I'm making this 'Post of the week' - congratulations!

I'm not a fan of this from McManus:

"Whilst serving his ban it is critical that Ben is now provided all due personal and professional support. His rehabilitation is now paramount. During the period of his ban he will be no more than a 25-year-old boy who will be extremely vulnerable emotionally."

I don't see that there's any rehabilitation to be made, if anything there's the same burden on Saints to work with LH for his forarm. Nor is he a boy and while there will be some emotion I see that the main problems here are the result of the overblown way in which this has been treated.

In another game, I don't know, lets say GB v's Aus nothing would be said, it's not like Morley was lambasted this much for his high tackle and first tackle sending off.

This nearly cheered me up as much as the guy clapping his own post a few days back.

I'm liking this post of the week idea - we should continue with it throughout the close-season.

However, I'm outraged at the fact you're using fireworks already and it's still three weeks to bonfire night.

So, if I add punctuation to your "remark", you DON'T think that Flower should have been sent off ???

Interesting view.

Not one shared in too many quarters.

Making death threats to a person who knocked another person out with a one punch and a rugby person to boot, got to love the keyboard warriors, all those caught should have the book thrown at them.

How? Take their keyboards off them and no more CeeBeebies for a fortnight? The Internet age has inflated the number but has inherently rendered almost all threats meaningless. Just a few keyboard warriors indulging their fantasies. If you want to talk about ironic, how ironic is it that the people who have lost most, I.e. Wigan fans, almost certainly aren't issuing death threats? The fans of other clubs now throwing their weight about should be thanking Flower, not castigating him. He singlehandedly (word?) gave Saints the GF trophy!

All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description.

Do you mean how do you find them or punish them?

The police have powers to track Twitter posts now so can identify them if they are commiting an offence, and threatening someone's life (and wife in this case) is a criminal offence.
Punishment can be a simple fine and indeed taking their online access away but most of all the punishment is outing them because as said above, usually it is some keyboard warrior who thinks they can be tough.

The problem is, it only takes one nutter, so it needs to be dealt with.
Adrian Morley's book tells of him being goaded in a pub and being caught out because he hit him. Cost him a lot in fines, even though the guy was looking for it. Flower will have to contend with every drunk nutter who thinks they are bullet proof a) because they are drunk and b) because Flower has a lot to lose if he defends himself.

I feel for the guy. I hope he comes back stronger. I never sawa him as a penalty machine before (though you guys will know better) so it's not like he needs to clean up his game. He just needs to concentrate on getting back to form afetr the layoff.
If he comes back and shows he is still a good prop, the publicity will actually do him good.

It's not like anyone is having a go at Graham now after last years biting incident. His reputation is actually enhanced because people notice him more.

Quote ="pies-r-us"All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description. '" Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

Quote ="pies-r-us"All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description. '" Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

everyone who has issued death threats against him should be allowed to go 1 on 1 with him and see how that goes....

tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/gra ... en-6108134?

tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/gra ... en-6108134?

Wheeling out some past-it former coach that has only seen the "highlight" reel for some reaction. Quality reporting right there.

Quote ="goobervision"Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI'" All those Saints fans taking the moral high ground should watch this. Thugby league at its best from the so called Saints. Lol

Quote ="goobervision"Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI'" All those Saints fans taking the moral high ground should watch this. Thugby league at its best from the so called Saints. Lol

The RLFans boards tend to get full of hysterical nonsense far too often, and it seems to be getting worse (could be my imagination but I don't think so).

Too many people are happy to dish out the pitchforks and torches treatment to opponents, but not accept any sort of rational judgement on their own players.

I suppose I used to be like that when I was a kid, and perhaps a lot of the 'keyboard warriors' around are still children, but I find the whole tone depressing.

Sadly it seems likely that Flower will have this round his neck like an albtaross, when in fact everybody should now accept the punishment and move on. I'd compare it to James Graham's biting incident - pretty unsavoury, just two years ago in a GF, and yet rarely raised here. Had he done that in England it seems it would still be the only thing said about him.

I agree with most of what you say. Hysteria/over-statement/being controversial for the sake of it has become a norm in a lot of social media.

With respect to James Graham, the biting incident has been relegated to memory because of the way in which he's distinguished himself as the best prop in the competition in the last two years. I'd hate to think Ben Flower won't have the same opportunity to let his rugby do the talking when he's served his ban.

I suppose this has been posted here because 25 ago Lowey was a great Wigan coach, and so this will make us all sit up and take notice.

I wouldn't take any more notice of Lowey now than Saints fans would take notice of Alex Murphy or Leeds fans of Gary Schofield.

Mind you, it's quite funny that it's apparently taken New Zealand five days to catch up with the rest of the world's news.

Did anyone ever take any notice of Gary Schofield?

