The footy has been completely unimaginable this 12 months. I might say the perfect NRL premiership we now have seen in years.
We now have seen groups just like the Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm, Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters play a very thrilling, attack-focused type of footy. Our gamers proceed to go from power to power, defying gravity like Xavier Coates and zipping via defence like Ezra Mam.
There are groups whose fortunes have dramatically modifications, some for the higher like Dolphins and others for the more serious, like my beloved Parramatta Eels.
However regardless of all that, in the meanwhile it’s feeling a bit bit tough to be a feminine footy fan.
I’ve been away on my honeymoon for the final month, so missed loads of these tales once they landed, however as I heard about every of them it felt like weight was being added onto me.
It’s exhausting and generally it appears like we take a few steps ahead after which a few steps again.
Right here’s a recap in case you missed a few of these headlines.
A few days in the past, Taylan Could was charged in relation to a home violence incident the place he allegedly punched a girl within the face. It’s not the primary time {that a} member of the Could household has been within the headlines for the flawed cause.
There was additionally an article written the place the Roosters praised his brother for the way effectively he had dealt with the final couple of days. Maybe that’s not the place the main focus needs to be?
Then on the eve of Magic Spherical, Andrew Abdo fronted media as a result of the NRL had been made conscious of sexual assault allegations levelled towards a Queensland-based NRL gamers. No additional particulars have been launched since.
Two weeks in the past for the sport towards the Broncos, the Eels determined to call Dylan Brown as co-captain. That is lower than a 12 months after Brown pleaded responsible to 2 counts of sexual touching with out consent.
Dylan Brown. (Photograph by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Pictures)
I’m going to loads of Eels video games. I do know Brown continues to be one of the standard gamers among the many fan base.
Regardless of that, to me it exhibits an actual void in management to be making one of these choice. It speaks to poor judgement and for my part, Brown was the flawed alternative.
This doesn’t imply that Brown shouldn’t be thought of for management positions sooner or later. However I want to see extra about how his behaviour has modified since this incident or any group work he might have carried out.
A few weeks in the past it was introduced that Caitlan Johnston was shifting from the Newcastle Knights to the Sharks for the 2024 NRLW season. Johnston was shocked to a number of the feedback she acquired in response to this information the place individuals on social media determined to body-shame her.
I assume Johnston had the final snicker, being one of many key gamers for NSW of their win 22-12 over Queensland discovering herself in open house to arrange Emma Tonegato within the first half after which scoring a strive of her personal to seal the victory for NSW.
She did this in entrance of a file crowd of 25,492 individuals on the recreation and 1.983 million viewers on Channel 9.
I used to be additionally actually saddened to listen to in regards to the feedback made about Kasey Badger following one among her refereeing performances a few weeks in the past. Whereas Graham Annesley might have thought that it wasn’t a ‘gender subject’, you solely want to take a look at thr sort of feedback that had been directed at Badger.
Aidan Sezer is positioned on report by referee Kasey Badger. (Photograph by Brendon Thorne/Getty Pictures)
All referees deserve respect and naturally, honest criticism is a part of any occupation, however the misogynistic and sexist feedback are very particularly directed to our feminine referees.
It must cease.
The problems that I’ve touched on above should not rugby league particular points.
The nation is lastly starting to come back to grips with the truth that home violence is a nationwide emergency on this nation.
Regardless of the scary statistics, it’s devastating that it took the loss of life of Molly Ticehurst for some individuals to turn into absolutely conscious of simply how vital this subject is.
However sport is extraordinarily highly effective and will help drive change on social points. My query is, the place will we even begin?
