The Soapbox

      It must be nearing the start of the new season or on the eve of finals because that is the only time when scandals seem to hit the League!!!

As if on queue, word hits the street that good ol Brandon Smith has come to the attention of the Po Po and has been charged with drug supply and also match fixing. Happy days!!! What is funny is that there are a number of Rooster players who are being mentioned in dispatches as well so this could prove to be very interesting…especially as Uncle Nick has come out earlier in the year and went public by saying that the Roosters will sack anyone caught indulging in the illicit substances like nose beers!!! If proven to be true, I would be VERY interested to see if the Chooks sack Victor…

I seem to say this every time there is a scandal, but here is the perfect chance for the NRL to make a stand!!! Here is the opportunity for the NRL to stand up and say we don’t care who you are, you are NOT above the law and we do not need you in our organisation tarnishing our reputation!!! Of course, they have to wait until it is proven first. 

What we don’t need to see is the way that they have handled some incidents in the past where a player gets stood down immediately but then later it is found that they are innocent or no charges have been laid. Whilst I have a zero tolerance for those players who want to dabble with illicit substances, we have to wait until all of the facts come out before taking action. We don’t need to see another knee-jerk reaction.

In saying that, if and when these allegations ARE proven, the NRL needs to act fast and they need to come down hard on all of the guilty parties!!! I have said this time and time again that even if it involves one of my beloved Bronco players, if you are charged with a crime then the NRL needs to start tearing up contracts. People like Mam should be shown the door and if found guilty, so should Smith and Radley and anyone else mixed up with this bullshit!!!

Well that’s what I think!!!