Matthew Johns stood down over sex scandal

[Flamethrower]

Matthew Johns stood down over sex scandal
13/05/2009

Embattled rugby league personality Matthew Johns has been stood down indefinitely from his on-air commitments with Channel Nine and his coaching role with NRL club Melbourne Storm.

Johns' future has been under a cloud since the ABC's Four Corners programme aired allegations about his involvement in a 2002 group sex incident in New Zealand while he was playing for Cronulla.

Channel Nine chief executive David Gyngell said on Wednesday the decision was by mutual agreement "and in the best interests of the Nine network, the game and its supporters, Matthew Johns and his family".

"The fact is, whatever the arguments about the details of the New Zealand incident involving Cronulla players in 2002, the conduct and its aftermath was simply unacceptable, fullstop," Gyngell said in a statement.

"I fully endorse (NRL chief executive) David Gallop's comments concerning the indefensible conduct of some players and the lack of respect for women ............

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/2408912...er-sex-scandal

[fulvio sammut]

What went on tour became manure.

[Cookie]

Im still trying to work out what he did wrong.The sex was consentual for him and one other so he didnt do anything wrong, the other 4 should be held accountable if it wasnt consentual.
the only thing hes done wrong is to be unfaithful to his wife.....he wouldnt be the only leaguie to do that and probably not be the last.Huge price to pay.

[Darren]

the decision was by mutual agreement

Seems he feels he has done something wrong....

[Swee_82]

Seems he feels he has done something wrong....

Or he's aware of the PR implications of not doing so...

[mudskipper]

I heard there were 2 hookers in the room as well... and a bunch of Sharks...

[James]

Im still trying to work out what he did wrong.

Are you flipping serious?!

Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean its not completely and utterly morally wrong. Whether consensual or not a team of players and some coaching staff performing those kinds of sex acts on a then 18 year old girl is horrendously inappropriate. He was 30 years old at the time and was a role model for the younger members of his team and he was something of a ring leader in the whole affair. Imagine how the poor girl must feel now, and sure she never said no but it wouldn't be the first time a young woman made a very serious mistake and a decent person should never take advantage of that and do what was done. She ended up being treated with a total lack of dignity and it wouldn't surprise me if Johns' involvement in this incident was the catalyst for subsequent mistreatment of women.

[Cowboy]

BURN HIM AT THE STAKE, and the rest of them.

[Darren]

No one is being burnt. If you're a public figure, you have to be careful what you do with your public, otherwise you risk losing your "public figure" position - which seems to be the case here. Sounds like a fair cop to me...

[jargan83]

why did it take her 7 years to come forward publicly?

[travelling_gerry]

Interview on A Current Affair....

Tracy Grimshaw interviewing Matthew Johns in a real tear jerker.



Call me a skeptic...

Clients on The Fordham Company’s books include television and radio personalities John Laws, Lisa Wilkinson, Karl Stefanovic, Tracy Grimshaw, Ben Fordham, Greg Alexander, Tim Webster, Steve Liebmann, Peter FitzSimons, Matthew Johns, Mark Taylor and Ian Chappell; sporting legends Andrew Johns, Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy, Paul Roos, Matthew Burke, Bob Dwyer, Glen Boss, John Mitchell and Cameron Shepherd and corporate presenters Dr Ross Walker and Anne Fulwood.

[benny]

Tracey Grimshaw + Kiwi Girl = No need for them

Matty Johns = i'll support.

I think someone has 7 years of 'being tight' (with money) now with this story she is better off and ruining John's life after all this time.

[James]

ruining John's life after all this time.

Look I don't know how you were brought up Benny but if anyone ruined Johns' life it was himself. He confessed the fact that he was in the room and was involved in making suggestion as to what the boys should 'do' with her. That makes him a complete dropkick in my books.

Who cares when she came out about it. It happened and it was wrong. End of.

[Darren]

This is a no win arguement on ALL sides, so I will likely close this thread soon, but how long do you think a girl should wait after having consentual sex with a national hero (to some, if not many), and then, in his presence, being ultimately raped by 4 rugby league players before coming forward?

However, I don't think the media is the arena such cases should be played out in.

What made me shake my head the most was the interviews with players who are on NRL spopnsored courses about such things - one comment along the lines of "It's OK to have group sex with a young girl - we just have to treat her nice afterwards"

Yep, that's right - rugby league players (role models, public figures) can get together in gangs of half a dozen and root drunk young girls [who consented somewhere along the line] silly as much as they like - just so long and they be nice send her home in a cab afterwards....

[James]

Perhaps it would be best to close the thread Coach. I doubt anyone is going to change their opinions on the issue. If anyone is out of the loop and interested you can find the script of the ABC program at http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/conte...9/s2567972.htm