NRL: Swearing on the field (1 Viewer)

[wuddie]

Following the Andrew Johns incident (for those who have no idea, he apparently called the touch judge a f**king c**t in the game against Manly and copped a suspension for 2 games), much talk has been raised in regard to whether it is acceptable for a player to swear at the refs. NRL board certainly doesn't allow it, as they believe that refs deserve the respect and the players, especially the likes of Johns who are role models for youngsters, should behave themselves appropriately and control their tempers. My question is simple, should a player be allowed to swear or not? and why?

Here's what I think -

1. NRL is without doubt a physical game, played with passion, intensity and sometimes frustration - when you trained yourself to a stand-still all week, only to have the game taken away by a no-call from the touchie. With everything on the line in such a close game, I cannot believe two words out of frustration and anger can result in a 2 match suspension. what the helll is going on?

2. Dvaid Gallop and Robert Finch always demand players to respect the refs and their decisions. Well heres something new for ya - respect doesn't fall from the sky! refs and touchies have to earn their respect from the players by making the correct calls, not the wrong ones! why should a game be decided not by the players' performance, but by the refs' decisions? ridiculous.

3. Another huge fuss by the NRL board is that youngsters look up to great players as examples and therefore they are not allowed to swear. why are the players also responsible for the moral learning of every kid who watches the footy? surely that's not part of their job description. It's up to the parents to tell their children what's right and what's wrong - not the players, they are only human!

so there, i have made my point. if you want to object, feel free.

 

[$hiftyIceQueen]

who cares if they do or dont ... the main point is that stupid touch judge deserved it...

 

[kimi]

I stand by the belief that players SHOULD be able to swear at refs when they do make the wrong decision. And whether or not they swear on the field at each other (the whole Fitzy and Finch incident), its something that cant be entirely controlled by the players themselves because theyre so caught up in the game to be fully aware of whats coming out of their mouth. Its like saying, players shouldnt fight on field because it sets a bad example for kids and portrays the idea that violence is ok. BUT, you know that in times like that- players are too caught up in the moment and the intensity of the game. Id say its kinda expected and noone really condemns it. Like, half the time you cant even hear what the players are saying anyway- big deal. Everyone swears anyway, kids hear swearing from everywhere. You cant namely say that players who swear are a huge influence on what comes out of kid's mouths.

Most Refs are shitheads anyway. They deserve all the abuse they get when they make a shitty call for something that is obviously wrong.



^ Oh my GOSH. The sig above, VERONICA MARS :uhhuh:

 

[sweet_as]

wuddie, I am going to take up your offer of objection

1. Yes Rugby League is a physical game like the other football codes, with emotions running high etc etc. BUT there is a certain degree of tolerance that referees/umpires will have when it comes to onfield swearing. For example, a player may blow of steam by saying 'fuck' or something, which is fine, as the referee will most likely warn him, askin him to cool it a bit. However, the problem with Johns' remarks is that he called the Touch Judge a 'Fucking Cunt', which is one of the worst possible insults a player can bestow on an official. I use the word 'cunt' when I am kidding around or something, but said in a hostile way is considered to be extremely rude. Further more, Johns did not only swear, it was a PERSONAL insult to the Touchie. Johns certainly had time to think about what he said, as it is very rarely that a player will say that to an official out of frustration.

2. Another point, a good referee/umpire DOES NOT walk out onto a pitch and instantly demand respect, its is something that is earnt by the way you conduct yourself. But it is a two way street, the players should treat the referee the way they would like to be treated. Finch and Gallop are only telling the players what is expected of them when they walk out to play a game. Yes decisions by referees in the NRL can sometimes be the wrong one, but as you point out about the players - THEY ARE ALSO HUMAN. Beside, Referees/Umpires would not be needed if the players abided by the rules in the first place!!

3. Like it or not, players in the NRL and AFL are rolemodels. THis cannot be changed, unless they dont allow anyone to see games or know who these players are. Countless times in junior sport I have seen young kids mimicking what their heroes do, and its very fucking sad when they are copying the bad behaviour that is displayed by players at the top level, mainly because they think that it is OK because soandso does it!!.

Now as Brogan said,

Now fuck off, cunt

 

[ledzeppelin]

swearing at an official is not on, no matter what he has ruled
johns deserved what he got
don't give me that "he's a passionate player" bullshit
every player in the nrl is passionate, you dont see them swearing at the ref when something goes wrong
johns is just a petulant wanker

 

[Study Slug]

This passion card that everyone plays is rubbish. Passion doesn't mean you have to mouth off at the ref.

You respect the referee. If he penalises you, you say sorry sir. Its not hard, and if some players actually respected the referees, they would probably reap the rewards with more favourable decisions from time to time.

Johns' ego has gone unchecked for too long, and it has shown all year. Hopefully a player I used to respect a lot more will bash himself back into line (but his column after the game shows he has nothing but false contrition).

While I'm on my high horse, the next one down this path will be Mason IMO. He is far more arrogant - after he knocked some tigers player out cold in round 1 or 2, he just yelled abuse at him, before he was stretchered off. Similar attitude displayed with his most recent suspension. Everyone was wrong but him. Arrogant little prick.

 

[sweet_as]

^ agreed

Mason is very on himself.

