Kent: False outrage and social warriors mean there’s no simple ‘right and wrong’

There used to be a natural order of things, a clear line between right and wrong but that’s gone these days writes Paul Kent.

The NRL’s whole story was there on a small table decorated in black and white photographs. How it is and how it was.

At the table was John Sattler who remains one of the game’s great men and, beside him, sat his son Scott who also decorated himself in some glory and, as father and son spoke, Scott was laying down premiership photographs from South Sydney’s 1970 season, the one where Sattler broke his jaw.

“Where do I sign this?” Sattler asked his son.

Scott pointed to clean space above the players, fresh faced and determined, behind the SCG Members Stand sitting with their hands on their knees moments before the game.

Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

The likes of John Sattler are not seen in the NRL these days. Artwork: Boo Bailey

John signed the photograph and Scott pushed it aside and put down the next identical picture.

“Where do I sign this?”

Through 50 photos John asked the question and 50 times his son pointed to the same place on the same photograph before the signature went down.

Every week the NRL, a sporting soap opera, throws up fresh storylines and recycled ideas but, for some time now, the two dominant narratives in the game are the concussion debate, and how to handle it, and violence against women.

Nothing causes the game more pain.

Last week Jarryd Hayne was sentenced to nearly six years in jail and earlier this week a jury found Jack de Belin not guilty of rape while being unable to reach a unanimous verdict on five other counts.

It is very likely the five remaining charges will be dropped unless exceptional circumstances are found, which will make no one happy.

Jack de Belin may avoid ending up behind bars after being cleared on one charge and the jury failing to reach a unanimous conclusion in regards to others. Picture: Simon Bullard

The case continues to divide a community and the rugby league world within it.

Once, the only violence spoken about in the game was the violence against each other.

Back then rugby league was a different kind of tough, where the battle was as much about getting through the game as it was about who finished on top on the scoreboard.

It would be unpalatable in today’s world. We just don’t have the stomach for it anymore.

Sattler was always regarded as a great gentleman off the field, the perfect counterbalance to his on-field reputation.

Many who sat through every minute of de Belin’s defence remain adamant he is innocent. Many of those same people will also say if you accepted every line of de Belin’s version as the angel’s truth, down to the last line, it would still leave you feeling uncomfortable.

Not unlawful, but uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the memory can be a bit foggy while autographing pictures, while it remains razor blade sharp on the past.

Four-time NRL premiership player, John Sattler spent plenty of time behind the bar.

And so the other day Sattler’s memory reached back to a day in 1980 and the pub he owned on the Gold Coast, when he had not long finished building a second pub on Bribie Island.

He regularly commuted between pubs on what back then was a one-lane highway and, one afternoon, he was 20 minutes out of Bribie Island when he passed a car pulled over with a truck in front of it and three soldiers, dressed in army khakis, tearing into a woman.

Sattler spun the wheel and turned back.

He pulled up behind the car and as he got out a broad-shouldered soldier pointed at him.

“This is nothing to do with you,” the soldier said.

“Is there a problem?” Sattler said.

The woman was crying, and he heard her say, “I didn’t mean to cut you off.”

As Sattler approached the woman to check on her the soldier advanced on him.

“Mind your own business,” said the soldier.

“That’s no way to treat a woman,” Sattler said.

“It’s none of your …”

Rabbitohs captain John Sattler (L) is hit with forearm to head by John Bucknall during South Sydney v Manly 1970 first grade Grand Final.

The soldier was out by the time he hit the ground.

“You can’t do that,” yelled another of the soldiers, who came quickly around the car after Sattler.

This one landed on top of the first soldier, who was still out.

This put the third in a sticky spot.

He advanced on Sattler and, clearly not a complete moron, stopped.

“Listen,” Sattler said. “Think about it. Just think about it, okay?”

But then it turned out the soldier was a moron and he stepped forward anyway. When he hit the dirt he fell a short distance off from his mates, although he was equally asleep.

Sattler then checked on the woman and told her to start her car and clear out. Take the head start.

Incidents like this were once considered chivalrous. There was a natural order, where men felt the need to protect even women they did not know.

Nowadays, it would be long odds. The whole argument has become polluted, driven by false outrage and social warriors taking up the battle on others behalf.

Simple right and wrong, driven by actions, is gone.

Sattler dragged the soldiers towards their truck and as they came to he told them to leave it alone. The woman was long gone.

Johnny Sattler owned pubs for years and there was not a year he ever needed to employ bouncers. Things always had a way of working out with Satts.

As he walked into his pub 20 minutes later that day back in 1980 he saw broken glass everywhere, staff bleeding from facial cuts and busted noses.

“Wish you were here half an hour ago,” a patron said to Sattler as he walked in.

Sattler looked at him, wondering what happened.

“Three soldiers were just in here and they absolutely totalled the place,” the patron said.

Why would the Rabbitohs let Adam Reynolds leave? Picture: Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NOBODY can work out why South Sydney refused to offer Adam Reynolds a long term deal.

The prevailing wisdom is that, at 30, the Rabbitohs did not want to run the risk of a long-term contract and a potential payout if Reynolds was injured and unable to see out the deal.

It does not sit well with many fans, who believe the hope around their club being the “Pride of the League” and whose march for reinstatement more than 20 years ago was fuelled by one emotion: loyalty.

Souths fans have always believed that was the one quality they possessed more than any other clubs, a belief the club has always been happy to promote.

This brings it into question.

In pure football terms, though, it doesn’t look an easy road for new coach Jason Demetriou, who takes over next season.

The Rabbitohs went down 50-0 to Melbourne last round with veteran Benji Marshall and youngster Dean Hawkins in the halves.

While injuries across the roster were a legitimate reason for the hiding, it also raised a worrying question for Souths fans.

Souths came up skinny in the halves and the fact that the two players identified as Reynolds’ long term replacement, Blake Taafe and Lachlan Ilias, were not considered ready to replace the injured Reynolds shows the tough road ahead in the next few seasons.