Tuqiri, ARU settle out of court

[jargan83]

Lote Tuqiri banned from returning to NRL unless he comes clean

By Paul Kent

August 26, 2009

The NRL has worked too hard and suffered too many bruises to allow Lote Tuqiri to play rugby league.

Unless he comes clean.

NRL boss David Gallop on Tuesday night closed the door on Tuqiri returning to the NRL unless he is willing to reveal what it was that got him sacked by the Australian Rugby Union.

Unless that happens, Tuqiri's only option is to play overseas.

Gallop is absolutely correct.

"We owe it to our stakeholders, particularly our players, who we hold accountable for their behaviour, to understand the reasons for his contract being terminated before we would consider registering him to play in our competition," Gallop said.

Gallop was careful but specific in his language. The door is shut and only Tuqiri can produce the key.

There are some who might think this is rich coming from the NRL, which has seen enormous damage to its game, most of it self-inflicted.

But through all the damage the NRL has acted with the greatest integrity to its fans. It has left them in no doubt as to its stance on what constitutes acceptable behaviour.

When Sydney Roosters prop Nate Myles mistook the hallway at Terrigal's Crowne Plaza for Schlossy's shoe in July, the NRL released the details itself. It said: "This is what he did and this is his punishment."

In doing so it reinforced the contract between the game and its fans about acceptable behaviour.

How can the NRL and its clubs suspend Myles, stand down Brett Stewart, Jake Friend and Greg Inglis, drop Willie Mason, ban Reni Maitua, sack Brett Seymour, deregister Greg Bird, and allow Lote to play?

What he did might be worse than all of them. Or it might not.

For that reason, the ARU can't be so proud.

From the start, John O'Neill and his merry men said they would not release details of Tuqiri's offence - but invited Tuqiri to, if he so wished.

Tuqiri remained silent. Yet in taking that stance the ARU broke the bonds of trust between itself and its fans.

It said to every rugby fan "trust us, we know what's good for you".

But do they? And should it be the ARU's decision?

That they were aware of this break in trust, and still carried on with it regardless, reflects their concern for what happened.

Yet it achieved nothing.

It simply left the whole mess open to rumour and innuendo, with little of it favourable for Tuqiri or the ARU.

Most of all, it treated long-suffering rugby fans as mugs.

The ARU board is there for the game. The game is not there for them.

It can be confirmed, 100 per cent, that Tuqiri's roommate while in Canberra with the Wallabies, Richard Brown, was interviewed by the ARU.


Yet Brown will not reveal even to teammates what it was about.

The only public statement came from the Rugby Union Players Association, denouncing the ARU for its handling of the issue. Yet RUPA waited almost a week to voice itself - and then only hours before court papers were lodged that muzzled further comment because of legal restrictions.

You think they didn't know that was coming?

What it all means is that Lote Tuqiri is lost to Australian football. There is no way the NRL can in good faith register him now.

Unless he tells what happened


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225766156408

[shasta]

So I guess you are a Lote lover by the sound of it.

I would rather the ARU lose money like this then lose money because a high profile player and pin up boy continually brings the game into disrepute. IMHO

I can't speak for Mud, but I certainly don't really admire Tuqiri as a person. Though I disagree with others around here as to his ability on the field. That has nothing at all to do with what has occurred.

What I would like to know is whether the ARU and in particular JON has wasted a very large sum of money that could be put to better use or whether they acted properly. Tuqiri's past indiscretions have been gone over before and were nothing that brought the code into disrepute. They were 2 & 4 years in the past at the time. There would need to have been a very high end offense to justify what has been done. IMHO.

If sports administrators were to make a habit of dealing with off-field incidents by coughing up large settlements and swearing all parties to secrecy, where would that leave their credibility and accountability??

[AndyS]

Probably in the same boat as the AFL, with their long list of players on varying numbers of drug warnings.

I would also like to know how well the ARU has performed, but at the same time I think had they told everyone what Lote had done it would have cost them more. The Australian is saying $2M, but the Herald is saying less than $1M (http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...001928221.html), and we'll probably never really know.

[shasta]

and we'll probably never really know.

Well that's what's wrong, to me anyway. The people running the game should be seen as doing it properly, not doing secret deals. If they are not answerable to us punters they must at least have to explain their actions to their constitutional stakeholders. If that's the case, it's unlikely to be a secret for long. They probably owe an explanation to the other players, too. They are unlikely to get one.

[sandgroperrugby]

In my opinion if whatever Lote did was enough for him to stop talking to the media (which we all wish he had done before the incident) it means whatever happened was deemed to be damaging to him. If it was something trivial and the other indiscretions had tipped the balance then he would have been able to blab to the media prior to the court order, and thus let the media, rugby public and rugby players bully the ARU/NSWRU into submission. The ARU doesn’t want it to come out because it is still demeaning obviously to the code in Australia when a high profile player does something wrong.

There is enough talent in Australia to cover the wing position which is undoubtable the best position for Lote leading into the RWC 2011.

These include:

Drew Mitchell
Peter Hynes
Lachlan Turner
Nic Cummins
Digby Ioane
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Cameron Shepherd

Problem is at the moment three of these guys are injured! For my liking Digby would have been a definite starter this test season.

