I'm sorry but FFS

[Jehna]

Oh god this is ridiculous! Like i said much much earlier and Jess you hit it on the head again, whilst the media are sensationalising this to the point of complete rubbish I have to say they make a good point when they question why it is always the same players who get caught up in this bullshit! I mean Lote has to be the biggest moron to put himself in this situation. And what's more, these guys just finished a 5 day grueling camp, had been out at a dinner where i presume they were drinking..they should have been stuffed! What were they doing running around partying until the early hours of the morning and in Tuquiri's case, less than 2hrs before his flight?

Seriously! How are we expected to defend the integrity of rugby in Australia if our players are going to act like morons. I'm not saying its fair but clearly the media have it in for rugby...should we not be aware of this and try to minimise the opportunities we give them to bag it out some more?

*sigh* Go out, drink, have a good time but be smart about it for crying out loud!

And Jess i'm with you...give someone else a go in the team. Yes, Tuquiri hassome great talent but i think he is completely overrated. Players like Mitchell and Ashley Cooper and Gerrard are more than capable of playing that wing. I feel so sorry for Mitchell particularly who has proved his worth time and time again and still knuckles won't give him the opportunities, yet he's prepared to do anything and put up with anything to let Tuquiri play.

god this makes me angry!

[Jess]

Great minds think alike Jehna.

[Burgs]

Tuqiri breaks his silence

By Peter Badel
August 12, 2007

LOTE Tuqiri has told of his shock at seeing the police outside Matt Dunning's hotel room after a drinking session which ended with a vicious attack on a taxi driver.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the star Australia rugby player broke his silence on the events of Friday morning in Brisbane, saying he was 15 floors away when the driver was bashed and left fighting for his life.

After the drinking session which finished in Dunning's room at the Sofitel Hotel after 5.30am, the assault was allegedly carried out by a "hanger-on" who had been drinking with the footballers.

Tuqiri, Dunning and Brisbane league players Karmichael Hunt and Ian Lacey were interviewed by police. All four were cleared of involvement in the alleged assault, which Hunt witnessed.

"I never saw this coming. I've gone to bed and woken up the next morning (Well, half an hour later really. You had a plan to catch...) to a storm," Tuqiri said last night.

"I just want to get the message across that myself and Matt Dunning did nothing wrong. Our names have been dragged through the mud for an incident that happened when I was in my bed 15 floors up.

"I actually ordered some room service and I opened the door and, when it arrived, there's a cop standing outside Matt's room.

"I went out and asked the police officer what on earth was going on. They weren't looking for me and I told them I had been in there with Matt and helped them with their investigation."

And Dunning maintained he had done nothing wrong and won't be changing his behaviour.

Dunning told the Sun Herald the whole thing was "just ridiculous''.

"Even now I don't know what I did wrong,'' he said.

"I'm flabbergasted - do I have to be Cinderella and be home by 12 o'clock? (It would seem it may be a wise move for a couple of months ya Muppet )

"This guy might die but people seem more concerned with footballers being out. How about the poor family of the taxi driver, what about what they're going through?''

"There is a poor bloke lying in hospital and could die - that's a bit more important than what is going on with me at the moment.''

All four players finished the night out in Dunning's room with five other people who were not footballers.

One of them, Patana Arama Elisaia, 27, of Southport, was later charged with assault.

All four players told police they didn't know him and described him as a "hanger-on".

Elisaia appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm for the alleged assault on taxi driver Paul Taylor, 52. He was remanded on bail and ordered to reappear in court on September 3.

Mr Taylor's condition had improved yesterday and he was listed as being in a serious but stable condition. He suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

"I'm a bit concerned that the attention has come onto us when there is a cab driver struggling in a hospital bed from an apparent incident," Tuqiri said. "I'm concerned for his well-being and I hope for the sake of his family that he is OK and makes a full recovery.

"I still have no idea what happened. I wasn't there and that's the frustrating bit. My name and face has been portrayed to be a part of this supposed attack, and I have no idea how it unfolded because I wasn't there.

"It's all a mystery to me."

Speculation mounted yesterday that a fuming Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill was considering tearing up Tuqiri's $5 million contract after the completion of next month's World Cup because he allowed himself to be in a compromising position.

- with Sun Herald

[Jess]

hmm... Dunning does have a really good point. A guy is fighting for his life but we're all more horrified that they were out so late drinking.

