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Brawling Henjak faces sack
Wayne Smith | February 12, 2008 The Australian
FORMER Australia half-back Matt Henjak's career is hanging by a thread after an incident at a Fremantle hotel on Sunday that left his teammate Haig Sare with a broken jaw.
Sare is understood to have undergone surgery in a Perth hospital on Monday night to wire his jaw back together after a drinking session involving half a dozen Force players degenerated into pushing and shoving, and from there into a violent altercation between Sare and Henjak.
One source told The Australian that while Sare ended up in hospital, Henjak was so badly beaten "he looked like the Elephant Man".
The ugly episode is the latest in a long list of incidents involving Henjak who in 2005 became the first player since 1966 to be sent home in disgrace from a Wallabies tour after getting involved in an incident in a Cape Town nightclub.
It is understood there have been a number of other disciplinary matters involving Henjak during his two years in Perth.
Force was in crisis Monday night as officials wrestled with the problem of whether or not to allow the 26-year-old to board the plane today (Tuesday) for the team's three-match Super 14 tour of South Africa, opening with the match against last year's finalists, the Sharks, in Durban on Friday.
It is believed some officials were arguing that natural justice demanded that Henjak be allowed to tour until all the details of the incident were known.
Bolstering that argument is the fact that Henjak is the only experienced half-back in the touring party, unless Matt Giteau is drafted as the new No9, which would throw into chaos plans to have him direct operations from five-eighth.
Sources have revealed that coach John Mitchell's initial reaction on learning of the incident was to tear up Henjak's contract and expel him from the team, but he then realised that this would penalise the entire side.
Yet even if Henjak is given leave to tour and face a judiciary hearing on his return, all indications are his contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of the season.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill, who made his views on player discipline known right from the moment he suspended and fined Lote Tuqiri last year following an alcohol-related incident in Brisbane, was advised of the altercation on Monday night by Force acting chief executive Mitch Hardy.
"We have asked them to continue to review the situation and report back to us in the morning," O'Neill said. "Ultimately it's their call."
While the ARU might have no direct authority to get involved, O'Neill must be concerned by the long litany of indiscipline at Force.
Late last year Force players Scott Fava and Richard Brown were fined $11,000 and $5000 respectively for mistreating quokkas on a team bonding trip to Rottnest Island.
Henjak to tour with Force
By Tim Clarke, Henjak to tour with Force - Rugby - Fox Sports
February 12, 2008
WESTERN Force halfback Matt Henjak will start his team's first Super 14 game of the season in South Africa on Friday, despite being investigated over an altercation which left team-mate Haig Sare with a broken jaw.
Sare has withdrawn from the Force squad for the three-game tour after undergoing hospital treatment for his injuries.
He has undergone an operation to insert a plate into his face, and will miss at least six weeks of action.
He had been due to start the first game against the Sharks on Friday.
Acting Force CEO Mitch Hardy said Henjak would tour, with a disciplinary procedure carrying on in South Africa - and both players involved have been told their careers at the Force were at risk.
"Matt will go with the team ... at this point in time we are comfortable that we have carried sufficient interviews and investigations," Hardy said.
"Until that point in time Matt will be permitted to travel with the team, but there certainly is indications that a hearing will take place at some stage over the next one to two weeks so we can resolve this matter.
"You have got two player's careers that are on the line."
Coach John Mitchell said Henjak would start the Force's first game, despite his latest indiscretion.
"Yes he will ... he deserves his selection. The team has put an enormous amount of work in the season into this first fixture," Mitchell said.
"It would be totally unfair on everyone in the organisation and the team if weren't to select the best players to go on the field."
The fracas, which took place at the Left Bank cafe bar and restaurant in East Fremantle on Sunday, is the latest setback to Henjak's career.
The halfback was sent home from a Wallabies tour of South Africa in disgrace in 2005 after officials found he had thrown ice at a group of students in a Cape Town nightclub.
And late last year it was reported the Perth-based franchise secretly paid a South African national $15,000 - who then subsequently dropped police charges and a civil case over an alleged assault.
That incident was reported to have occurred in a South African nightclub while Henjak was on tour with the ACT Brumbies in 2004.
AAP
A summary of Omera's interview on 6PR this morning (sorry, this is the best I could come up with..see if I can get more in due course).
Western Force assault
Int: PETER O’MEARA, ex-CEO Western Force - situation very frustrating; club has invested a lot of time, money in consultant reports; Western Force unique in having to relocate rugby professionals from east to here; Henjak a terrific guy but has alcohol-management issues; sounded like joke that turned serious; Henjak’s contract almost torn up immediately; Henjak has given undertaking not to touch alcohol for rest of season.
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Yeah agreed. Interesting. Like everyone keeps saying it takes two. Plus there was the earlier article which alleged that whilst haig had the broken jaw henners looked pretty roughed up as well. Not sure about whether a complete alcohol ban will be effective but thanks for the report KQ
Somehow I dint think that it would of been sares fault but interesting to see two players careers on line
I'm not so surprised by that. I'd think that PR if nothing else would require that the CEO announce that a contract is on the line....if you don't have the details then surely everyone involved is at risk! I'd suggest that this line is also for the benefit of the players....we're playing hardball now, smarten up or you might be signing up in the dole queue on Monday!
I think this is the right approach at the moment, I was gutted by Quokkagate, and regardless of what has actually happened, this stinks just as bad. I'm happy to let the administration threaten and sack whoever they find guilty, the team need to be brought back to reality. It'll be a shame to see Henners go if that's the case though!
C'mon the![]()
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If they do decide to sack him, who would be brave enough to tell him?
War is Gods may of teaching Americans Geography
I bloody will haha
Sharpie should or someone who had all the players respect
Apparently there has been a bit of bad blood between the two for a while now so it hasn't come as much of a surprise that it all came to a head on Sunday night. That's the feeling I'm getting today from the staff but everyone is still disappointed and the players don't seem to happy either.
Watched Henjak get on the bus this morning. Had to sneak out the back way to avoid the camera crews that were stalking the entrance to rugby wa and the trick worked a treat! They didn't get the shot they wanted but just claimed they'd get him at the airport. Felt so sorry for the boys having all this negative press surrounding the group when the majority always do the right thing. I know the media people were just doing their job but it still makes me feel sick to my stomach.
So word is that serious action will be taken when he gets back to Perth.
If it's just an alcohol management issue I hope he gets on top of it and sorts himself out so he can hopefully win back the hearts of the wa public.
Lets not give up on him just yet.
I made Happy sad...
How many warnings does he have to have - for a guy with so much promise and ability - he has shown that no matter how many times he is warned he will not take it seriously - we don't want another Ben Cousins in our team! If action is not taken in a hostile AFL state - the force will go the same way as the old Western Reds.
He has no idea of the damage he has done on the back of quokkagate. He has to go. Unfortunately this will seriously endanger our semi-final aspirations - but then he should have known this. With no pressure on him from a serious half back challenger - Henjack has obviously considered himself above the law - especially 5 days before the first game - he cannot be taking his career seriously enough.
Get rid of him before he damages us further - and send a message to the rest of the player group that the force management requires a reasonable level of behaviour - especially when they are being paid as professional sportsmen. You watch membership and sponsors dwindle if strong action is not taken on this one!
there is also a heartbreaking twist to this story that I'm sure the media will break within the next few days..
I made Happy sad...
Frankly, after shelling out the readies for a gold membership this season (again), if true, I'm less than impressed by this sort of behaviour. This has the potential to stuff the team's prospects of a finals berth. It is simply unacceptable at the professional level and lets down the sport, the team, the sponsors and the supporters.