RYAN BRIERLEY- AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT FROM LEIGH CENTURIONS

Further to the release by the RFL regarding a misconduct charge against Leigh Centurions, which has led to widespread speculation on social media and in some press circles Head of Rugby Derek Beaumont has issued the following statement:

“It is always disappointing when our Club receives negative press especially when we work so hard to generate good press, not only for ourselves but the RFL and the game as a whole. The press release made by the RFL is limited in information and in this day and age people will inevitably speculate and draw their own conclusions.

“The main points of the RFL press release read as follows:

“Leigh Centurions have been fined £2,000 for misconduct following an incident at the end of the Kingstone Press Championship Grand Final played at Leeds on October 5, 2014.

“Leigh were found guilty of engaging in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game after a Doping Control Officer was verbally abused whilst conducting a post-match test on a Leigh player.

“The matter was initially dealt with as minor misconduct by the RFL Compliance Manager, who handed down a £2,000 fine, half of which is suspended until the end of the 2015 season.

“The club appealed the sanction at an independent Operational Rules Tribunal, which upheld the decision.”

Mr Beaumont added: “I have tried to stay out of this in the public domain but drew the line yesterday when an article was published on a prominent Rugby League website, not connected with the RFL, read by many people in the game. This article has since been withdrawn following a complaint by the Club and the author has issued a sincere apology.

“Headlined ‘Leigh Centurions hit with misconduct fine’ alongside an unacknowledged copy of the RFL statement the article was illustrated with a photograph of our player Ryan Brierley, inferring that Ryan had been guilty of misconduct. This is partly as a result of the original release which states as above ‘a Doping Control Officer was verbally abused whilst conducting a post-match test on a Leigh player’. It does not state that a Leigh player verbally abused the Doping Control Officer but anyone reading this quickly might not be aware of that.

“I therefore feel it is necessary to report the facts of the matter. Ryan is a model citizen who is clean living and works exceptionally hard in the community, doing work for charity, helping others and raising the profile of the game. He is a player that children look up to and aspire to be. He leads by example and is a great role model for our club.

“After the Grand Final, Ryan and Jonny Walker were selected for testing, along with two Featherstone players. Ryan and Jonny fully complied with the requirements of the DCO and there were no issues arising from their samples, documenting the fact they are clean players.

“Whilst we fully understand and support the need for testing in the sport it is naturally frustrating and disappointing when a player’s greatest hour is taken away from them and they are unable to join in with celebrations with their team-mates.

“The whole of our team were on the bus awaiting departure to a party that had been organised but Ryan was still being held by the DCO. He had provided a blood sample and a urine sample but was unable to provide enough urine to meet the requirements of the DCO.

“The DCO was spoken to by a member of the coaching team and a number of alternatives were suggested to him including accompanying Ryan on the bus so we could leave as the coach driver was insisting we left as his hours were nearly up.

“The DCO declined to agree to or offer any further alternatives and it was now becoming very late and the driver had to leave without Ryan. We made alternative arrangements for Ryan to return to Leigh. The boys were extremely disappointed to leave without one of their players but nonetheless were in good spirits as would be expected after winning a final.

“During the journey a former player and current employee of mine who had been at the game entertaining my biggest client answered a call on my phone from Ryan. Ryan’s phone however was being used by the DCO to inform me that Ryan had now completed the test. He was abusive to the DCO which he apologised for once he realised it was actually a DCO he had spoken to. He had first thought it was one of the lads with Ryan’s phone having a laugh which is common banter amongst players.

“Whilst we would in no way condone any individual for speaking out of turn to anyone, let alone a DCO we did not feel we should be held accountable for a person in no way connected with the club just because he was travelling back on the team bus.

“The independent tribunal, however, ruled that as a Club we were responsible for his actions. We have accepted the ruling, learnt lessons and moved on.

