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Sports |
Public disgrace!
Goroka Lahanis
players drunk and disorderly in public place in Lae
By HAIVETA KIVIA
THE conduct of SP Cup
rugby league competition players outside the competition venues
and during their own time is of no to the Papua New Guinea Rugby
Football League, its chief executive officer Jeff Wade said
yesterday.
Wade made this comment after The National enquired about whether
the PNGRFL will take action against Goroka’s SP CuP franchise
team, the Bintangor Lahanis and its players who were found to be
drinking in a public place in Lae on Monday after the match
against the LBC Lae Bombers in Lae.
Eyewitnesses in Lae said they were disgusted at the behaviour of
professional players competing in SP Cup which is a semi
professional rugby league competition.
“One of their players did not have his shirt on, had a full
bottle of beer in his hands and was standing with the other two
who also had in their hands bottles of beer, on lawn opposite
the Melanesian Hotel where the team was staying, oblivious to
the fact that he was drinking in a public place,” said Bob Sika,
an eye witness.
Sika said PNGRFL must do something about it, “it is their game
and they must have control of people employed their franchise
teams to play in the SP Cup competition”.
Wade, when asked if PNGRFL has a code of conduct for its SP Cup
teams, players and officials, said they do have one which covers
players, referees and spectators.
“We only have control over them during the match day and once
that is over, we have no control over them in what they do after
the games as they are now deemed private citizens of this
country,” he said.
He said they could not control the players’ lives for seven days
and what they do after the games are their private businesses.
Sika when told about PNGRFL’s response, said it was very sad
that they could do anything to stop such poor behaviour
displayed by the players.
He said that if its was the National Rugby League in Australia,
the players would have being fined and told to undergo
rehabilitation, and the club warned or fined for bringing into
disrepute the image of the game.
The SP Cup competition this year has seen more violence, poor
player behaviour and the latest incident does it no good at all.
A Chimbu Warriors player was banned for life for assaulting a
referee, the Lahanis losing the advantage of their home ground
because of unruly spectator behaviour and other incidents.
 
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