DISCIPLINE

Eric

Staff

NRL to decide on no-fault stand down ban in next 48 hours​

Facing a maximum 5 year jail sentence, St George Illawarra Dragons prop George Burgess’ immediate playing future could be decided in the next 48 hours.

The immediate playing future of St George Illawarra forward George Burgess could be decided by the NRL’s no-fault stand down discretionary powers with CEO Andrew Abdo to make a call in the next 48 hours. Burgess was charged with sexual touching without consent on Monday night after a woman claimed she was inappropriately touched by the footballer.

At this stage, the NRL’s Integrity Unit has not interviewed Burgess over the allegations but has started working with NSW Police in relation to the matter. The charge Burgess is facing carries a maximum five-year sentence and does not automatically trigger the no-fault stand down policy, which has a threshold of an 11-year sentence or greater.

But Abdo said the NRL’s discretionary powers to immediately ban Burgess from taking the field could be ‘invoked’ in the next two days. “In terms of the no-fault stand down policy will be invoked that will be something reviewed and a decision made in the next or two depending on how long it takes to get all the information,” Abdo said at the NRL’s launch of multicultural round.

After a stint in the UK Super League, Burgess made a return to the NRL after overcoming a serious hip injury to play his 150th game last weekend against the Penrith Panthers. The Dragons are free to name Burgess in the side to take on Cronulla in the local derby on Thursday night. “We haven’t made a decision on what the action will take but until we do that, that’s a matter for the Dragons and the player to decide. I’m not sure if they will put him up, that’s a matter for them. Once we have reviewed all the facts, we’ll make a decision on whether or not we will invoke the no-fault stand down policy,” Abdo said.

It’s believed the incident occurred at a South Sydney residence earlier this month. Police have not released any further details. Abdo was ‘disappointed’ the NRL is now facing another off-field incident involving an allegation against a player levelled by a female. “Any time there is a negative headline, or an allegation of indiscretion it’s never a good day or time for us. We have to look at the facts and decide what we’ll do next. As I said earlier it is disappointing. However, this has only just happened,” Abdo said.

Unlike JDB, he wouldn't be a huge loss. As a matter of fact, I want to see M. Molo given a chance. But still, if he is "stood down" and isn't guilty the club will surely also go to the police to complain about repeatedly being sexually assaulted by the NRL!
 
Can't imagine so. I'm only worried about Thursday's game. Specially if Woods is out. The stand down rule is only for very serious crimes. I don't think "touching" is that.
Carries imprisonment for up to 5yrs if found guilty nobody ever gets that but if the NRL stick to precedent they will order his stand down and if that's the case then there should be financial dispensation so we can bring in another player into our top 30. Time will tell
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Carries imprisonment for up to 5yrs if found guilty nobody ever gets that but if the NRL stick to precedent they will order his stand down and if that's the case then there should be financial dispensation so we can bring in another player into our top 30. Time will tell
5 years max usually means probation and a fine if found guilty.
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Mark my words the NRL will stand him down
May be but personally I don't think so. This kind of thing has the possibility of dragging on for years. If De Belin were found guilty on all charges, it would have meant 20~life behind bars. Burgess faces a fine ~ 5 years. Slightly different. And also think about the possibility of it being abused. I read someone state one could be accused of groping while standing in line for a pie. How easy for a female (or even male🤣) to say, 'pay me for it to go away or even if found not guilty, you'll be out of action for 2 years.'
 
May be but personally I don't think so. This kind of thing has the possibility of dragging on for years. If De Belin were found guilty on all charges, it would have meant 20~life behind bars. Burgess faces a fine ~ 5 years. Slightly different. And also think about the possibility of it being abused. I read someone state one could be accused of groping while standing in line for a pie. How easy for a female (or even male🤣) to say, 'pay me for it to go away or even if found not guilty, you'll be out of action for 2 years.'
Unfortunately thats the world we now live in. My view rightly or wrongly they will stand him down fearful of losing sponsors same as Debelin and they have set precedent in matters such as these, will be sad to lose him he could have contributed much to the cause as the season wore on
 

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
Unfortunately thats the world we now live in. My view rightly or wrongly they will stand him down fearful of losing sponsors same as Debelin and they have set precedent in matters such as these, will be sad to lose him he could have contributed much to the cause as the season wore on
It is the world we live in but surely standing one down for possibly groping is a little extreme.
 

