[ad_1]
I reiterate a point already made: May’s problems do not end with his forced indefinite leave of absence. That’s because, despite signing a two-year, $1.2 million contract extension with the Panthers at the end of March to continue playing under the Blue Mountains until the end of the 2026 season, the actions currently being taken put the continuation of that arrangement into hot debate.
Specifically, The Black Panthers reportedlyserved May with a notice under his playing contract alleging other violations, including May’s profanity-filled social media posts and filming himself as a passenger in a speeding car.
Pausing for a moment, a few observations are in order. First, while the Dragons have stood by de Belin throughout his dealings with the criminal justice system, many clubs may not be willing to be so loyal, which is inevitable given the sullied reputation and financial consequences of having a player on the roster who can’t actually play.
If a club had three players forced to retire in this situation, what would they do? If five players were forced to retire, what would they do?
Even taking into account the modest exemptions that may be offered, there is a limit to how elastic the rubber band that is the NRL’s salary cap is.
Secondly, all NRL players are bound by standard player contract terms, which means they must abide by the NRL’s code of conduct and principles, such as not acting in a manner that is detrimental to the best interests and image of the game. It is not surprising that some clubs would take action on their own, regardless of the adverse impact on players’ rights.
loading
Thirdly, while all NRL clubs have the right in the standard playing agreement to serve their players with default notices regarding alleged breaches of contract, the idea that a club could “rip up” a player’s contract is fanciful.
May had the right to be informed, through due process, of the violations against him, the details of the violations, and the evidence relied upon by the Black Panthers. He had the right to present evidence and defend himself through counsel of his choice. He had the right to have his future employment determined before he even walked into the room.
Fourthly, however relevant May’s allegations of misconduct may be to the period before he and his employer signed their contract extension on 22 March 2024, it is difficult to see how the club could have relied on those allegations as a reason to sanction him if the club knew about the alleged misconduct at the time the contract was signed.
Fifth, any punishment ultimately imposed on May must be related to and proportional to the specific misconduct he has been proven to have committed. No matter how stupid it was for you to sit in the passenger seat of an Audi R8 and watch your friend speed through a school zone, no matter how stupid it was for you to film the whole thing, is that a dismissal?
Despite the sheer stupidity of the whole thing, I would say no. The Black Panthers board may have had a contrary view, which is their right if the process is fair. But the problem is that one might think the board was designing a definite end point based on the limited material it could consider.
It’s also a huge problem for May, as he is unlikely to command a high six-figure salary anywhere else.
[ad_2]
Source link