Sorry mate, it was headline news here on Sunday (Saturday your time), including the lead story on the sports desk on the evening Sunday news. It's been debated at length on breakfast TV every morning and just about every sports talkback broadcast I've listened to. Guess we aren't as slow down here as you might like to think - we have got cars and street lights down here you know. Doh.

Quote ="Singe"Sorry mate, it was headline news here on Sunday (Saturday your time), including the lead story on the sports desk on the evening Sunday news. It's been debated at length on breakfast TV every morning and just about every sports talkback broadcast I've listened to. Guess we aren't as slow down here as you might like to think - we have got cars and street lights down here you know. Doh.'" You're bragging that you've endlessly debated two punches in an RL match on the other side of the world for an entire week? Slow news days in NZ, eh? Or perhaps it's just plain old hypocrisy? Check out the lack of concern in the commentators' voices accompanying this incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wakoZWSgXLY

Quote ="Singe"Sorry mate, it was headline news here on Sunday (Saturday your time), including the lead story on the sports desk on the evening Sunday news. It's been debated at length on breakfast TV every morning and just about every sports talkback broadcast I've listened to. Guess we aren't as slow down here as you might like to think - we have got cars and street lights down here you know. Doh.'" You're bragging that you've endlessly debated two punches in an RL match on the other side of the world for an entire week? Slow news days in NZ, eh? Or perhaps it's just plain old hypocrisy? Check out the lack of concern in the commentators' voices accompanying this incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wakoZWSgXLY

Quote ="Cruncher"icon_lol.gif You're bragging that you've endlessly debated two punches in an RL match on the other side of the world for an entire week? Slow news days in NZ, eh? Or perhaps it's just plain old hypocrisy? Check out the lack of concern in the commentators' voices accompanying this incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wakoZWSgXLY'" Bragging? not bragging at all, just pointing out that NZ aren't behind the times as you asserted. In fact as a rugby league supporter I've been disappointed it's been in the news so often. How you come to the conclusion I'm bragging is beyond me. Slow days in NZ? Nah, slow days in your brain seems more appropriate. Can't understand why there is a small group of people who are so determined to support an argument which is totally defenceless. What on earth has that you tube you linked to this got to do with the thuggery we saw at the weekend. I could come up with plenty of stuff (over a year old) which would put any country's commentators in poor light. Hey, why don't we watch Wane's pre-match efforts that spark all this hatred?

Quote ="Cruncher"icon_lol.gif You're bragging that you've endlessly debated two punches in an RL match on the other side of the world for an entire week? Slow news days in NZ, eh? Or perhaps it's just plain old hypocrisy? Check out the lack of concern in the commentators' voices accompanying this incident: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wakoZWSgXLY'" Bragging? not bragging at all, just pointing out that NZ aren't behind the times as you asserted. In fact as a rugby league supporter I've been disappointed it's been in the news so often. How you come to the conclusion I'm bragging is beyond me. Slow days in NZ? Nah, slow days in your brain seems more appropriate. Can't understand why there is a small group of people who are so determined to support an argument which is totally defenceless. What on earth has that you tube you linked to this got to do with the thuggery we saw at the weekend. I could come up with plenty of stuff (over a year old) which would put any country's commentators in poor light. Hey, why don't we watch Wane's pre-match efforts that spark all this hatred?

Lowe seems to have forgotten what Quentin Pongia did or the length of ban he served.

Quote ="Singe"Bragging? not bragging at all, just pointing out that NZ aren't behind the times as you asserted. In fact as a rugby league supporter I've been disappointed it's been in the news so often. How you come to the conclusion I'm bragging is beyond me. Slow days in NZ? Nah, slow days in your brain seems more appropriate. Can't understand why there is a small group of people who are so determined to support an argument which is totally defenceless. What on earth has that you tube you linked to this got to do with the thuggery we saw at the weekend. I could come up with plenty of stuff (over a year old) which would put any country's commentators in poor light. Hey, why don't we watch Wane's pre-match efforts that spark all this hatred?'" The day RL coaches stop winding their players up before a match - and Graham Lowe was one of the fiercest of the lot - is the day they stop coaching. So that's that argument blown out of the water. The point is simple. Violence in RL is wrong. I haven’t said otherwise. When it happens, as it did last week, it should be dealt with by due process - which it has been. But when prats like you and, sadly, Graham Lowe, are still grandstanding about it a week later, that's when we're into the realm of glass houses and thrown stones. Plenty of NZ players (as exemplified by the link I posted) and plenty of St Helens players (as exemplified by this the video posted below) - and those two are just snapshots, let's face it - have used violence on the field. So don’t think you can keep on being holier-than-thou about it without everyone starting to realise you’re a bit of a phoney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

