pt73
Bencher
The article raises some good points and shows the hypocrisy of this decision.
www.smh.com.au
But the case of Dragons forward George Burgess, charged as above, has been one of the most difficult that has come under scrutiny from NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo since he took over the role.
This week, the NRL will celebrate a first with a finals series for its elite women’s competition. It will expand the women’s league in both 2023 and 2024.
On the field, it has launched a crackdown on illegal contact with both the head or neck of players, pitching the sport to women and children as a safe alternative to the hugely popular soccer and netball alternatives.
Yet for every step forward the NRL takes with women, it only takes one torrent of negative publicity like the Burgess case to take several more steps back. Burgess has denied the charge and the allegation remains before the courts.
The NRL automatically stand-down players charged with crimes that carry a jail sentence of 11 years or more. Burgess’ charge falls below that threshold.
But have the NRL allowed him to potentially play for the rest of the season with the charges unresolved?
In the last six months, Abdo has been informed of CCTV footage of two players alleged to have been involved in violent incidents against women. Both times, he took immediate action.
Ex-Broncos star Anthony Milford won’t have an NRL contract registered any time soon as he faces police charges over an alleged incident in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley last year. The NRL has told Milford and his management as much.
The second involved Melbourne’s Tui Kamikamica, who is also preparing to face court over an alleged assault involving a woman, also in Brisbane. He was stood down from playing and the Storm are unclear when, or even if, he will be able to return.
But the Burgess case has proved complex for the NRL, who bought themselves some time over the weekend before announcing their position on Monday.
The NRL only has a charge sheet which outlines basic information about the police case. The alleged incident occurred in the Sydney home of a woman, believed to have been known to the player. Burgess was invited into the residence.
There’s no CCTV footage of what may, or may not, have occurred inside the residence, and no witness statements to rely on from people who saw the alleged incident. The prosecution and defence cases are likely to rely on the word of one person against the other.
Understandably, the NRL wanted to hear Burgess’ version of events and asked him to make submissions to the NRL integrity unit. His legal team advised against him doing so for fear the transcript of the interview could be subpoenaed for the criminal matter.
Having watched the sexual assault matter of Burgess’ now Dragons teammate Jack de Belin labour through the courts for more than two years before he was acquitted of one charge and had five others dropped, the NRL weighed up the potential lag between Burgess being stood down from playing and the finalising of his matter if they invoked the no-fault stand-down policy.
They couldn’t.
This is despite the code making steps as a supporter of women on the field, and running many programs off it to encourage their inclusion in the sport.
Why the NRL let Burgess play while others facing charges can’t
George Burgess is charged with sexual touching without consent, but he is free to play while waiting for his day in court.
Why the NRL let Burgess play while others facing charges can’t
For the rest of the season, a man facing a charge of sexual touching without consent could run around in the NRL and help his team make the finals, or even help them win a title.But the case of Dragons forward George Burgess, charged as above, has been one of the most difficult that has come under scrutiny from NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo since he took over the role.
This week, the NRL will celebrate a first with a finals series for its elite women’s competition. It will expand the women’s league in both 2023 and 2024.
On the field, it has launched a crackdown on illegal contact with both the head or neck of players, pitching the sport to women and children as a safe alternative to the hugely popular soccer and netball alternatives.
Yet for every step forward the NRL takes with women, it only takes one torrent of negative publicity like the Burgess case to take several more steps back. Burgess has denied the charge and the allegation remains before the courts.
The NRL automatically stand-down players charged with crimes that carry a jail sentence of 11 years or more. Burgess’ charge falls below that threshold.
But have the NRL allowed him to potentially play for the rest of the season with the charges unresolved?
In the last six months, Abdo has been informed of CCTV footage of two players alleged to have been involved in violent incidents against women. Both times, he took immediate action.
Ex-Broncos star Anthony Milford won’t have an NRL contract registered any time soon as he faces police charges over an alleged incident in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley last year. The NRL has told Milford and his management as much.
The second involved Melbourne’s Tui Kamikamica, who is also preparing to face court over an alleged assault involving a woman, also in Brisbane. He was stood down from playing and the Storm are unclear when, or even if, he will be able to return.
But the Burgess case has proved complex for the NRL, who bought themselves some time over the weekend before announcing their position on Monday.
The NRL only has a charge sheet which outlines basic information about the police case. The alleged incident occurred in the Sydney home of a woman, believed to have been known to the player. Burgess was invited into the residence.
There’s no CCTV footage of what may, or may not, have occurred inside the residence, and no witness statements to rely on from people who saw the alleged incident. The prosecution and defence cases are likely to rely on the word of one person against the other.
Understandably, the NRL wanted to hear Burgess’ version of events and asked him to make submissions to the NRL integrity unit. His legal team advised against him doing so for fear the transcript of the interview could be subpoenaed for the criminal matter.
Having watched the sexual assault matter of Burgess’ now Dragons teammate Jack de Belin labour through the courts for more than two years before he was acquitted of one charge and had five others dropped, the NRL weighed up the potential lag between Burgess being stood down from playing and the finalising of his matter if they invoked the no-fault stand-down policy.
They couldn’t.
This is despite the code making steps as a supporter of women on the field, and running many programs off it to encourage their inclusion in the sport.