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
May be but personally I don't think so. This kind of thing has the possibility of dragging on for years. If De Belin were found guilty on all charges, it would have meant 20~life behind bars. Burgess faces a fine ~ 5 years. Slightly different. And also think about the possibility of it being abused. I read someone state one could be accused of groping while standing in line for a pie. How easy for a female (or even male🤣) to say, 'pay me for it to go away or even if found not guilty, you'll be out of action for 2 years.'
Even more than that, imagine GF week, St George vs Penrith. Bookmakers have installed Saints as slight favourites. On the Monday Ben Hunt is accused of groping a 16 year-old girl waiting in line for an autograph, whose 17 year-old cousin witnessed it. Cops can't but charge him, NRL can't but stand him down. A month after the game which Saints lost, the girl drops the charges. We never learn the identity of the girls because they were underage but rumour has it they are the nieces of Johnny Elias who happened to bet a large sum on a Penrith win.

It risks turning the competition into a farce. It wouldn't surprise me if jodragon40 jodragon40 is right but if he is, the NRL is on a very slippery slope. Someone is going to take advantage of it.
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Even more than that, imagine GF week, St George vs Penrith. Bookmakers have installed Saints as slight favourites. On the Monday Ben Hunt is accused of groping a 16 year-old girl waiting in line for an autograph, whose 17 year-old cousin witnessed it. Cops can't but charge him, NRL can't but stand him down. A month after the game which Saints lost, the girl drops the charges. We never learn the identity of the girls because they were underage but rumour has it they are the nieces of Johnny Elias who happened to bet a large sum on a Penrith win.

It risks turning the competition into a farce. It wouldn't surprise me if jodragon40 jodragon40 is right but if he is, the NRL is on a very slippery slope. Someone is going to take advantage of it.
Who is Johnny Elias?
 

Morgan

SGI NSW Cup
Who is Johnny Elias?
An ex player, I think for Balmain and Wests (Before Wests Tigers). Not important. He's now (rumored to be, with some evidence) a somebody in western Sydney organized crime circles.

Some years ago there were some very unusual bets placed on a Cowboys vs Bulldogs game. It was near the end of the season. I think yet another wooden spoon for the Dogs and NQ weren't much better. Many 1000s of $ was bet on Cowboys to score first via a penalty goal. Right at the start of the game, the Bulldogs player, a chronic gambler, lost the ball and then flagrantly raked the ball out of the Cowboys player hands with 2 in the tackle right in front of the posts. It was the easiest 2 points ever but someone forgot to give JT the memo. He took a quick tap and Cowboys scored. Several Bulldogs and Cowboys players seemed upset about it.

Later the Bulldogs player was found guilty of something to do with betting fraud or match fixing or both. A year or two after that he was found dead from suicide, an OD or something like that. Was it the American style of committing suicide by shooting oneself twice in the back of the head? Don't know but John Elias was one who had bet $1000s on the first score being 2 points to NQ. He was questioned but not charged. Obviously he was in on it, probably the instigator but how can the cops prove it if he doesn't admit to it?
 

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
An ex player, I think for Balmain and Wests (Before Wests Tigers). Not important. He's now (rumored to be, with some evidence) a somebody in western Sydney organized crime circles.

Some years ago there were some very unusual bets placed on a Cowboys vs Bulldogs game. It was near the end of the season. I think yet another wooden spoon for the Dogs and NQ weren't much better. Many 1000s of $ was bet on Cowboys to score first via a penalty goal. Right at the start of the game, the Bulldogs player, a chronic gambler, lost the ball and then flagrantly raked the ball out of the Cowboys player hands with 2 in the tackle right in front of the posts. It was the easiest 2 points ever but someone forgot to give JT the memo. He took a quick tap and Cowboys scored. Several Bulldogs and Cowboys players seemed upset about it.

