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Johns only gets 2 weeks

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Johns gets off lightly in black day for league
17 August 2006 
Sydney Morning Herald

SYDNEY: The old sporting adage "no one is bigger than the game" requires urgent amendment. For Andrew Johns has transcended rugby league.


Having gained more media attention than the Israel-Hezbollah conflict this week - even moving the federal Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley, to appeal for him to stay in the game - Johns's hopes of playing in the NRL finals are alive after his suspension for abusing a referee was reduced to two weeks.

The Hunter region presumably exhaled in unison when the decision was handed down last night, considering Johns's manager, John Fordham, had threatened that his client might retire from the NRL if the appeal had gone against him.

Johns's strategy was simple. Apologise. And hope for the best.

That was enough for the NRL panel to reduce the charge's severity, even though Johns had written a column in which he expressed no remorse for calling a touch judge, Matt Cecchin, a "c---" in the last minutes of Newcastle's match against Manly on Friday.

But in a move so tactically astute it rivalled Johns on the field, the Newcastle captain told the panel that the column - published two days after the match - was written soon after the game, while his emotions were still high.

Johns also reasoned that he was advised against approaching Cecchin this week, thus explaining the five-day lag between the fiery on-field incident and the forwarding of his letter of apology.

AdvertisementAdvertisement"I've seen the apology and I certainly accept it," Cecchin later said. "I have no trouble in putting it behind me and concentrating on this weekend. It's finished as far as I'm concerned."

This was no ordinary NRL judiciary hearing. During the case, the NRL's counsel, Peter Kite, reminded panel members that "even by the greats of the game ? [the abuse] could not be tolerated". The NRL judiciary chairman, Greg Woods, later urged the panellists not to take into account Fordham's threat that Johns might leave the game.

Johns watched silently as the video evidence was shown, head tilted to the left and hands in his lap.

He spoke only to tell the panel of his remorse, and to repeatedly inform them that the final few minutes of the match against Manly, when the abuse occurred, were "a blur".

Johns read aloud his letter to Cecchin, saying he "totally regretted the offence". He later said the next time he saw him and the referee, Paul Simpkins, "he would shake each official's hand".

As the panel adjourned, Johns smiled and nodded to the panel member Darren Britt. Even in this desperate situation, Johns had not lost his swagger.

[/b]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3767572a10713,00.html

but of a joke he was lucky to get away with only 2 weeks. still he will be around for the finals, if they make it that is.
 
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!! :%#%#:
 
Originally posted by Kimmy_The_Kiwi@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!! :%#%#:
I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right!
 
As much as i love Joey in sky blue

i lost all respect for the guy a long time ago, when i ran into him one day.

he is an arrogant idiot to say the least.
 
Originally posted by ak47@Aug 18 2006, 04:25 PM
As much as i love Joey in sky blue

i lost all respect for the guy a long time ago, when i ran into him one day.

he is an arrogant idiot to say the least.
A lot of the greats are for some reason... a mate of mine's dad said the same thing about Wally Lewis.
 
Originally posted by sanzar+Aug 18 2006, 05:28 PM-->
<!--QuoteBegin-ak47
@Aug 18 2006, 04:25 PM
As much as i love Joey in sky blue

i lost all respect for the guy a long time ago, when i ran into him one day.

he is an arrogant idiot to say the least.
A lot of the greats are for some reason... a mate of mine's dad said the same thing about Wally Lewis. [/b]
yeah thats understandable...u can see that in Wally

which is why i hold laurie daley in utmost regard - not only for his raiders services

out of all the big big names i have ran into.......Laurie rembered my name the 2nd time around, and even gave a phone video interview - we were all ****** as hell in the pub......but he had the time to leave his wife for 10mins and have a blokey chat with us in front of a bloody camera

class lozza........class.

Willie Masons an idiot too..........nobody has to tell me otherwise
 
Originally posted by sanzar+Aug 18 2006, 05:24 PM-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Kimmy_The_Kiwi
@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!!  :%#%#:
I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right! [/b]
Its not like its the first time hes done it..and it wont be the last either imo.

