Locker Room: Jarryd Hayne verdict puts Dally M wins in 2009 and 2014 in real danger of being overturned

This story won’t be resolved for months, but in the meantime, the game needs to weigh-up the power of one decision; to strip Jarryd Hayne of his awards.

NRL player Jarryd Hayne of the Parramatta Eels poses for a photo after being awarded the Dally M Medal at the NRL Dally M Awards at the State Theatre in Sydney, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. The 21-year-old finished ahead of North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston and St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward. (AAP Image/Sergio Dionisio) NO ARCHIVING

If the name stays and there is no asterisk, life will go on.

The name could remain as it is: Jarryd Hayne, the 2009 and 2014 Dally M Medal winner.

But if nothing is to be the response, at least stop wasting Raiders legend Alan Tongue’s time.

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Jarryd Hayne won the Dally M as a 21-year-old in 2009.

Phone the NRL digital team and get them to dump Tongue’s “We Do Respect” campaign, video and story, sitting at the bottom of the governing body’s website.

Drop a line to Tongue and tell him what it was all for last week — when he drove to Wagga, to deliver his voice against violence program.

Tongue is as passionate a man to drive change, educate and teach, as you’ll find.

Don’t strip Hayne from the record books after being convicted of a heinous crime.

That’s fine.

But pull back on the Women in League round in August and explain the decision to the target list of sponsors wanted to support the expansion of the women’s competition to six teams this year and eight in 2022.

The ARL Commission are within their rights to wait to see if Hayne’s appeal against his three years and eight months jail term leads to his exoneration before deciding whether to replace his name with an asterisk where the winner of the 2009 and 2014 Dally M medal is listed.

Hayne and Johnathan Thurston shared the big award in 2014.

This story won’t be resolved for months, but in the meantime the game needs to weigh up the power of this one decision.

I’m not supportive of bowing to the crisis merchants and cancel culture.

I can understand why the NRL and the Eels, with their own awards won by Hayne, are torn — pointing to what happened in his career on the field being separate to his crimes.

But picture this.

If Tongue was to walk into a room full of men, women, boys and girls, and convince them that this great game refuses to accept the abuse of any kind towards women by saying “Do you want to know why there is an asterisk on the Dally M Medal, here and here?”

That is more powerful than a slide show.

What is certain, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys will treat the upcoming decision seriously — just as serious as the way he speaks about role models in rugby league.

Find an interview about player behaviour and you’ll hear the two words most.

Hayne was sentenced to three years eight months in jail.

“When I was at school and kids used to get bashed up because they were different, I used to go and defend them,” V’landys said just two days into his new post.

“I have no tolerance for people who put other people’s lives into violence or whatever.”

On Friday, I rang Johnathan Thurston.

As the runner-up to Hayne for the 2009 Dally M Medal, before sharing the stage as joint winners of rugby league’s most prestigious award in 2014, Thurston felt like a good call.

Thurston would be the greatest indirect beneficiary if the Commission stripped Hayne of his accolades.

I asked Thurston where he stood on the polarising issue.

I asked Thurston, would he suddenly view the 2014 Dally M Medal as his own if Hayne‘s name were to be erased?

I asked should he be elevated from second to first — and be crowned the 2009 winner?

Johnathan Thurston is passionate about promoting women in sport, politics and business.

Like the Commission and the Eels, one of the greatest halfbacks of all-time, politely reserved his right to enter the debate.

Then without prompting, the father of four girls, began to talk about what made him most proud in his life right now.

“My academy (the Johnathan Thurston academy), particularly with our ‘Women to Lead’ program,’’ Thurston said.

“We want to increase the levels of female participation in the areas of sport, politics, business.”

Life will go on if the name stays and there is no asterisk.

But don’t expect too much else to change.

Originally published as Locker Room: Jarryd Hayne verdict puts Dally M wins in 2009 and 2014 in real danger of being overturned