Later the Bulldogs player was found guilty of something to do with betting fraud or match fixing or both. A year or two after that he was found dead from suicide, an OD or something like that. Was it the American style of committing suicide by shooting oneself twice in the back of the head? Don't know but John Elias was one who had bet $1000s on the first score being 2 points to NQ. He was questioned but not charged. Obviously he was in on it, probably the instigator but how can the cops prove it if he doesn't admit to it?
Sounds like a stand-up dude😳. But you're right. That (a key player getting set up) happening isn't even far-fetched.
 
Even more than that, imagine GF week, St George vs Penrith. Bookmakers have installed Saints as slight favourites. On the Monday Ben Hunt is accused of groping a 16 year-old girl waiting in line for an autograph, whose 17 year-old cousin witnessed it. Cops can't but charge him, NRL can't but stand him down. A month after the game which Saints lost, the girl drops the charges. We never learn the identity of the girls because they were underage but rumour has it they are the nieces of Johnny Elias who happened to bet a large sum on a Penrith win.

It risks turning the competition into a farce. It wouldn't surprise me if jodragon40 jodragon40 is right but if he is, the NRL is on a very slippery slope. Someone is going to take advantage of it.
Not beyond the realms of being factual
 

Eric

Staff

George Burgess dropped from St George Illawarra Round 3 squad to face Cronulla​

While a decision on whether George Burgess will be stood down hasn’t been made, a call on his availability on Thursday night has.​

Coach Anthony Griffin has cut George Burgess from the side to play Cronulla after the St George Illawarra forward was charged with sexual touching without consent earlier this week. Burgess was named in the 24-man squad to take on the Sharks in Thursday night‘s local derby in Wollongong. But that squad will be trimmed down on Wednesday night with Burgess to be left out despite the forward training with teammates earlier in the day.

Griffin made the decision to drop Burgess from the Sharks clash because the matter was likely to ‘drag’ on. Neither the NRL or the Dragons are yet to determine if Burgess would be stood down. “He was named at 24 until we got more information. We haven‘t got any more information as yet so we’re probably going to have to move on, because it’s going to drag on, and let the NRL sort it out,” Griffin said.

“From a football point of view, it was in the short term until we got more information about how long it will take, we left him in the squad, but it is going to take a bit longer, so he‘ll come out today and someone else will come in.” The Dragons won’t stand down Burgess until the club has all necessary information to make a call on the prop forward’s immediate playing future.

“It all happened really quickly on Monday afternoon, again we haven‘t got any information from the NRL, whether he is going to be stood down or not stood down because it’s in that grey area as far as the stand own policy,” Griffin said. “We just have to wait until we get the information from the NRL about what they are going to do. “We‘re in the dark as to the information, that’s with his lawyers and the NRL. We’ll wait until we are educated as to what the actual charge and matter around it, that’s a matter for the board and CEO.”

The charge Burgess is facing carries a maximum five-year sentence and does not automatically trigger the no-fault stand down policy, which has a threshold of an 11-year sentence or greater. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo does have the power to make a discretionary decision to stand down Burgess while the matter is before the court. It’s believed the NRL’s Integrity Unit is close to finalising it’s ruling on the game’s latest off-field incident.

I don't think he'll get stood down but it would have been nice to have Woods available. Maybe this will be an excellent for Michael Molo or Jaiyden Hunt to show what they can do.
 

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
Even more than that, imagine GF week, St George vs Penrith. Bookmakers have installed Saints as slight favourites. On the Monday Ben Hunt is accused of groping a 16 year-old girl waiting in line for an autograph, whose 17 year-old cousin witnessed it. Cops can't but charge him, NRL can't but stand him down. A month after the game which Saints lost, the girl drops the charges. We never learn the identity of the girls because they were underage but rumour has it they are the nieces of Johnny Elias who happened to bet a large sum on a Penrith win.

It risks turning the competition into a farce. It wouldn't surprise me if jodragon40 jodragon40 is right but if he is, the NRL is on a very slippery slope. Someone is going to take advantage of it.
When it comes to big games, this is a strategy to consider. You bet Sydney Rorters haven't ruled it out.
 
Top