=#FF0000Watch your language. tb

Grow up.

Well, I didn't see it, but I would imagine that if eddie said those words, it would have been to promt his fellow presenters into discussion about the many other aspects of Terry's career.

Everyone on here knows Terry won't be remebered as a drugs cheat, lets be honest he'll be remebered for being not only a good player, but also a dirty barsteward - one of the leagues pantomine villians.
For me, its a testiment to RL fans that, although on a few occasions he would have been severely cursed by opposition fans, (practically) everyone has shown the deepest sympathy following this tragic event, showing that the sport's family spirit transcends the mere game on the field.

When exactly did talking frankly about someone's good and bad points become 'disrespect'? Particularly when one of those bad points apparently had a direct impact on his decision to end his own life?

A lot of people on this and other threads really need to grow up and take a long hard think about what they're posting. Sentimental airbrushing does not equal respect, folks.

After being away for the weekend, I have now managed to catch up with the Grand Finals from Sunday and of course the piece on the tragic death of Terry Newton

The performance of Eddie Hemmings during this was interesting, he did seem to be enthused about having something to talk about and was a little insensitive at times. I didn’t feel that mentioning the drugs ban was out of place – it is of course the final legacy of his career. Hemmings did carry forward the interview too long but he was filling the time between the two finals of course

The most ridiculous thing he mentioned was the ‘timing’ of the event. As Brian Carney pointed out to him, when a man has reached such a point in his life that he feels the only course of action left to him is to take his own life (and leave two small children without a father) the timing in relation to a rugby league game is completely irrelevant. As a side note, I thought that Carney was superb – dignified while obviously in shock and grieving, his comments were insightful and thoughtful

On a final note, Hemmings stated that the former Leeds, Wigan, Bradford and Wakefield hooker sadly died – how the original poster took from this that Hemmings hates Wigan I will never know, that line of thinking is completely delusional

It's news. He's a journalist.



The OP and thread title? A harsh description of it, but a true one.

Roy Haggerty has said it far better than me



If people can't restrain themselves and post appropriately, in line with the AUP, their posts will be edited or deleted.

Eddie was doing what he was told to do. I don't believe for one second they didn't know the news when they began coverage at the ground, it just hadn't been announced so they couldn't speak about it. During that time the researchers and directors would have been hastily assembling a menu of items for Hemmings to work through.

In my opinion he did his best in very difficult circumstances and he will only have been approaching the topics he was told to do. Brian Carney and Barrie MacDermott clearly agreed to speak about it as well.

As for what Hemmings said, it was pretty accurate. The abiding memories I'll have of Terry Newton will be the game at Wigan in the playoffs, which was the worst game I've ever seen for disrespect of fellow professionals as he set out to seriously hurt Long and Gilly and also his drugs ban.

I hope this sad event isn't used to attack Eddie Hemmings.

The saying is "Truth Hurts" and yes it was bad timing 24 hrs after his death but as the saying says!!!

Go on then...



The bit about him being a brilliant player is subjective, the second part is speculation. I'm not offended by what you've posted, just pointing out that elements of what you've written are not as factual as you might wish.

Breaking someones jaw like that would get you jail time

I was referring to this statement:

I was trying to point out the EH wasn’t just pointing out facts, but putting forward his own, subjective, point of view and trying to pass it off as a view that is taken throughout the RL community. His attitude was that his drugs ban was the defining moment of the man’s career.

This point of view, put forward on live TV within hours of the man’s death, was way out of line and actually wrong. His general attitude towards the situation was undignified insensitive and unprofessional. Just banging on about his weaknesses is every bit as bad as ignoring them.


Of course history should not be ignored. Eddie could have mentioned his problems without trying to pass them off as the defining characteristic of Terry Newton’s life and career. No matter how much of a villain he appeared to be on the field, it wasn’t.

If Eddie really does think all TN’s career amounts to is being a drugs cheat, there’s a time and a place to discuss this; immediately after his death, live on air, is not the time or the place. We are not talking about a genocidal maniac, like Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot, and to actually use them as an example is every bit as hysterical as some of the statements from the sentimental oafs you so despise.



I can certainly agree with you on that, without contradicting anything I have written.


I’m not arguing that it we should. I am saying that Eddie Hemmings put most of his emphasis on one small area of a long and successful career. It was sensationalism at it’s very worst.


This is where we can all get bogged down in semantics. What you are saying is irrelevant. He was a Rugby League player, which is played by aggressive, often violent, men. It has it’s own rules to deal with on-the-field incidents. I can think of lot’s of players in the game who played the same way as TN, but most could only dream of having the talent he had.

If I, a 6 foot 14st man, ran at you in the street and performed a perfectly legitimate rugby tackle on you, I would also be arrested and probably locked up. If I took HGH outside of RL, I would suffer no punishment of any kind. I’m not trying to justify any of TN’s actions, I’m just pointing out the pointlessness of using your line of argument here.



