Canterbury captain Stephen Clayton wanted to testify in the judicial case against St George Illawarra player Kyle Flanagan, but Phil Gould stopped him

“Any player accused of a crime always has the opportunity to defend themselves if they wish. The judiciary has been reluctant to hear testimony from alleged victims in these cases on the basis that they believe players generally support each other under the unspoken principle that ‘what happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch’.

“If a player makes a complaint that is not clearly supported by video evidence, then of course the player should be asked to provide an evidentiary statement to support his claim. However, if video evidence is clearly available, the victim of the alleged illegal conduct should not be asked to testify in court.”

loading

Clayton did not file a formal complaint on the field and did not attend the press conference that night, but on the field, the bite incident was immediately brought up. The message received by the coaching staff was simple: “Franno bit Kreta.”

The coaching staff focused on the game and told Clayton to deal with the matter after the game. Clayton posted a photo on social media after the game showing his nose bloodied.

Before the game ended, the NRL told Bulldogs officials that the club did not need to file a complaint because the NRL had videotaped the incident and would deal with the matter.

The Bulldogs have yet to comment publicly on the matter, leaving it to the NRL.

Family tradition

Those who know the Flanagan family at all will not be surprised by the defiant stance Kyle took during the biting hearing. This was not a popular claim due to the Flanagan family’s links to some influential media figures, but it was typical of Flanagan to deny the biting outright. There was video evidence of the biting, there was photographic evidence of the biting, there was a cut on Stephen Clayton’s nose.

But according to Flanagan and his supporters, there was nothing there. A wound? Blood? A nose stretched out as Clayton pulled his head away from Flanagan’s mouth? Some media outlets have described the incident as an attack on Flanagan.

It was a staunch and impassioned defense, but the man who made it now won’t even discuss it. According to some, Clayton left Flanagan no choice but to bite his nose.

Unfortunately, after losing the court case, Flanagan’s comments on the matter now look embarrassing. If Flanagan claims he just gently shut up, why didn’t he apologize to Clayton? A “sorry, mate” would have gone a long way. Accept that.

The most honorable way to deal with this would have been to plead guilty. However, as Flanagan did, they kept resisting.

Flanagan’s father, Shane, now the Dragons coach, set the example for Flanagan. In many ways, he was a great role model: professionalism, determination, ruthlessness. However, he fell a little short when it came to responsibility.

Kyle had to live through the drama of the Cronulla peptide scandal from 2011 to 2014. He was a young man trying to make his own way in the game; a rising superstar in the Cronulla area. However, the highlight was the ruination of his father’s reputation as he was at the centre of the Cronulla scandal.

During that time, Sean Flanagan was resistant. He claimed he had no idea what was going on at the club. The injections of peptides into the players were done by someone else, not him.

There is a view that if Flanagan knew what was going on in Cronulla, he should have been banned for more than the 12 months the NRL handed him in 2013. There is another view that if he didn’t know what was going on in his own backyard as a coach, he shouldn’t have been allowed back on the field. He deflected, denied and dodged, but was banned anyway.

Flanagan snr was then banned for a second time when it was revealed that during said ban he had sent emails to the club regarding football matters, when he was supposed to have no connection with the club.

It must all be hard for his son to take in. That doesn’t excuse anything, but it’s worth remembering when you see how he has fared during this week’s media storm.

Bennett’s arrival can’t come soon enough for Mitchell

The image I want to keep Latrell Mitchell This year, he sat in the foyer of the Blues team hotel on the morning of an Origin II game in Melbourne, cradling his family in his arms and occasionally looking up at the TV, which was showing highlights from recent exciting Origin games, including one in which he starred.

A few hours later, after he had given a five-star game in a Blues jersey, he had tears in his eyes as he recalled that moment and the work it took to get there.

loading

On Thursday, the NRL announced it had issued the Rabbitohs superstar with an infringement notice after he was pictured leaning over a table with a substance on it that brought the game into disrepute. However, there was no evidence the substance was illegal.

Family, football and his passionate support for Indigenous people are what matters most to Latrell.
Mitchell has to grapple with a lot of issues in his life, including coping mechanisms for disappointment and stress. He needs to decide whether to seek outside help or to go it alone. Given his position in the community and in the sport, he has to figure out how to not let the spotlight overwhelm him.

This will require some deep soul-searching on his part, which I am sure he has been doing after being put in a situation he should not have been in.

Rumors are growing that Southerners are tired of dealing with Mitchell. Now there are rumors that he will resign. The Mitchell camp denies this.

Mitchell’s biggest advantage — besides his superior skills and innate ability — is that he is the best man coach in this game and the key to unlocking Latrell again, Wayne Bennettand will start training at Souths in a few weeks. His arrival has been so quick.

A sign of the times

The Roosters will be linked with a number of star players in the coming weeks as they are yet to sign a big fish with their huge bank balance following the exodus of star players at the end of the season, including Joey Manu, Joseph Suari, Jared Will-Hargreaves and Luke Carey.

They have denied reports that they are linked with the Eels star Mitchell Moses. Another player they have been linked with, Dylan Brownwas asked at a press conference this week to guarantee his contract until 2031. He did not agree directly.

Another name that kept coming up but was rejected by the Roosters was Knights star Kalyn Ponga.

Is dad happy?

Rival clubs have been hearing rumors that Ryan Papenhuyzen’s new contract with the Storm was due to be signed last week but has yet to be finalised.

Melbourne wants to keep him, but as far as we know, the two sides have not yet reached an agreement. We are not saying it won’t happen, but considering Papenhuysen’s quality, if he doesn’t sign soon, he will become a potential target for some clubs.

NRL Live Free on Channel 9 & 9Now