Played by bogan thugs, for the entertainment of bogan thugs. I'm not cut out to be a Rugby League player or supporter - I've no interest in pack rape, drug dealing, drunken violence (I prefer the controlled variety), wife beating, homo-erotic behaviour and poofta jokes - always a curious combination. The game is also associated with bottom-tier beer, which doesn't help much. I liked Peter Berner's joke on last night's GNW - "What do you call a rugby league player who has completed an ettiquete course? A soccer player."

Is this akin to the sins of the child being visited upon the parent? I, like the absolute majority of persons in the community at large am fully unaware of whom knew what (if there was anything to know). I think the presumption of innocence should still apply and if some knew and kept quiet - shame on you. This team over the years has bonded this area like few other teams, events, or incidents, apart from the earthquake has. To put this all at risk for their own selfish financial and self-ego ends should be abhorrent to all and not one iota of sympathy should be shown to any players or officials involved.

Thiks is only a problem because it supposedly involved an illegal drug, MDMA ecstasy. The Knights don't seem to care much about the alcohol drug, and even have on alcohol drug supplier as a sponsor. We don't know what they think about caffeine, which can fail a drug test if you take enough. Refined sugar is another drug which is probably part of a diet program. Perhaps we'll have a change of opinion on the legality of MDMA ecstasy.

Loyalty means little to these high wealth priviliged individuals - it's all about the next contract negotiated by their managers so they don't deal with the club. They have to have something in their contract from their employers to deal with mere fans at functions, hospital visits etc which is the only reason most of them do it. On the other hand, they are traded and bought like thoroughbreds by the club owners who are only too happy to look the other way with their misbehaving stars and make the token hardline gesture with players who have lesser value. The players leave the club having learnt nothing and expecting the world to pamper them as they have been since they were taken under the club's wing when they were juniors. Of course people inside the Knights would have known about the dealing alleged by the police if that dealing occurred. hey...they're a good player!! What hypocrisy. The best thing would be to send the club to Gosford.

I have 2 problems with the concept of mixing the Knights organisation with the expolits of its employees. 1. Try telling most 20somethings that the drug of choice of the day is as wrongful as the law would make it out to be. It won't work. Whether we go back far enough to talk about alcohol, closer we have pot/hash etc, cocaine, speed, and now the stuff with more exotic names - they all have one thing in common. Young people use them and they think those who get caught just do so by bad luck! Why would fellow players dob anyone in when they saw nothing wrong with what was happening? 2. The other issue is the responsibility of the employer. People are stupid and take risks by nature. They can't be watched 24/7. Why not out the employer of every persone who is chsrged with a criminal convistion. That way we can all decry the "whatever" culture at the local newspaper, ASX listed company, community supermarket, financial institution etc. Let those who have done the crime do the time, lets not spread the pain for the sake of a good story.

Firstly before i make my point, Jenny, Get off the MDMA Ecstacy and get back into the rail debate with your one liners that you pill popping metro loving wankers seem so good at. Now back on topic, Jeff, its hard to draw a line with team mates and club. Lets take the rugby leage and the Knights out of this and think about any team / club you have played for, even in Juniors. When I played Rugby Union, i felt more loyalty to the players i played with that the club i played for. I knew a guy in the team i played took and dealt drugs. A blind eye was turned because a) didn;t effect his onfield performance and b) didnt effect me as a player. Also just recently a team i played soccer with have all just packed up and gone to a different club. Loyalty must go both ways, if the club doesn't respect players, then the players won't respect the club. I know these analogies are totally different than a high profile club / player, but the feeling of mateship and bleeding for you mate will always outweigh the club colours. Especially at the elite level, no one plays for the club jersey, they play for the money, and they bleed for their mates, not the club.

Big business based on the on and off-field antics of post-pubity boys is never going to be devoid of problems - the beneficieries should find a better gravy train to leach onto. Good question jeff and the story continues. I can imagine the lessons being learned. " oh its better to put the girl onto a cab .. then tell her to to p..off as you slam the door after her".

They do seem to have this ridiculus sense of obligation to protect each other no matter what. The fans also join in and protect the unfortunate offender. I remember last year a Manly player charged with sexual offences got a standing cheer from the supporters when he returned to the playing field, made me sick. Loyalty to your own morals and conviction should come before loyalty to the individual. You cannot expect respect if you don't. I feel sympathy for the genuine young footy players out there doing the right thing following their dream while team mates act like idiots.

Buell, there's a double standards for the top tier players. But there is 1 perosn i really think was left out in the cold unfairly and that was Matthew Johns. Not condoning what he did but it wasn't illegal, he was crucified in the media and left out and not supported by the game he gave so much to.

It is an interesting comparison, this saga and the Joey Johns affair. It is surely common knowledge now that many those involved back in Joey's day knew what he was up to. He didn't even try and hide his drug taking and you only had to be out at a club or pub on a weekend to see the state he was in. We wlive in a pretty small fishbowl up here and there are an awful lot of people oputside the club who knew what the Knights will say they didn't know. The arrogance of some of the people in the game has alienated a lot of their former supporters, me included. I will never go to a Knights game and/or watch them on TV. Ever!