 

[wuddie]

This passion card that everyone plays is rubbish. Passion doesn't mean you have to mouth off at the ref.

...

While I'm on my high horse, the next one down this path will be Mason IMO. He is far more arrogant - after he knocked some tigers player out cold in round 1 or 2, he just yelled abuse at him, before he was stretchered off. Similar attitude displayed with his most recent suspension. Everyone was wrong but him. Arrogant little prick.

As much as i respect the fact that refs are doing the best job they can, but that's not good enough. They are getting paid loads of money to ref the game correctly, not to the best of their ability. If they can't take that responsibility, they should step down and let someone else have a go. Besides, today's game has the advantage of the help of a video ref, why don't we let him inform the ref if he has made a blunder?

I think more often that not, its the high profile players who are on the recieving end of media scrutiny. If Johns wasn't the Knights' captain, would he still recieve the same punishment? If this incident occurred in the Reserve Grades, would anyone still make a big deal out of it? I think not. Like I said, a very large part of the judiciary's reasoning has been that he's a role model of the game and he should act like one. Surely you'd agree footy won't be the same if every player who gets penalised just said 'sorry sir' and walks away. After all, they are only human.

 

[wuddie]

wuddie, I am going to take up your offer of objection

...


Now as Brogan said,

Now fuck off, cunt

mate, i am gonna keep my calm and disregard the fact and both you and brogan have made that comment.

finch and gallop have ALWAYS demanded respect from the players regardless of the performance of the refs. yes, finch sometimes apologises to teams when a 50/50 decision has gone against them. but does that erase the pain of the 17 players? have you considered the fact that because that one mistake, a team can lose the match, miss the top 8, or even lose a premiership? in this case, the knights may have missed the top 4 and a chance for a home final. like it or not, it has never been a match been replayed because there was a monumental mistake. NEVER.

you can't stop juniors watching our great game, but you also can't stop a player getting frustrated. coaches and parents have a role in showing the juniors what is right and what is wrong. how can you simply blame the league players for what the juniors do? too many people like you are taking the easy way out and point the fingers at the defenceless targets - the players. if the coaches are doing their jobs properly, and the refs are making the correct decisions, we wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

the only way you can stop a player swearing when he's been wrong in the most crucial moment in the game, is not to teach him to swear at all. so people like you and brogan, are hypocrites who are more likely than anyone else to swear on the field.

 

[ledzeppelin]

there's a difference between getting frustrated and calling the touchie a fucking cunt
people expect the refs to be perfect, but they have to realise that's never going to happen. it's like expecting the players to never knock on, give away penalties, miss kicks, etc

 

[sweet_as]

mate, i am gonna keep my calm and disregard the fact and both you and brogan have made that comment.

finch and gallop have ALWAYS demanded respect from the players regardless of the performance of the refs. yes, finch sometimes apologises to teams when a 50/50 decision has gone against them. but does that erase the pain of the 17 players? have you considered the fact that because that one mistake, a team can lose the match, miss the top 8, or even lose a premiership? in this case, the knights may have missed the top 4 and a chance for a home final. like it or not, it has never been a match been replayed because there was a monumental mistake. NEVER.

Mate, you refer in a your earlier post that players are only human, well guess what mate, SO ARE THE OFFICIALS!! Players drop catches and fuck up tackles and kicks, referees make bad decisions. You basically have a split second to make a decision and thats it. It will either be right or wrong. It is the human element of the game. Maybe we should have the game officiated by a computer which would have the resources to review an incident countless times, it will be boring as all fuck but at least you know a HUMAN did not fuck it up!!

you can't stop juniors watching our great game, but you also can't stop a player getting frustrated. coaches and parents have a role in showing the juniors what is right and what is wrong. how can you simply blame the league players for what the juniors do? too many people like you are taking the easy way out and point the fingers at the defenceless targets - the players. if the coaches are doing their jobs properly, and the refs are making the correct decisions, we wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

The blame does not solely lie on the players, I have not said that one. Parents and coaches have a role in teaching kids what is right and wrong. What I, and many others are saying, that like it or not the players are rolemodels for kids! It is not hard to comprehend mate, they are playing in the spotlight and thus are exposed to criticism for their bad behaviour on the pitch. But hang on, the referees are the root of the problem because they are not allowed to make a mistake that as humans, we are all prone to, therefore the blame lies with them. In other words, you are not making any sense.

the only way you can stop a player swearing when he's been wrong in the most crucial moment in the game, is not to teach him to swear at all. so people like you and brogan, are hypocrites who are more likely than anyone else to swear on the field.

I speak on this subject as a sports official myself. There is a time and a place for swearing, and its not through a direct insult to an official a la the Johns incident. Players swear out of frustration all the time, usually a 'shit' or a muttered 'fuck'. The problem is Johns directly insulted the touch judge using obscene language. You accusion of hypocrisy is void.

 

[wonga2046]

haha brogan real hardcore man. KEYBOARD WARRIOR! terrorising the forums .. go fuck off into the corner before i e-smack u with this shitty keyboard, damn e-thug.

i think 2 weeks was uncalled for and the situation was blown out of proportion, there are many similar cirsumstances where other players swear at refs yet they cop a warning. A fine should have been the maximum penalty.