Matabele
Journey Man
As I said in my match report - he has lived by the sword and now he will surely die by the sword. The wolves have been let loose and there will be no containing them this time. He's the main story in every media format this morning and to a man they're calling for his head.
<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/markgilham/hoppa4.jpg' alt='' style='vertical-align:middle; border:0' />
There are some (though dwindling in number) who will be shocked and dissapointed by the media frezy that will break out over the next 72 hours. There is no doubt that Hopoate does receive special (detrimental) treatment from the media. But you really have to admit that he has bought a lot of it on himself.
The media didn't ask him to be the fiercest of sledgers on the field - an aggravating, obnoxious bully lurking out on the wing and often too scared to mix it with the forwards. The media didn't make him pat the head of opposing players when they made a mistake.
The media did not insert his fingers into the colons of opposing players. The media did not instigate the many fights he embroiled himself in on the field (and often off it). The media needle him into threatening touch judges, swearing at ball boys and launching himself with elbow cocked at the throat of an opposition player.
There would be no media firestorm if Hopoate did not continually provide new kindling that was dry, combustible and ready to ignite. Well this time not even his most fiercest of advocates (Zorba and Co.) will be able to do enough back burning to save his skin.
As soon as I saw the first replay I turned to my five year old Manly tragic son and said - "Joseph, that is the final act of John Hopoate's career". I'm glad that his heroes are the Menzies and Kites of the team, and not this gurgling volcano of a man prone to erupt at the slightest of provocation.
A good friend of mine is Tongan and we watched a lot of Friday Night Football together in that wonderful year of 1995 when Manly dominated the landscape. He expressed concern to me right back then that Hopoate would bring disgrace upon the Tongan people.
This is no ordinary Tongan - this man is a grandson of the King. I know he will be somewhere in Sydney today shaking his head and grieving that his prediction has come true - not once, but many times.
However, it is not only the nation of Tonga that is disgraced by this man. He jas disgrcaed himslef, his family, the game of Rugby League and most importantly, the Manly Club.
So often have we extended this man a lifeline and provided him the opportunity to make ammends to his destroyed reputation. And so often has he flung our grace back at us in the form of further embarrasment and negative headlines.
Surely the time has come for decisive action. Regardless of the decision of the judiciary, at some point this week this man must be called into an office and told that his "services" are no longer required. This is the only dignity that the club could possibly salvage from this whole, sad and sorry train wreck.
<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/markgilham/hoppa4.jpg' alt='' style='vertical-align:middle; border:0' />
There are some (though dwindling in number) who will be shocked and dissapointed by the media frezy that will break out over the next 72 hours. There is no doubt that Hopoate does receive special (detrimental) treatment from the media. But you really have to admit that he has bought a lot of it on himself.
The media didn't ask him to be the fiercest of sledgers on the field - an aggravating, obnoxious bully lurking out on the wing and often too scared to mix it with the forwards. The media didn't make him pat the head of opposing players when they made a mistake.
The media did not insert his fingers into the colons of opposing players. The media did not instigate the many fights he embroiled himself in on the field (and often off it). The media needle him into threatening touch judges, swearing at ball boys and launching himself with elbow cocked at the throat of an opposition player.
There would be no media firestorm if Hopoate did not continually provide new kindling that was dry, combustible and ready to ignite. Well this time not even his most fiercest of advocates (Zorba and Co.) will be able to do enough back burning to save his skin.
As soon as I saw the first replay I turned to my five year old Manly tragic son and said - "Joseph, that is the final act of John Hopoate's career". I'm glad that his heroes are the Menzies and Kites of the team, and not this gurgling volcano of a man prone to erupt at the slightest of provocation.
A good friend of mine is Tongan and we watched a lot of Friday Night Football together in that wonderful year of 1995 when Manly dominated the landscape. He expressed concern to me right back then that Hopoate would bring disgrace upon the Tongan people.
This is no ordinary Tongan - this man is a grandson of the King. I know he will be somewhere in Sydney today shaking his head and grieving that his prediction has come true - not once, but many times.
However, it is not only the nation of Tonga that is disgraced by this man. He jas disgrcaed himslef, his family, the game of Rugby League and most importantly, the Manly Club.
So often have we extended this man a lifeline and provided him the opportunity to make ammends to his destroyed reputation. And so often has he flung our grace back at us in the form of further embarrasment and negative headlines.
Surely the time has come for decisive action. Regardless of the decision of the judiciary, at some point this week this man must be called into an office and told that his "services" are no longer required. This is the only dignity that the club could possibly salvage from this whole, sad and sorry train wreck.