“At no time was there any allegation or suggestion of a lack of cooperation from Ryan. Indeed, to the contrary, the DCO complimented him on how he handled the situation. I trust this now clears up the matter and allows Ryan and the Club to concentrate on the important job in hand this season.”

So who was it the. I think i'm fairly comfident from the press lease who it was, and it does not surprise me. I hope the person has paid the fine themselves.

Pity the DCO couldn't apply a bit of common sense, especially as the lads were entitled to celebrate TOGETHER. Also, shouldn't the DCO have used his own phone?

Obviously, I do not condone abusive behaviour by anyone - be it players, staff, directors, sponsors, spectators etc - but still feel that the DCO could have handled this better.

Which of the lads stayed with Ryan?

That's picking the words to bits a bit Reffy

Think the RFL need to take a long look at themselves with that series of events

Which of the lads kept him company or did they all leave him?

Relevence?

Somebody with a car kept him company and as the team came via coach I would imagine it was someone else

I would have been disappointed, if not annoyed, if he had been left on his own.

Do you mean relevance? If so, I thought if he was left behind alone it would not have been an example of good team spirit.

Good example of old Rugby League practice of shooting self in foot. Much better all left quiet!

Trouble being though, that the RFL put the story in the public domain, via their website, and were fairly 'economical' with the facts. The 'story' appears to have been escalated to the point where Ryan was incorrectly being implicated in something wrong.

The club statement merely redresses the balance and clears Ryan of any wrong doing - other than obviously not taking on board sufficient fluids, during the game.

Line - Tow - Party - The.

Please re-arrange into a meaningful sentence!

In my opinion, I know an opinion usually different to most, I think no statement would have been better then that one. Let's shorten the bit that is the explanation:- Person A uses Person B's phone to call Person C, Person D answers Person C's phone, thinks it is a mate of Person B taking the and abuses him, Person A explains that he really is Person A , Person D apologises. Club fined £2000.

Hans Christian Andersen?

How unlike Reffy to have a gripe against the club...

That's quite the allegation Reffy !

Not an allegation, I think Andersen could have done a better job.



Couldn't resist Bart, it just made me chuckle.

I'm sure Ryan would have just looked down at his winners medal and been quite pleased with that and although he would have missed out on what was probably a very memorable coach journey home with his team mates I'm sure he made up for it afterwards.

I would imagine all this happened late on as Ryan as ever was one of the last people off the pitch as like a professional player and role model he patiently had his photo taken with fans with his winner medal.

Must admit it seems a non story that I hadn't heard of but I suppose if its doing the rounds of the taprooms in Leigh with lots of bull and spin added by people who don't know the facts then the club should be rightly keen to snap off any negativity at source and continue to build on the positives of our team of which Ryan is one of the major ones.

Ian Do you mean 'better THAN that one'?

Who cares it last years news , last years chip papers , long rotted down !!!

, could you let us know who you think this person is?

Mrs. Hardy: "Oliver did I or did I not give you the money to pay on the furnitre?"
Ollie: "You certainly did"
Mrs. Hardy: "Then why wasn't it paid?"
Ollie: "Why, I gave it to him (points to Stan) to pay it for me"
Mrs. Hardy (to Stan): "Then what did you do with it?"
Stan: "I gave it back to him"
Ollie: "You gave it to me?"
Stan: "Yeah I gave it to you to pay my room and board then you gave it to her, remember"
Mrs. Hardy: "Do you mean to say that the money that he gave to you that you gave to him that he gave to me was the same money that I gave to him to pay him?"
Stan: "Well if that was the money that you gave to him to give to me to pay to him, it must have been the money that I gave him to give to you to pay my rent - didn't I?"
Mrs. Hardy: Mr. Finlayson I owe you an apology"
Fin: "And thirty-seven dollars"

Laurel & Hardy - Thicker Than Water 1935































Sorry, Couldn't Help It.

That would be unwise, it may not be the person i think it is. You dont have to be a genius to work out who it was.

Is that because you think he is involved with the club Steve? Not fishing, just curious that's all.

Yes.