Quote ="Singe"Bragging? not bragging at all, just pointing out that NZ aren't behind the times as you asserted. In fact as a rugby league supporter I've been disappointed it's been in the news so often. How you come to the conclusion I'm bragging is beyond me. Slow days in NZ? Nah, slow days in your brain seems more appropriate. Can't understand why there is a small group of people who are so determined to support an argument which is totally defenceless. What on earth has that you tube you linked to this got to do with the thuggery we saw at the weekend. I could come up with plenty of stuff (over a year old) which would put any country's commentators in poor light. Hey, why don't we watch Wane's pre-match efforts that spark all this hatred?'" The day RL coaches stop winding their players up before a match - and Graham Lowe was one of the fiercest of the lot - is the day they stop coaching. So that's that argument blown out of the water. The point is simple. Violence in RL is wrong. I haven’t said otherwise. When it happens, as it did last week, it should be dealt with by due process - which it has been. But when prats like you and, sadly, Graham Lowe, are still grandstanding about it a week later, that's when we're into the realm of glass houses and thrown stones. Plenty of NZ players (as exemplified by the link I posted) and plenty of St Helens players (as exemplified by this the video posted below) - and those two are just snapshots, let's face it - have used violence on the field. So don’t think you can keep on being holier-than-thou about it without everyone starting to realise you’re a bit of a phoney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

Quote ="Cruncher"The day RL coaches stop winding their players up before a match - and Graham Lowe was one of the fiercest of the lot - is the day they stop coaching. So that's that argument blown out of the water. The point is simple. Violence in RL is wrong. I haven’t said otherwise. When it happens, as it did last week, it should be dealt with by due process - which it has been. But when prats like you and, sadly, Graham Lowe, are still grandstanding about it a week later, that's when we're into the realm of glass houses and thrown stones. Plenty of NZ players (as exemplified by the link I posted) and plenty of St Helens players (as exemplified by this the video posted below) - and those two are just snapshots, let's face it - have used violence on the field. So don’t think you can keep on being holier-than-thou about it without everyone starting to realise you’re a bit of a phoney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI'" I'm not being holier than thou and I haven't been grandstanding. I think the process has dealt with the situation in an exemplary way. I think Flower got an appropriate sentence - no more, no less. Radlinski dealt with the situation well and Flower said what needed to be said. St Helens said the right things and handled the situation superbly especially when McManus said the piece about there being a person behind the player (Flower) and the need to look after him and welcome him back into the game once his suspension has been served. In fact, I think that is what grates people like you, you are so bitter about losing to St Helens that you can't stand the way they have come out of this situation not only with their heads held high but also with a Grand Final Trophy that looked like Wigan's for the taking. It must really stew inside you and that's why you feel the need to come out with silly arguments to try to brush the incident off. Get over it.

Quote ="Cruncher"The day RL coaches stop winding their players up before a match - and Graham Lowe was one of the fiercest of the lot - is the day they stop coaching. So that's that argument blown out of the water. The point is simple. Violence in RL is wrong. I haven’t said otherwise. When it happens, as it did last week, it should be dealt with by due process - which it has been. But when prats like you and, sadly, Graham Lowe, are still grandstanding about it a week later, that's when we're into the realm of glass houses and thrown stones. Plenty of NZ players (as exemplified by the link I posted) and plenty of St Helens players (as exemplified by this the video posted below) - and those two are just snapshots, let's face it - have used violence on the field. So don’t think you can keep on being holier-than-thou about it without everyone starting to realise you’re a bit of a phoney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI'" I'm not being holier than thou and I haven't been grandstanding. I think the process has dealt with the situation in an exemplary way. I think Flower got an appropriate sentence - no more, no less. Radlinski dealt with the situation well and Flower said what needed to be said. St Helens said the right things and handled the situation superbly especially when McManus said the piece about there being a person behind the player (Flower) and the need to look after him and welcome him back into the game once his suspension has been served. In fact, I think that is what grates people like you, you are so bitter about losing to St Helens that you can't stand the way they have come out of this situation not only with their heads held high but also with a Grand Final Trophy that looked like Wigan's for the taking. It must really stew inside you and that's why you feel the need to come out with silly arguments to try to brush the incident off. Get over it.

I'm interested that the Wane video from February keeps being brought up. He's obviously a really bad coach as its taken the entire season for someone to actually listen to him and "knock someone out". Maybe it's because the players are adults and actually understand what he is asking them to do in terms of being aggressive and not being bullied - rather than actually punch someone's light out?

Lenagan was asked about the video on the BBC the other night in a way to try and link the two events together. He said he was actually in the dressing room in NZ and on Saturday night and that the context of a rugby dressing room might need to be considered before the halfwits jump on the video bandwagon, especially given the editing process.

Looks like we are asking far too much of a lot of people.