mainstream media can stop doing what it can to dig up filth about the game and then drag it out ad nauseum, opting to be reasonable and respectable about stories, good and bad, then the NRL will be more inclined to trust the media and be more open to allowing players and officials a wider media exposure, which will benefit both parties much more.

 ****This article appeared on Commentary Box Sports website on  March 15, 2017****

Media Tactics Weak As Pearce (2016)

It’s abundantly clear that Mitchell Pearce cannot handle the drink. On Australia Day he was caught on video simulating a sex act with dog. He was wearing pants and no sex took place. That is the only upside to this story, especially given his inebriated state and mindset.

Some will argue, if it was any ‘Johnny Come Lately’, no one would give a toss. While that may be correct, it still doesn’t justify the actions.

Others will say it was a moment of stupidity and nothing more. While that may be correct, it still doesn’t justify the actions.

Fact is, a drunken Mitchell Pearce is an absolute moron. Sober, he’s not a bad bloke.

Many have described Todd Carney in a very similar manner.

The NRL missed the opportunity to properly assist Carney. Now Mitchell Pearce has given them a chance to do things right.

Pearce should be sat out of the game for the entire season, given a minder and made, via counselling and rehabilitation, to stop drinking entirely. He can take it up again when he retires. His club can take the cost of all this out of his wages.

He should be fined and the money should be split between the White Ribbon Organisation and the RSPCA. He should also be made to go and spend time mending the bridges he has burnt through his moronic acts.

The other pathetic aspect to this story is the over-hyped emphasis placed on it via Channel Nine’s A Current Affair and leading newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

The self-proclaimed “Home of Rugby League” is flogging this story for all it can. It all began with Channel 7’s Josh Massoud using the old trick of not explaining what Pearce did to the dog to really emphasise an horribly depraved act Pearce committed on the dog, when in actual fact, it was not as bad.

Massoud refused to explain what happened. He could have said, “Pearce simulated a sex act with the dog,” but instead opted to hype the story further.

Channel Nine took the ball and ran with it, in their ever-obvious showing of oneupmanship with Channel 7, by having the nation’s “best interviewer”, Tracey Someone, not interview anyone and drag the story out over three nights (and on the fourth day they placed a poll on their website).

As for The Daily Telegraph, they are literally taking the Pearce. Having Rebecca Wilson, who has reportedly been guilty of drink-driving in the past, an act which places people’s lives in danger, has written a piece being critical of Mitchell Pearce, with the byline, “He needs to see what real life is like,” as if she actually knows.

Mitchell has only disgraced himself. No one else. He hasn’t endangered anyone’s life. He hasn’t committed a crime even. He’s just acted like a drunken simpleton. We cannot call this game a professional sport with stupid rubbish like this going on.

 
But the media personnel mentioned have hardly been balanced and every day they continue trying to force this story down our throats as if it’s the worst act ever committed.

**This article appeared on the Commentary Box Sports Website**

Tumultuous Thursday - Bulldogs, Media & Mad Monday (2012)

A great year of record breaking Rugby League culminated on the weekend when the Melbourne Storm overcame all the setbacks of their salary cap breaching penalties, to defeat this seasons fans favourite, the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in a grand final that gave us everything.

And as is the case for sporting teams in varying codes all around the world, once their season has finished, they indulge in just one day of fun, unwinding, relaxation and a few beers (and a few more) with their team mates to celebrate the season, whether good, bad or indifferent. This is known as Mad Monday.

Similarly, it is just like the staff Christmas parties we mere fans have every year. Even the news media organisations have them. They are not just unique to sporting teams. Occasionally and unfortunately, mistakes and stupid actions will happen at these events.

Sadly, some unsavory comments were made at the Bulldogs mad Monday celebrations this week to a female news reporter. The comments were unjustified, moronic, vulgar and just downright stupid.

However the question has to be asked, why was the media trying to get access to the players at a closed mad Monday celebration?

A celebration held behind closed doors, which the Bulldogs should have been praised for, as it was clearly their attempt to ensure that no matter what mischief the players got up to, it wouldn't affect the public.

A celebration which the media was not invited to.

So why was a helicopter circling above the venue? Why was a crime reporter on the scene where no crime had been reported?

If the media people involved in this incident didn't attend the venue, there would be no story. They created this story for the ensuing publicity it has received. Some may argue that this piece indeed is just another example of taking the bait. However, I believe a stance has to be taken against this despicable type of 'journalism'.

Some prominent people in the media no longer solely report on the news, they also antagonise until something happens and then like the hypocrites they are, get on their moral high horse and write up pieces about how deplorable the players are.

For some of these media people, they watched the comedy TV series "Frontline" and saw it as an instructional manual.

While the Bulldogs are right to investigate the situation and issue punishments accordingly, where is the same investigation into the behavior of the media people who actually contributed to this incident?

Rebecca Wilson's comments about Brett Stewart when he was wrongly accused of sexual harassment alone were deplorable. Yet she was never questioned, fined, suspended or forced to apologise for her actions. Stewart's life was turned upside down and his public image has been forever tarnished, exacerbated further by Wilson's tirades.

Instead of being punished, Wilson, gets paid. She gets paid to run her uneducated, simplistic, biased, anti-Rugby League agenda, yet is never accountable for her actions. 

