DISCIPLINE

jodragon40

SGI NSW Cup

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.
I must apologise here for my wrong advice in regards to this sorry saga. Spoke to a current member of the NRL who informed me that because the offence which carries a Max penalty of 5 yrs imprisonment which we all acknowledge is never handed down anyway this DOES NOT trigger an automatic stand down in the NRL no fault policy so essentially its up to the club initially to decide.
 

jodragon40

SGI NSW Cup
The NRL stood him down or he was dropped for this week? Because IMO, this week the coach is going with lighter, more mobile forwards.
Apologies he was cut the actual stand down trigger does not apply to this alleged offence because the Max sentence is below the 11 yrs. Sorry
 

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
I must apologise here for my wrong advice in regards to this sorry saga. Spoke to a current member of the NRL who informed me that because the offence which carries a Max penalty of 5 yrs imprisonment which we all acknowledge is never handed down anyway this DOES NOT trigger an automatic stand down in the NRL no fault policy so essentially its up to the club initially to decide.
Still no word from the NRL I guess means standing him down is under serious consideration. I'm not even that much against it but I just don't see how it can be tenable due to what I have outlined previously.
 

Eric

Staff
I must apologise here for my wrong advice in regards to this sorry saga. Spoke to a current member of the NRL who informed me that because the offence which carries a Max penalty of 5 yrs imprisonment which we all acknowledge is never handed down anyway this DOES NOT trigger an automatic stand down in the NRL no fault policy so essentially its up to the club initially to decide.
Who do you know in the NRL? I'm not asking you to tell us your real name but if you did (tell us your real name) would there be a good chance Dragons fans would know who you are?
 

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
Who do you know in the NRL? I'm not asking you to tell us your real name but if you did (tell us your real name) would there be a good chance Dragons fans would know who you are?
What's Paul McGregor up to these days:oops:?
 

Morgan

SGI NSW Cup

St George Illawarra star Burgess free to play until ‘sexual touching’ incident resolved in court​

George Burgess is free to play after the NRL decided it will reserve its judgment on the Dragons star until he’s had his day in court. Burgess, 29, didn’t play in Round 3 after being charged in relation to a ‘sexual touching’ incident. The woman involved spoke to police last week over the incident which allegedly occurred in Mascot. Burgess is reportedly due in court on April 13 and has been cleared by the NRL to continue playing until his case is resolved.

“The National Rugby League (NRL) has advised the St George Illawarra Dragons that player George Burgess will be permitted to continue playing in the NRL Premiership while subject to criminal proceedings,” the NRL statement read. “So as not to prejudice Burgess’ criminal proceedings case, the NRL will wait the outcome of that case before taking any action for possible breaches of NRL rules. “The decision in no way forms a judgment on the allegations against Burgess which are serious and the NRL reserves the right to impose a No Fault Stand Down in the future.”

He featured in the Dragons’ Round 2 loss to the Panthers after missing selection in their season opener. The Dragons were thrashed 36-12 by the Sharks last week and face the Eels on Sunday. Burgess returned to the NRL this season after a an 18-month stint in the Super League. Prior to his time in the Super League, Burgess played 149 first grade games for the Rabbitohs — including the 2014 grand final. He has also represented England 17 times.
 

Eric

Staff
Quiet day on the news front regarding St George. No news on Bird signing which was supposed to happen today. He's worth not more than 400k a season.
 

jodragon40

SGI NSW Cup

St George Illawarra star Burgess free to play until ‘sexual touching’ incident resolved in court​

George Burgess is free to play after the NRL decided it will reserve its judgment on the Dragons star until he’s had his day in court. Burgess, 29, didn’t play in Round 3 after being charged in relation to a ‘sexual touching’ incident. The woman involved spoke to police last week over the incident which allegedly occurred in Mascot. Burgess is reportedly due in court on April 13 and has been cleared by the NRL to continue playing until his case is resolved.

“The National Rugby League (NRL) has advised the St George Illawarra Dragons that player George Burgess will be permitted to continue playing in the NRL Premiership while subject to criminal proceedings,” the NRL statement read. “So as not to prejudice Burgess’ criminal proceedings case, the NRL will wait the outcome of that case before taking any action for possible breaches of NRL rules. “The decision in no way forms a judgment on the allegations against Burgess which are serious and the NRL reserves the right to impose a No Fault Stand Down in the future.”

He featured in the Dragons’ Round 2 loss to the Panthers after missing selection in their season opener. The Dragons were thrashed 36-12 by the Sharks last week and face the Eels on Sunday. Burgess returned to the NRL this season after a an 18-month stint in the Super League. Prior to his time in the Super League, Burgess played 149 first grade games for the Rabbitohs — including the 2014 grand final. He has also represented England 17 times.
Well I believed that they would stand him down but in reality the offence alleged falls well under their own threshold rules. So even though the alleged offence may be considered by some as a stand down one, sanity has prevailed here and surely he will be picked this week unless one of the major sponsors of the dragons threaten to withdraw their financial support. Time will tell
 

Morgan

SGI NSW Cup
Well I believed that they would stand him down but in reality the offence alleged falls well under their own threshold rules. So even though the alleged offence may be considered by some as a stand down one, sanity has prevailed here and surely he will be picked this week unless one of the major sponsors of the dragons threaten to withdraw their financial support. Time will tell
But it still wasn't open and closed. The NRL has "discretionary power". I think the reason they didn't is because it'd be too easy to cheat the system. See below.
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.
Does anyone doubt it could be rorted and almost certainly would be at some point. They could even get compromised players with gambling problems to go along with it and it wouldn't even need to be in big games.

Regardless, I'm glad he is available because I think we need him. Judging by the pathetic way the forwards played last week.
 

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
But it still wasn't open and closed. The NRL has "discretionary power". I think the reason they didn't is because it'd be too easy to cheat the system. See below.

Does anyone doubt it could be rorted and almost certainly would be at some point. They could even get compromised players with gambling problems to go along with it and it wouldn't even need to be in big games.

Regardless, I'm glad he is available because I think we need him. Judging by the pathetic way the forwards played last week.
The only things wrong about my original message is the possibility of St George being in the GF this year. After last weekend, it seems more like fantasy. Let's see them hit back this weekend but speaking of stand-downs, Jack de Belin desperately needs some help in the middle. Woods, Molo and de Belin all starting will surely be better than Lawrie.
 

Morgan

SGI NSW Cup
I didn't follow this closely but....... looking at a summary of the cross examination, it was all but confirmed she was lying. This is a problem! Cops press charges so easily with so little evidence. In the case of De Belin they actually lied about the evidence they had to press charges. It's very hard to punish the women because it will encourage real victims not to come forward but i certainly hope incompetent and/or lying cops are several punished!

Former St George Illawarra player Tristan Sailor found not guilty of sexually assaulting woman​

A jury has acquitted the son of Australian rugby league and union legend Wendell Sailor after he was accused of raping and injuring a drunk woman he met through a social media app. Tristan Sailor, 23, faced a NSW District Court trial in March after the woman said she could not remember having oral, vaginal and anal sex him in 2020.

After retiring to consider a verdict about 1pm on Thursday, jurors reached their unanimous decision after two hours and 20 minutes and delivered verdicts of not guilty to the two aggravated sexual assault charges Mr Sailor was hit with.

During the trial the court was told the woman and Sailor met on the social networking app Instagram in 2019 when he was on the cusp of following in his father’s footsteps and making his NRL debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons.
 
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