I don’t think our opinions are too far apart. I despised the all the, media driven mawkishness surrounding the death of Diana, and the pathetic candle lit vigils held in Liverpool for Ken Bigley. But surely we can pay our respects to a great player, all be it flawed, without the emphasis being put on the man’s weaknesses, which were actually only a small part of the complex character and career of the man?

What’s wrong with that?


I think this would have been good advice for Eddie on Sunday, too.

Terry Newton was a thug and a drug cheat - he will be remembered by the majority of rugby league fans as such (if we are honest). He was also talented as a rugby league player - this will also be remembered but in all likelihood less than the first two attributes. Its sad and maybe harsh - but then you do reap what you sow.

I think the comment about the timing of his death could have been the most insensitive part of the whole thing but as I did not hear the whole context and the tone of Eddie's voice as he said it, I cannot really draw any conclusions about "intent".

We would probably better spend our time learning the lessons from his life, and thinking of his poor family, rather than wrangling over certain comments made by "the press". The family will have to live with the consequences of his death long after this little debate has been forgotten...

Does anybody know if some kind of trust fund has been set up for his kids?

Mintball,

What you have said may be factually correct, but that doesn't make it appropriate or respectful. Just because most haven't brought up the dark parts of his past doesn't mean they are pretending it didn't happen or changing the past, and is extremely insulting to think that you have informed anyone of anything they didn't already know, and it's pretty distasteful the way you are determined to make sure everyone remembers this fact so soon after his passing, especially as you can clearly see people are visibly upset.

You know, I know, and everyone that knows about Terry Newton knows he got banned for drugs and was on a fair few occassions over-the-line aggressively on the pitch. If you want to reflect on his entire life for just those things then that is up to you, but don't go around saying everyone else is a hypocrit or sentimentalist or making it out that you are somehow better because many would rather remember him for the positive things he did, and that because they are choosing not to discuss the negative things so soon after his death makes them somehow delusional.

And to compare the situation to people talking about Hitler?! FFS, how desperate to make a point are you? How is it at all alike?

Roy, Kosh, the way you both have put your opinion across is fine and respectful and you seem to imply that, despite the negatives, Terry made a great contribution to the game. Mintball's approach seems the opposite and that is why so many people are angered and find it disrespectful so soon after he's died and I think it's a crying shame that she feel's the need to constantly bring it up on every Terry Newton thread she's commented on. Is it really necessary? No. Has it achieved anything? No. So what was the point?

Excellent post.

As for the OP, I don't see how Eddie making an insensitive comment about Terry Newton means he hates Wigan? He played for three other clubs in that time. Desperately paranoid.

Extremely well put. I agree with every word.

Terry Newton played 2 games while using banned substances. I'm sure most people will remember that he was a very good player who played hundreds of games without cheating rather than as a 'drugs cheat'.

I didn't know Terry Newton except as an RL player and via the media.

I do however have 1st hand experience of what depression can do to people even though they appear "normal".

Now because I am not a qualified "mind expert" I really cannot get into detail but suicide is seen as perhaps the only way out, not in all cases it has to be said ,but when you face that, it really brings home just how bad things are for people.

The situation I was involved with fortunately "resolved" (it never really goes away) and the person is living a normal! life.

I understand everyones viewpoint on here. Until you really face it you are quite literally living in ignorance of the subject.

So don't go on at each other about it in such a way.

It's tragic that people take ther own lives and the effect it has on others but I have also listened to the specialist who dealt with the situation I was involved with and the comments about suicide surprised me. I shall however keep them to myself.

Just be vigilant!

Excellent attempt at spin. Unfortunately the only reason he only played 2 games whilst cheating was because he very quickly got caught! Unless you are telling me, of course, that after those 2 games he had already decided to confess the crime to the appropriate authorities?

Actually I will remember Newton more as a bit of a thug..you could excuse the drug taking (perhaps) because of depression and desperation...but deep down he was a dirty player and few would argue against that.

Wasn't aware HGH was prescribed for depression! Infact didn't know it was a drug, always thought it was a naturally occurring hormone, but there you go, learn something new every day!

I've read through all the posts on the various threads on this topic. I haven't seen a single one by Mintball that I would class as disrespectful.

Not one.

As I said, it seems that the definition of respect when it comes to speaking about the recently departed seems to have shifted a great deal from anything I recognise.

Likewise. I've not seen anything from Mintball which is substantially different in content or tone than anything I've written. What I have seen is that she was the first to break with the whitewash approach, and was jumped on by some posters, really viciously, for daring to write anything which wasn't bland and meaningless.

Since then, all her posts I've seen have not been gratuitously criticising Newton, but merely defending her right to post her more nuanced views.

I've really not enjoyed seeing this happen over the last week. It really felt at times like I was witnessing some sort of lynch-mob mentality, where someone was being vilified simply because they differed from what many posters believed to be "respectful" - itself an entirely subjective concept.

exactly - given the chance he would have played for at least 2 seasons using HGH, maybe more.

So you haven't read the "higlights" thread????

I have. Not sure what point you're trying to make though.