I do feel kind of ashamed now.

[Flamethrower]

Speculation mounted yesterday that a fuming Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill was considering tearing up Tuqiri's $5 million contract after the completion of next month's World Cup because he allowed himself to be in a compromising position.

Some good could come out of this mess after all.

[Jess]

Does he legally have the right to do that? Would they have to make some massive pay out?

[Hoolly Doolly]

Im over Lote. I was hoping he'd go back to league.
We should start up a petition to send Shepherd or Locky Turner to the RWC instead.

[Thequeerone]

If they tear up the $5 million dollar contract - would that make the ARU deficit only $1 million instead of 6 ?

[Flamethrower]

Does he legally have the right to do that? Would they have to make some massive pay out?

It would depend on the contract. If there is a clause about behavior or expected standards O'Neill could do it.

[Jess]

I assume there would be such a clause... otherwise a player could really do anything they wanted to and still get paid for the 3 years.

Fulvio? what do you think?

[JediKnight]

From what I understand, a lot of the $5m is back-end loaded in that it will only be paid during the last 2 years of the 5 year deal. However, there probably is some clause about 'reasonable off-field behaviour'. Word on the street is that he hasn't signed it anyway, in which case it can probably be retracted.

Don't take him to France. Shep deserves to go.

[Jehna]

From what I understand, a lot of the $5m is back-end loaded in that it will only be paid during the last 2 years of the 5 year deal. However, there probably is some clause about 'reasonable off-field behaviour'. Word on the street is that he hasn't signed it anyway, in which case it can probably be retracted.

Mm actually that's not entirely true. Depends on the verbal agreement and if Lote has made and decision in reliance on the contractual promise (sorry law student.. ) I mean sure if he hasn't signed then the offer can be retracted as such but legal ramifications still exist. There would def be a clause which deals with terminating the contract though and i'm assuming the ARU and the lawyers they've got working for them would be smart enough to anticipate scenarios like this

[The InnFORCEr]

Mm actually that's not entirely true. Depends on the verbal agreement and if Lote has made and decision in reliance on the contractual promise (sorry law student.. ) I mean sure if he hasn't signed then the offer can be retracted as such but legal ramifications still exist. There would def be a clause which deals with terminating the contract though and i'm assuming the ARU and the lawyers they've got working for them would be smart enough to anticipate scenarios like this

Think Digby, he verbally argeed, then left.

If Lote hasn't signed, get rid of him ASAP, Wayne obviously want him at the Broncos.

[shasta]

I think John O'Neill and a few others at the ARU and even a few at TWF need to take a bex and have a good lie down. Even though these blokes have some "form" they ahve done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG here. They were basically on "leave" at the time withn no matches or training sessions any time soon.

For anyone to condemn them at all over being out late is very unfair and probably hypocritical. That mongrel at the SMH has copped a well deserved shellacking here for weeks so let's not start to give his gutter journo act any credence at all. FFS.

[Burgs]

Fulvio? what do you think?

Careful of asking the TWF Legal Dept Jess, he'll vcharge you for services

Shasta, to some extent I agree with you in that it's "their time" etc etc however for two 27 year old men who have had their share run ins with their employer and are under 30 days away from the most important (if not last!) tournament of their careers I think it is reasonable to have an expectation that they will be acting in a way that will give their bodies every chance of being in peak condition.
Regardless of who's time it is, the majority of elite athletes around the world would be a little surprised to learn that Australian Union players a month out from a World Cup are getting home from a nightclub at 4:30 am, that they would drink on in their employer paid for rooms with others, including three unknown "hangers-on" and that a marquee player would see it as appropriate to take a 6:30 am flight in the public eye having been out till 4:30 and up until 5:30. As mentioned earlier, to make his flight Tuqiri would have been lucky to have achieved 20 minutes in the cot before emerging to the possibility of needing to make public comment to reporters at the airport on behalf of his employer.
In my mind, with big dollars comes big responsibilities and big expectations.
These people are not only professional athletes and professional employees but also role models to thousands of youth and ambassadors for their country.
Not only do they individually have an embarrassing track record they have once more left the window of opportunity open for themselves to be back in the media yet again.
I would suggest that they should heed the public opinion that while they are employed by the ARU that they may want to grow up a little and consider their actions and the possible consequences of those actions.