News: NRL declares war on alcohol

[blitzkrieg]

<div id="title_date"><div>The NRL declared war on alcohol on Thursday after mounting pressure from major sponsors, fans and the federal government for repeated indiscretions by intoxicated footballers.</div></div><div id="article0_body" /><p>Following last week's four-week suspension of Manly's Brett Stewart, Cronulla's Brett Seymour and Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend have also been banned from playing for alcohol-fuelled misdemeanours.</p><p>Seymour has been fined $20,000 and stood down for two weeks by his club after footage of his behaviour last Sunday while intoxicated was brought to Cronulla's attention.</p><p>Friend was fined $10,000 by the Roosters for a high-range drink-driving charge on Tuesday with the NRL board deciding via teleconference to also impose a two-week ban on the 19-year-old.</p>

<a href="http://www.silvertails.net/news/Sea-Eagles/nrl-declares-war-on-alcohol.html">Read the full article</a>

 

[Canteen Worker]

The hypocrisy of all this is the irony that FAMILY FIRST have voted with the opposition to ban the tax on alcho-pops!!! All because Steve Fielding wants to stop Alchohol advertising and the Fed government won't play ball. League takes so much money from Clubs and alchohol advertising!!!

 

[Rex]

Spot on CW.  Gallop's finger pointing at the players might be satisfying to his ego and make him feel superior when he puts on his "serious look" in TV interviews, but it doesn't actually address core issues.  You can point the finger at remote Aboriginal kids for petrol sniffing, or you can think outside the box and do something proactive about it - only selling low-fuming petrol is a good start.

From a different perspective, the players are the victims of the environment they find themselves in.  Here's a read on the different culture Timana Tahu's found in Union, and how it has helped reduce alcohol fueled incidents.  The league hierarchy might read it and think outside the square, if their minds are open to it.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25212262-5006067,00.html