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"I will NOT go quietly into the night, I will rage rage against the dying of the light!"
-Dylan Thomas
Bloody hell Del, learn when to shut the **** up
Lote's a scapegoat: Sailor
Andrew Webster
Sunday, July 8, 2007
FORMER Wallaby Wendell Sailor says the ARU has made Lote Tuqiri a scapegoat because of off-field misdemeanours in other codes.
Tuqiri is understood to be devastated about being suspended for two Tests for missing recovery and training sessions on Monday after Australia's victory against the All Blacks last weekend. (Good, maybe he won't do it again, it wouldn't be a punishment if it didn't hurt!)
Sailor - who is close friends with Tuqiri and a former Broncos, Waratahs and Wallabies teammate (So a well qualified and totally unbiased viewpoint...) - says incidents involving AFL player Alan Didak with alleged Melbourne gunman Christopher Wayne Hudson and league star Sonny Bill Williams urinating in an alley was the reason ARU boss John O'Neill went hard on the $6 million man. ("Hard"??? He should have been out for three Tests!)
"I feel sorry for Lote (Me too, he has no self discipline and has no respect for the fortunate position he has in life.) - John O'Neill had to make a statement," said Sailor, who is serving a two-year suspension for testing positive to cocaine.
"I'm not saying Lote has done nothing wrong but he's been made a scapegoat. John O'Neill had to look as if he was taking strong action. Lote is just on the wrong end of it." (uhuh...hang on Del, what was that about a two year suspension? I guess that was only worth a couple of matches too?)
Tuqiri, 28, has been training hard behind the scenes since being reprimanded. Yet his suspension has brought into sharp focus whether the ARU was wise in signing him to a $6 million, five-year deal this year. (Yet the quote was the "ink wasn't quite dry yet...")
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones said yesterday Tuqiri was being paid too much but backed him to return to career-best form.
"He would be one of the first wingers picked in any World XV side," Jones said.
"Whether Lote is good value for the money is debatable but that doesn't mean he isn't a good investment.
"He's the type of player who will use this to his advantage. He'll bounce back."
Jones also defended the ARU's decision to lure high-profile rugby league talent such as Sailor, Tuqiri and Mat Rogers.
Sailor has been suspended, Rogers abandoned the code in a World Cup year and Tuqiri is having his worst season since defecting from league.
All three have been involved in unsavoury off-field incidents, despite being lured for their ability to generate positive headlines.
Sailor said the events of the week had floored Tuqiri.
"Of course, there comes a responsibility when you are off the field," he said.
"But he has taken this week very hard. It's not as if he has done anything terribly wrong." (And you are the judge of standards? Go away Del...)
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Originally Posted by shasta
