www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 18wvk.html Thoughts?

www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 18wvk.html Thoughts?

He is likely to be hounded.

Must mean hes a threat,if other teams fans are going to give him a stick,sorry some stick!!!!!!
Lee Briers has been a target for other supporters for over 10 seasons and he has done naff all wrong!!!

Hes going to get stick its part of the game...he shouldnt of done it in the 1st place!

very true..any player who gets caught in the headlines for all the wrong reasons i.e illegal match betting,violence,drink driving,deserve all they get

dont see how you can fine anyone for chanting dog related stuff.....

i'm sure some fans are going to make cocks of themselves as well by going overboard on it....

I suppose its only if someone parades up a down the full length of the touchline constantly giving it to him, is when it gets out of order,

I'm thinking Smithy doesnt want him doing a Cantona and wants serious abuse nipped in the bud.

but i dont think we can harp on about it too much, we paid our money and knew what we were getting so we have to cop some stick.

its up to us to drown it out.....you ever know it may increase the HJ atmosphere....

I think Smith, for once as he's a coach I've always respected, is bang out of order. He is comparing having sex with a dog to being homosexual. It's the most insulting the I've read. Being a homosex...... rugby league fan I think Joel should just man up and take it. I don't see how dog flavoured chanting and shouting can hurt someone that much, especially as he'll be playing in a successful side next season.

Smith is wrong to call for fines. I've heard he's been getting a lot of stick from the Warrington players and the clubs own fans have had a word or two, a few of them not agreeing with signing him. There is also no legal reason for any club to prevent their fans from chanting songs about dogs. Chanting about dog sex is not yet illegal in this country like homosexual abuse is, so unless they try to shoehorn it into some ridiculous RFL bylaw it's pretty hard to crack down on.

He's a player who was sacked by his club for gross misconduct and also effectively barred from the NRL because of what he did. Smith is wrong therefore to turn him into a victim who requires protection. I think mentioning it at all is totally the wrong thing to do personally, why not just 'let sleeping dogs lie' as Barry Mackenzie put so brilliantly in his trolling thread on the VT. This would die away after a while if the player, the club and the media didn't talk about it so much. Why bring it so sharply back into focus by demanding the RFL fine clubs for the behaviour of their fans when it hasn't even happened yet. The time to do that is if Monaghan was finding it hard to cope, not before he's even started. Mentioning it now will just make those initial calls louder and Smith wading in foot first won't reduce the abuse at all.

Joel's emotional apology - www.skysports.com/video/inline/0 ... 81,00.html

Joel's emotional apology - www.skysports.com/video/inline/0 ... 81,00.html

I'm sure your not serious, and as always are on here having a pop...but anyway i'm in.

there is not one quote anywhere near that story where Smith says what you suggested he said but you knew that really didnt you..

in fact he has realised the chanting will happen and doesnt have a problem with it Smith said "
Joel is fine with it and knows he will cop some. He understands there will be some repercussions but hopefully it will not be too hurtful and harmful. It needs to be done with some thought and compassion."

Its more than likely been aimed at cranks like you who will no doubt make stuff up, and insult his family aswell....

infact i'm slightly embarrassed at having replied to one of your $hyte wind up posts...in fact i'm going to whip my wang out in front of next doors jack russell to hide my embarrassment

Smith [imight [/i not have meant it that way, I'd have to check the original interviews to know, but the way the article is written clearly suggests he is making the comparison. There is no trolling at all in my post if you read it.

Seriously, WTF does this mean...?

"Joel is fine with it and knows he will cop some. He understands there will be some repercussions but hopefully it will not be too hurtful and harmful. It needs to be done with some thought and compassion."

What needs to be done with thought and compassion? The inevitable abusive chanting?



Utterly bizarre.

TBH I think players copping for a bit of banter is part of the game. It will only be a problem if it gets abusive. If it did get to that level, clubs wouldnt actually need to introduce any new laws. Any activity which is found to be / or which might be seen to be offensive is contra to the rules and regulations already in place in sports ground across the country.

I think that Smith has got this all wrong for once.Just take the stick and get on with it and move on. It should not be as Saddened said put in the same context as Gareth Thomas, that is if Smith has actually said this and not been misquoted.

quite simple really.

Have a moral undertone to what is being chanted. We call Graham a FGB when we see him but if he abused his family we would have gone to far or if we shouted it for 80 mins during a match at every match.
The sensible RL fans realize that imitating an act with a dog isn't as bad as taking drugs or beating someone. But we realize not to harass players about those things too much. Rugby league is not an excuse to make someone upset (or even suicidal)
We must realize it is just a game and though other fans can joke about it. Who would actually want to break a players resolve? If any opposition fans wanted to make a player uncomfortable when they have been forced half way round the world. i feel really sorry for them. As Smith is saying it is okay on match day to have pop but to take it too far and make the player regret he is here is too far.

Imagine if in your place of work people followed you throughout the day and chanted your one mistake at you, never letting you forget it. Sad really.

Such a bitter little man. What a pathetic attempt to stir trouble.

Just Smith supporting his player publicly. Important seeing as we probably want him to stay post 2011.

We need to circle the wagons around Monaghan (J). Firstly, because he's one of us now. Secondly, because we need him to play well. Thirdly, because it will matter to his brother, one of our most important players. Fourthly, beacuse it will annoy the rest of the league.

Now the Wire.

Congratulations. Your a big enough idiot to let the writers opinion get in the way of the facts.

You'll notice that the writer correctly states that Cas were fined for homophobic chants. But he also incorrectly reports that Smith said clubs should be fined. He then goes on to compare the two before we have seen a quote from the man himself. Finally:


When he says "rules and regulations", it is a far too a vague quote to immediately suggest fines. He could mean that clubs should obey the RESPECT campaign, or he could remind fans of the rules and regulations on the back of every ticket and season ticket in the country, which I'm pretty sure cover abuse to players, match officials, supporters etc.

And then to make it even more vague (and to make you look more like a over reacting bell£nd) the consequences of breaking the "rules and regulations" do not always mean £££! If found guilty, the offending party could take a slap on the wrist, a formal warning, be thrown out of the ground and/or banned for a period of time/or for life in the case of spectators.

Smith then goes on to talk about how Joel is settling in at the club, moving away from potential abuse to his player.

The writer has cleverly twisted Smith's meaning and wrote a story so full of bull it makes Stuart Baggs look like the angel Gabriel.

Not at all, I clarified that in the sentance you quoted, clearly.

I remember being at Widnes when Alan Tait was in the news for the “collection bottle” incident. Being full back he took a lot of stick from us behind the sticks. Remember ‘Arsenal Al’ being on great form that night – absolutely hilarious!!!! “hand’s on your wallets lads….Taity’s here!”



He will get stick for sure – he will just have to put up with it. Hope it motivates him to score more
it may even stop dogs running on to the pitch

I totally agree

It was John Devereux not Tait. Also Devereux never played full back. Absolutely hilarious

i rememebr feeling a sinking feeling after the saints playoff match.

It was looking fixable till we starting chanting at James Graham. We start chating... a few mins later he scores a try.

If J.M reproduces that kind of turn around from chant to score. It will be a far from sinking feeling.

Theres no "Smith [imight[/i have meant it that way". He DID NOT say what the writer has implied.

Mini Monas will be fine and apparently it may attract new fans

Seriously though, he did this thing for a laugh in the first place - so he will have to just laugh off any abuse he gets in return, it's the only way really - all in context.

Any serious abuse should be treated like any other serious abuse at rugby grounds. He's got my protection and support in that respect. He is indeed "one of us"