What should the 'punishment' be?

[Darren]

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I was going to try and phrase this generically, but why skirt the issue.

If Force players are found to have committed offences as reported in teh SMH - what should the punishment be?

I originally thought sacking them was the only option, but upon reflection wondered if this would be cutting off our noses despite our face - they could possibly just move to another union. I'm more inclined to go with suspension or some other internal discipline in addtition to HEFTY community service in a related community group. By hefty I mean in the region of 400 hours (one full day a week for a year)

[Edit: The following added in response to post below]
I'm going on worse case scenario: 4-5 players abusing animals (the whole catching with a milk crate swan dive, swinging by tail thing).

The reason I'm posting this when the allegations are yet to be proved is that if the worse does happen, perhaps if anyone out there reads this place they may see there are options other than immediately ripping up a contract. TWF probably has a good cross section of supporters and may provide some sort of feeling for supporter back lash should the allegations be founded.

If the allegations do prove to be unfounded we can breathe a sigh of relief and go back to bashing the SMH with renewed rigor...

[brokendown gunfighter]

until we know exactly what took place,it would be too difficult to make a judgment

[Darren]

I'm going on worse case scenario: 4-5 players abusing animals (the whole catching with a milk crate swan dive, swinging by tail thing).

The reason I'm posting this when the allegations are yet to be proved is that if the worse does happen, perhaps if anyone out there reads this place they may see there are options other than immediately ripping up a contract. TWF probably has a good cross section of supporters and may provide some sort of feeling for supporter back lash should the allegations be founded.

If the allegations do prove to be unfounded we can breathe a sigh of relief and go back to bashing the SMH with renewed rigor...

[James]

I suppose it kind of depends who it was (if true)...

Someone like Sharpie or Scotts Staniforth and Fava are in senior leadership roles and if guilty should know better and should be sent packing.

Someone quite junior like Sam Wykes, David Pocock or Nick Cummins who should know better but could be accused of mostly being young and stupid should get a severe slap on the wrist (community service plus a big fine) but perhaps not have their contract ripped up.

I guess people screw up and its better to teach them a very stern lesson rather than send them away and not ensure the lesson is learnt.

Cruelty to animals is a pretty horrible thing but I remember an article about an undisclosed Auckland Blues (and All Blacks) player who dragged his pregnant wife down the street by her hair and generally beat her and the player wasn't even dropped from either the Blues or the Blacks (in fact both he and his wife were still black and blue hahhaaha). Hmmm I don't really know which is worse though.

[Flamethrower]

If you did this after work would you be fired??
If these guys are guilty what would sacking them do. It would just re enforce the pedestal that they are for some reason placed on. Why aren't they allowed to be punished the same way as anyone else?

[LarryNJ]

One game suspension, $10,000 fine and whatever the law of the island punishment is.

[Darren]

that seems pretty light Larry...

[LarryNJ]

that seems pretty light Larry...

Well maybe I'm missing something. It doesn't say they hurt or killed any of the little creatures. They simply threw them around a little. Think about it, it's not like they were clubbing baby seals. I thought I was being pretty harsh. To terminate a contract just sounds way over kill. I'm assuming the average guymakes about $150,000. $10,000 fine and the % of salary lost from the suspension & fine from the island would be a big hit.

[Skiza]

If you did this after work would you be fired??
If these guys are guilty what would sacking them do. It would just re enforce the pedestal that they are for some reason placed on. Why aren't they allowed to be punished the same way as anyone else?

I see your point, however they were there on a work organised trip and though i think a firing would be too harsh in this case...nevertheless i think people could be fired if they acted up on a work trip.

[KenyaQuin]

Just listened to a lady on talk back radio who claims she witnessed the whole incident, however, missed the initial bits so not sure how she identified the culprits as Force players. In any case, she says they picked up the animals by the tails and whirled them around and was quite disgusted by their actions.

Pretty disappointing stuff. I look at it as similar to going home and doing the same thing to the family cat..who in their right mind would do that?

I think the punishment has to be severe enough to show the organisation has a zero tolerance for such behaviour and to placate the community at large. A significant suspension of 4-6 games + a full season of community service involving duties at an animal shelter or such like sounds quite reasonable to me.

[Thequeerone]

Whoever it is has to be named - so that the innocent Western force players aren't tarnished with the same brush - some of the more senior guys must be really really shaking their heads

[Darren]

With the last couple articles to come out, I'd expect something before the weekend...

[inactive]

I wish they would just come out and say who it is at least

[KenyaQuin]

Whoever it is has to be named - so that the innocent Western force players aren't tarnished with the same brush - some of the more senior guys must be really really shaking their heads

They'll be shaking their heads even more now that we know that its one or two of them senior players..

[hopep]

KQ - what station was the talk-back lady on?
How come people ring up radio stations but not the police/rangers etc. A week of investigations and still no 'evidence' just a claim. So hard to 'unthrow' mud.