SmokeyTA wrote:
very disappointing statement from Blake Solly, who along with Saints seem desperate to shut down any talk on this issue.
“As far as we’re concerned at the Rugby Football League, the matter has already been dealt with,” he said. “There was a disciplinary panel last October which appropriately dealt with matters when we suspended Ben. We won’t be going any further into it. That’s as far as the RFL’s involvement into it stretches.”
Really Blake? nothing we can learn about post concussive care? nothing to be investigated as to whether we can do more to protect players from concussion and related effects? no duty of care to investigate if this is more widespread than just one player? No moral duty to make sure the Lance Hohaia is ok and properly cared for post-RL? no duty to every player who has ever or will ever play to make sure that everything we can learn about this is learned and every effort is put in to protecting them?
If Flower had done what he did in boxing, he would never be allowed in the ring again. And that's in BOXING.
The whole idea that the 'poor lad' has a god-given right to ply his trade as a Rugby player, and to deny him this is somehow heinous is absolute bullsh1t. If an accountant is caught commiting fraud, he can't practice as an accountant any more. If a policeman shoots an unarmed man he wouldn't be allowed back on the beat. (As well as whatever criminal proceedings arrive in those cases.) The reason is that when you're a professional, and League players are supposed to be professional now, you have certain responsibilities to that profession, and the trade body has a responsibility to safeguard the reputation of their other members. In not banning Flower sine die the RFL have neglected that responsibility. (And I've been watching RL 30+ years and can't think of a single other incident that would more merit that sentence, at least since Les Boyd & Steve Bowden in the early 80s). A two and a half month playing ban is absolute joke and opens up the RFL to charges of ignoring the issues.
And as for poor "Ben", so what if he can't play rugby again? Fine, give him counselling, give him anger management, give him vocational training if you're that bothered. But like the fraudulent accountant, he has no right to continue in the profession he let down so badly. He can still get other jobs in other walks of life without any physical restriction, which is more than Hohaia can.