Being public figures for professional athletes is a consequence of their profession. People in news media are professional public figures. Yet some of them say much more despicable things than what was said at the Bulldogs mad Monday celebrations.

Alan Jones' recent comments about Julia Gillard spring to mind.

There are some people in the media now who do anything to 'get' a story, sometimes going to extraordinary lengths to 'make' a story, yet they are not brought to question.

If an organisation, including sports clubs and media outlets, is holding a private function, closed to the public, then that should mean all public, including the media, are not allowed to attend unless invited.

The 'Brains Trust' meets 'The Reality' (2011)

Rupert: Welcome all to this meeting for rugby league's best known writers and journalists. The purpose of today’s meeting is to work out what controversies we will be publishing in 2012

*A ringing phone interrupts Rupert*

Rupert: Excuse me *answers phone* Matt, your wife just left a message on your mobile, wants you to pick up some milk on your way home.

Logue: Hey? What the...!
Rupert: Shh. Ok, where was I? Oh yes, 2012 controversies. What stories have we all been working on?
Tsialis: I've got a great piece about Akuila Uate and the lengths he went to as a kid to get himself involved in rugby league, whether just to watch it on television, or even just to play.
Wilson: And?
Tsialis: And what?
Rupert: I think what Becky is trying to say is, on a range of one to ten on how exciting your story is, it scores a gaping wide, yawning zero.
Wilson: Was he drunk?
Tsialis: Drunk? What? No! He was seven years old!
Rupert: Was he assaulting a woman?
Tsialis: No!
Wilson: Scrap it. I've got a great piece about Todd Carney...
Rupert: Can we get someone else Becky, please? Todd's a bit worn out now, people are used to his name being synonymous with disheveled antics, we need someone new, someone untarnished.
Rothfield: How about Hindmarsh?
Wilson: Okay, Hindmarsh then. Anyways, he was out on the drink, went to the Turkish Embassy, did a poo on the doorstep while naked, used their flag to wipe his bottom, ran around with a bra on his head, punched a priest, urinated on a bus full of schoolgirls and assaulted an ageing female librarian.
Logue: Oh my God! I can’t believe Hindy would do such a thing. When did that happen?
Wilson: Happen?
Rupert: Huh?
Logue: When did Hindmarsh do all of that?
Wilson: Sorry, I’m missing your premise entirely.
Tsialis: Did this actually happen?
Rothfield: You people are idiots.
Wilson: It doesn’t matter if this happened.
Rupert: Sorry Matt, I'm not sure you understand the purpose of this meeting.
Weidler: I have a scoop!
Rothfield: What is it?
Weidler: Paul Gallen is going to be the Sharks captain in 2011.
Logue: It already is 2011 and he’s already their captain.
Weidler: Ah-ha! I was right. My mail is always right.
Tsialis: It’s not right, it’s late.
Weidler: Last time I checked Maria, late wasn’t the opposite of right.
Rothfield: All of the Dragons players are rapists. I say hang them all.
Logue: Are you sure about that?
Rothfield: Well that’s my opinion. Thus it must clearly be true.
Logue: I don't think that is good enough to be completely honest.
Rupert: No Matt, Phil is right.
Rothfield: Furthermore, Thurston is not tough enough for rep footy anymore.
Tsialis: He’s been playing great this year!
Rothfield: Yeah, but he’s soft.
Logue: How many NRL games have you played Phil?
Rothfield: Sorry, I’m missing your premise entirely.
Weidler: I just got some more news, hot off the press!
Wilson: What have you got for us Danny boy?
Weidler: Ummmmmmmm…..
Tsialis: You don’t have anything do you?
Weidler: No…yeah I do, I’m just trying to remember it. I thought up a good one.

*five minutes of silence*

Weidler: Ah-ha! I got it! Darren Lockyer will play for the Western Reds in 2011.

Rupert: Great stuff Daniel, however I think you should focus your attention on 2012.
Weidler: Oh. Right. Darren Lockyer will play for the Adelaide Rams in 2012.
Rupert: That’s better!

*Rupert gives Danny a gold star and a lollipop. Danny sits in the corner contented*

Logue: So at what stage will anyone actually speak to players about upcoming stories?
Rupert: Why would we do that?
Logue: Well that’s where the stories are, obviously.
Rupert: Sorry, I’m missing your premise entirely.
Wilson: I’m sorry Matt but I don’t think you’ve grasped this concept at all.
Logue: Well it seems to me that if we want to report the goings-on of Rugby League and its players, we should be speaking with people in Rugby League and its players.
Wilson: Is that what they are teaching you kids nowadays in journalism school?

*phone rings*

Tsialis: Excuse me; I just have to take this.
Rupert: Its ok Maria, I'll get it.

*Rupert pulls out his own phone and answers Maria’s call*

Rupert: Telemarketers, I hate those scammers! There’s nothing they won’t do to try and con me into giving them my money!

**Maria Tsialis and Matt Logue did not give permission for their names to be used in this article. I couldn't care less about whether Rothfield, Wilson and co agree to it or not - They are a bunch of fuckwits and do not deserve one iota of respect. Tsialis and Logue are true League writers and their colleagues work) shits over anything the newspapers and their scumbags 'journo's' can ever trundle out.**