Ohwell its been and dusted..time to get over it. :)
 
ak47 why do you think Willie M is an idiot..he was an idiot in his younger years..hes really matured now. :)
 
Originally posted by sanzar+Aug 18 2006, 06:24 PM-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Kimmy_The_Kiwi
@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!!  :%#%#:
I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right! [/b]
it was only that long because he had carry over points.

it is a complete joke and it is now offical Andrew Johns is bigger than the game.
 
Originally posted by esoj+Aug 18 2006, 07:12 PM-->
Originally posted by sanzar@Aug 18 2006, 06:24 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Kimmy_The_Kiwi
@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!!  :%#%#:

I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right!
it was only that long because he had carry over points.

it is a complete joke and it is now offical Andrew Johns is bigger than the game. [/b]
I thought it was offical when the NRL had to resort to paying him themselves to not go to Union.
 
Originally posted by esoj+Aug 18 2006, 06:12 PM-->
Originally posted by sanzar@Aug 18 2006, 06:24 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Kimmy_The_Kiwi
@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!!  :%#%#:

I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right!
it was only that long because he had carry over points.

it is a complete joke and it is now offical Andrew Johns is bigger than the game. [/b]
He still got 2 weeks, so I don't know what you're on about there... especially considering in Union Umaga and Mealamu spear tackled and dislocated the shoulder of O'Driscoll off the ball and weren't even cited.
 
Honestly, there is very little difference between verbally abusing and official (or player for that matter) and pushing them (i.e physical abuse). In public it is an offence punishable by law and if someone does this and this someone is a role model to kids, what are the kids going to do?

It is so hard to get referees these days, because they are continually abused by players and spectators a like. This happens frequently in junior sport. Numbers all over Australia are deminishing. No joke. I should know - i referee junior rugby in ACT and it can be very distressing what some people say. Honest!

Anyway, I do think it is a disgrace they only give him two weeks. A) it's not the first time. b.) if it weren't Andrew Johns they would have got more. C) the tribunal are ex-players, and two of which are good friends with Johnsey. And D) if he physically abused him he would have got at least till the start of next season.

Just my opinion.
 
Originally posted by sanzar+Aug 18 2006, 08:35 PM-->
Originally posted by esoj@Aug 18 2006, 06:12 PM
Originally posted by sanzar@Aug 18 2006, 06:24 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Kimmy_The_Kiwi
@Aug 18 2006, 04:04 PM
Lol PATHETIC. If it was anyone else they would have suspended them for 4 weeks. 3 at the most! Its only because he whinged like the baby he is that he would leave the NRL. I wish he would!!  :%#%#:

I bet you do after the number of times he almost single handedly annihilated your beloved maroons :D :p .

Seriously though, 4 weeks for telling off a touch judge for an obviously wrong and thus crucial call is a load of crap... The players should just cop a fine and a 1 week suspension for something like that. You can't take a player out of the game for a month for swearing in a high pressure game, especially when they're in the right!

it was only that long because he had carry over points.

it is a complete joke and it is now offical Andrew Johns is bigger than the game.
He still got 2 weeks, so I don't know what you're on about there... especially considering in Union Umaga and Mealamu spear tackled and dislocated the shoulder of O'Driscoll off the ball and weren't even cited. [/b]
and what does that have to do with anything.

the point i made was that it was going to be 4 weeks because johns had carry over points.
 
Originally posted by Kimmy_The_Kiwi@Aug 18 2006, 06:38 PM
ak47 why do you think Willie M is an idiot..he was an idiot in his younger years..hes really matured now. :)
no he hasnt mate

i know his GF personally, very very good friend of my ex GF

i have been out with them together @ weddings and other nights out.

he has matured on the field..........not off

actually in the last 5 years he has matured alot

but not enough for my approval for his relationship with my friend

not going into any more details
 

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