[jargan83]

If it was something trivial and the other indiscretions had tipped the balance then he would have been able to blab to the media prior to the court order, and thus let the media, rugby public and rugby players bully the ARU/NSWRU into submission. The ARU doesn’t want it to come out because it is still demeaning obviously to the code in Australia when a high profile player does something wrong.

I wonder what the ARU will do if and when Lote comes clean should he pursue a return to Rugby League? Or will the NRL keep it quiet?

After reading a few of the reports at the time of the sacking, I don't think the NSWRU was all too happy to have to let him go

For my liking Digby would have been a definite starter this test season.

Your not wrong there

[KenyaQuin]

For that reason, the ARU can't be so proud.

From the start, John O'Neill and his merry men said they would not release details of Tuqiri's offence - but invited Tuqiri to, if he so wished.

Tuqiri remained silent. Yet in taking that stance the ARU broke the bonds of trust between itself and its fans.

It said to every rugby fan "trust us, we know what's good for you".

But do they? And should it be the ARU's decision?

That they were aware of this break in trust, and still carried on with it regardless, reflects their concern for what happened.

Yet it achieved nothing.

It simply left the whole mess open to rumour and innuendo, with little of it favourable for Tuqiri or the ARU.

Most of all, it treated long-suffering rugby fans as mugs.

The ARU board is there for the game. The game is not there for them.

I disagree with Paul.

I don't see how the ARU have "broken the bonds of trust" simply because it has chosen not to fully disclose the details of the incident. I can understand why the journos want the info released, and I can understand why the general public wants the info released but I doubt this would be in the best interests of the Game.

Do I think that the ARU will do what's in ITS best interests? Shit yeah.

Do I agree with the direction the ARU takes with regards to the game in Australia? Not always.

But do I still trust the ARU will do what it considers to be what's best for the game in Australia? Absolutely.

[bunter]

How about this. Lote caught with a girl in his hotel room contrary to team rules, John O'Neill has made no secret of wanting him out, a number of previous indiscetions, Lote walks for 7 - $800,000. Close I reckon.

[Stone Cold]

Can Lote play AFL? A certain Gold Coast team may be interested in another publicity stunt...

[Burgs]

Well he can't kick for starters Stone

You would think that the ARU won't be able to hide the figure in their Annual Budget Report.

I wonder if, as the signed Wallabies Coach for that period, Lote's people spoke with Robbie in estimating "anticipated match payments"...

[chiselhead]

How about this. Lote caught with a girl in his hotel room contrary to team rules, John O'Neill has made no secret of wanting him out, a number of previous indiscetions, Lote walks for 7 - $800,000. Close I reckon.

Close old boy
a 16YO XX chromosome, and disharmony between Lote and the coaching staff that the rest of the squad didn't tag in mungo style
$800K and both parties walk away satisfied but bitter
Costa lote back to minileague and plying scrubbers with bundy and coke at the minileagues club and talking up his origin chances.

[mudskipper]

Lote-gate hasn't left the current players with much confidence in the ARU administration... I reckon the players morale has been down ever since the Lote issue started... Additionally the ARU haven't been open with the players... No matter what conjecture people bring to the story, the fact is Lote’s council challenged the ARU and they settled to avoid a legal precedent…. and additional legal costs… just like every other work place unfair dismissal… business is not done in the public eye and if you leave it to a judge they’ll more likely be in favour of the plaintiff… because that's how the unfair dismissal laws are weighted…

As far as NRL CEO Gallop is concerned, Lote doesn’t have to tell him anything other than it was a contractual difference which was settled. Gallop wont be able to not take Lote back and get one back on Rugby union… EAsy free media for the NRL... watch this space, Gallop is just deflecting the Inglis assault issues in the press…

[shasta]

Can Lote play AFL? A certain Gold Coast team may be interested in another publicity stunt...

Mark Williams tried to recruit him to Port after the 2003 RWC.

[Stone Cold]

Well he can't kick for starters Stone ...

He can play full forward then...

[travelling_gerry]

Exclusive by James Hooper From: The Daily Telegraph August 27, 2009 3:57PM EXILED Wallaby Lote Tuqiri has fled Australia to source big-money rugby union deals internationally.

In a surprise development, the dual international flew out of Sydney this morning on a plane bound for Paris, where he is expected to meet former NSW Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie.

McKenzie is the coach at French Top 14 side Stade Francais, the Paris-based outfit where former Kangaroo centre Mark Gasnier has been learning the 15-man code for the past 11 months.

Before boarding the plane, Tuqiri contacted The Daily Telegraph to outline his latest move.

"I'm off to France for a few days to talk to some of the clubs over there, "he said.

"I'll let everyone know what's going on soon enough."

The Daily Telegraph understands Tuqiri has also spoken to ex-NRL star Craig Gower, who resides in the French resort town of Biarritz and plays for Bayonne in the French rugby competition.

The sacked Wallaby is also expected to hold talks with Bayonne before returning home to Australia next week.

The latest move comes four days after Tuqiri settled his unfair dismissal case against the Australian Rugby Union, where the football star was paid an undisclosed amount and both parties signed a confidentiality clause.

Tuqiri was sacked by the Australian Rugby Union following an incident at the Wallabies' team hotel in Canberra in June.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225766824184