Fantastic interview. Hats off to Graeme Hughes. 7.30 Report hang your heads in shame. I appreciate Manly was looking to move on, but IMO this interview adds good opportunities to really tighten the screws on Gallop. Siphoning through all the Gallop double-speak and diversions, here's my understanding of what emerged:
1. The ONLY evidence Gallop had suggesting Brett Stewart may have done anything at the official function unacceptable to him was a report that Brett was asked to leave the main bar due to (assumed) intoxication. Gallop admitted that he didn't know to what level Brett Stewart was intoxicated, only that it was (presumably) enough for him to be asked to leave the main bar, in the judgement of the barman. Hughes said he'd been to Star City and been asked to leave the bar and that he hadn't even had a drink. Clearly the evidence is insufficient to establish a particular level of (unacceptable) intoxication. Interestingly Gallop gave no indication of any separate NRL investigation to establish any facts at all. If you believe what he said as relatively complete, he seems to have only had rumours, and Manly's report. That's it.
2. Under the pressure of Hughes asking whether Brett Stewart had actually misbehaved at all to justify a 4 week suspension, Gallop made a second claim - that there was a "suggestion" that Brett was asked to leave another bar in the area - i.e. NOT at the official function. Hughes asked whether he was confirming that happened, and Gallop said he asked about it and didn't get a response. Remember Gallop made the charge under provisions solely applying to behaviour AT official functions. i.e. Gallop apparently suggested here that he relied on an unverified rumour, without corroborating evidence -and irrelevant to the actual charge - to justify his decision. This made Gallop look erratic and unprofessional, and to have judged Stewart without reasonable investigation or any fair or due process.
3. Gallop refused to say whether Todd Carney was judged under double demerits. He also refused to say whether Benji would be handled under a double demerit policy if found guilty. Wow. However Hughes finally got Gallop to admit that the policy of Double Demerits still applies, at least to the leadup to the launch. Gallop couldn't specify exactly why they wouldn't apply at other times in the season - like leading up to SOO, tests or finals - he only said lets not take this too far!
4. In defending his decision to not suspend Carney, Gallop said Carney was only just over the .05 level and that he believed it was not deliberate and a relatively inadvertent mistake given he drove in the morning, not at midnight after leaving a pub. In specifying the alcohol reading standard as .05, Gallop has shown that he either doesn't know or doesn't acknowledge the appropriate legal standard for Carney as a "P" plate driver is a zero reading. Does Gallop not respect the laws of the land, especially for a driver with a DUI conviction history?
5. Whilst Gallop openly offered up his belief that Carney's action in driving DUI was not deliberate, he refused to do likewise when directly asked whether Brett's actions were deliberate. This is another fact highlighting Gallop's ongoing inconsistency in his treatment of Stewart and Carney. In this interview Gallop again used only positive words including "Courageous" and "Brave" to describe the repeat DUI offender, and only negative descriptions of Brett. I can only recall him using negative words to describe Brett Stewart since the 2009 season launch. Another point worth highlighting about his inconsistent treatment of Stewart and Carney. Obviously Manly's message to stop slurring Stewart's character has not got through. Time for a blunt and public reminder IMO. And IMO would be worthwhile to refer the public to this link, so the public can see what Gallop actually relied on in suspending Stewart. And what his actual evidence, or lack of it, is.
6. Gallop said Manly "to their credit" admitted they could have handled the situation a lot better. And their prize for this full marks action? A $100k fine allegedly solely based on this report and in particular this statement. So if Manly did a Roosters and denied any real problem then there would be no fine? OMG
7. Gallop again relied on his mantra that Manly were given the opportunity to appeal those decisions two years ago and they didn't appeal them - so it is unreasonable to raise this two years later. A ridiculous argument given the obvious legal sensitivities at the time - and which it would be fair and reasonable to make some derogatory statement about his naivety if he actually believed that statement - especially with his coming from a legal background. However, IMO this argument is most easily rebutted by saying that now is the EXACT appropriate time to raise them because the new and unprecedented harsh standards set for Brett (and for Manly) have clearly not been equivalently applied before or after, and it is only AFTER equivalent situations arise that inconsistencies such as these become evident - and these equivalent situations happened recently.