How many chances should you give a person?
Nothing in life is ever black and white. As much as we wish we could, you can’t put the behavior of people into nice, neat little boxes. Everything is a degree of something, and therefore, when it comes to giving someone another chance, everything comes into consideration.
This week, Todd Carney is in a lot of trouble because, when you take everything into consideration, you have to come to the conclusion that this kid is a lot cause.
Time and time again, Carney has been given the benefit of the doubt. He has stood before officials and told them he would change his ways. He has made promises, and broken every single one of them, every single time.
Todd Carney doesn’t need a coach, a team mate or a CEO right now. He needs a social worker. This is a person on a path of self destruction and Rugby League should do the best thing it can for him and let him go and sort his life out.
Brian Smith is a good bloke. I really believe he is one of the coaches in the game that does like to be there for his players away from the game. He has stated that he wants the club to stand by Carney, but to be honest, Carneys issues are well beyond Brian Smiths job description.
The Roosters as a club made a decision a few years ago that they would not have any issue signing and retaining players will off field issues. Some of their players have been stupid, and nothing more. Other have been downright disgraceful and should have had their contracts torn up a long time ago.
A couple of years ago the Manly Sea Eagles were fined $100,000 when some of their players got drunk at a pre-season club function. How the Roosters have escaped similar punishment is beyond me. They bring the game into disrepute more than any other club. They need to be held accountable for the low standards they have set themselves.
When it comes to Anthony Watts, as far as I’m concerned, he is done. I’d like to see him never play the game again. If I see him running around again, much like Greg Bird, I’ll be sickened by it every time!
As for Todd Carney, its time for him to decide what direction his life goes in. That needs to happened away from football though.
The NRL should deregister both Carney and Watts as soon as possible. The game of Rugby League is better off without them, and I’d suggest, both are better off without the distractions that being a professional athletes provides them.
