I suppose you’ve had your fill of the rectum of Wigan scandal now and I must admit the coverage has been totally bizarre.
It’s made the Wright stuff on channel 5, the front page of the tabloids but far and away the weirdest was when I turned on the Monday night club on radio 5 live and heard Italian journalist Gabriele Marcotti talking about Rugby League, just a shame again our sport is in the news for all the wrong reasons.
The coverage has been over the top and ludicrous, 2 blokes had too much ale and went way too far. Calling for players to be sacked for it is ridiculous, don’t get me wrong I’m not defending them, I’ve never worked in a pub but I have managed a town centre betting shop where we get similar clientele and abuse is unfortunately part and parcel, it was just drunken idiots who will be very regretful 24 hours later.
They were rightly fined and Joel rightly banned but I’m not sure it warrants front page headlines. In today’s society abuse like this is unfortunately common place. Doesn’t make it right of course .
One popular thread that I don’t agree with though is that they are role models and should set good examples for youngsters.
Yes they are of course people that kids look up to but they have set the perfect example here, an example of how not to behave.
I’m not sure any child I know would look at that and be impressed, more likely they’d see them as a pair of idiots just like we do. It may teach them that just one more maybe not such a good idea.
Let’s have more faith in our up and coming stars that they won’t follow this example, they see this the same way we do.
One thing that does bother me, and I’m sure you’ll tell me there is something I’ve missed, but this was supposed to have been dealt with by Wigan weeks ago but they bans and fines ( which I think are about right) were only handed out after it became public. Rumours that money changed hands to keep the story quiet have surfaced but can’t be verified, so why the ban now and not when it happened.? If compensation was paid was this by the club or the players without informing the club?
One things for sure this mess has come at the end of an awful fortnight for Wigan, with 2 poor defeats and confirmation of player and coach departure. More could follow if you listen to the rumour mill, just a shame that after a pulsating cup tie at Langtree Park the only way we can get headlines is off the field.
