Guilty Henjak set to be sacked
Troubled halfback guilty of breaking teammate's jaw
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Guilty Henjak set to be sacked - New Zealand's source for sport, rugby, cricket & league news on Stuff.co.nz


Western Force halfback Matt Henjak will be sacked by the club, if the Australian Rugby Union agrees to the move, after being found guilty of breaching his contract by punching teammate Haig Sare.

If the Australian Rugby Union agrees to the move, troubled halfback Henjak will have his contract torn up by the Force after a disciplinary committee found he had "savagely punched" the winger in a Fremantle bar 10 days ago.

Sare was also found guilty of breaching his contract and was fined A$5000 and banned for eight games, but his culpability in the incident was found to be significantly less that Henjak's.

After a hearing lasting more than eight hours, the committee said both players had breached the ARU code of conduct.

But RugbyWA chairman Geoff Stooke said the circumstances of Henjak's behaviour - which was described as punching Sare when he was sat down and unable to defend himself - was grossly irresponsible and disloyal.

"The committee was unable to find any justification for the assault, which probably caused Haig Sare's jaw to be broken," said Stooke from a prepared statement.

"This conduct demonstrated gross irresponsibility and disloyalty to all Western Force stakeholders.

"In light of the circumstances and in particular Matt Henjak's prior record the committee recommended that the contract of Matt Henjak with the Western Force be terminated forthwith."

It will be up to the ARU to ratify the sacking, but given John O'Neill's furious reaction to the incident last week, that would seem to be a formality.

Henjak said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the decision, but would not comment on whether he intended to appeal

"I am bitterly disappointed of the decision handed down by RugbyWA tonight. It is something I have got to go home and think about," Henjak said.

Henjak, flanked by his girlfriend Bree Quinney, his mother, his agent Greg Keenan and his lawyer arrived after his teammate, still sporting the black eye and bruised left ear suffered in the brawl.

The tribunal panel, chaired by retired District Court judge Robert Viol, and also including senior Perth lawyer Stephen Scott and acting Force CEO Mitch Hardy, sat for more than four hours before the Rugby WA board met to discuss the findings.

Stooke apologised to members, supporters, sponsors and all involved in WA rugby.

"Rugby WA does not have a culture of alcohol abuse and anti social behaviour," Stooke said.

"What it does have is a small number of individuals who have let the organisation down badly by their unacceptable behaviour."

However, the club's bosses are also considering stricter in-house alcohol rules after a string of embarrassing booze-fuelled incidents.

Stooke said coach John Mitchell and skipper Nathan Sharpe had both been angered by players out drinking days before a major tour.

And following two players being fined in November, after drunkenly mishandling quokkas, and other alcohol-related incidents involving Henjak, a review of the players' self-policed drinking policy was being reviewed.

"One of the concerns the coach has is that the players, prior to a very arduous three week tour of SA, to be out the Sunday before was seen to be most inappropriate," Stooke said.

"And the captain of the team Nathan Sharpe was very, very upset at the fact the players had been out.

"Some players were not drinking but a number were, and that is unacceptable to the coach and us, and that matter will be addressed. Appropriate action will be taken."

With Henjak - who will not return to South Africa for the Cheetahs - and possible replacement Chris O'Young still in Glasgow, Mitchell could be left with youngster James Stannard as his only halfback.

But skipper Nathan Sharpe denied the Henjak furore had been a distraction, and said that he was confident Stannard could step up.

"We are a little bit sheltered over here being away from Australia and I don't think it was a great distraction," Sharpe said.

"It's important that we get the Matty Henjak thing cleared up and settled and the most important thing for us as a team is that he and Haig Sare get the outcome that suits them.

"Chuckie (Stannard) is a real character and one of those guys, regardless of experience, who is always going to have a dig and that's the sort of guy you want in the team," Sharpe said..

"If we can deliver a good platform for him to service our backs I see no issue why he won't have a fantastic game."

Meanwhile, Sharpe has declared himself a certain starter for the Cheetahs game on Friday, despite having lost 9kg through a bout of food poisoning contracted from eating a dodgy pizza before he left.

"I spent the last five days in bed curled up in the foetal position but the worst of it is well and truly over and I've had a day or so of eating food," Sharpe said.

"I'm probably at the weight now that I was when I was seventeen or eighteen so I've got some work to do to put it back on."