Michael Carayannis: Why sacking Mark Coyne would damage the game

The game has waited so long for Mark Coyne to return it would be a cruel fate for one of the game’s genuine good guys to be lost for one mistake, writes MICHAEL CARAYANNIS.

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Embarrassing? Yes, but certainly forgivable.

Mark Coyne has stuffed up. But he surely has enough runs on the board to keep his spot on the ARLC. Throughout a decorated 11 year playing career Coyne was faultless. He was a leader, a distinguished player who captained St George as one of the game’s best role models.

Since retiring in 1999 he has successfully made the transition into the business world where he has risen to become CEO of Employers Mutual Limited. As he was forging a blossoming corporate career he dipped his toe in rugby league despite calls for Coyne to increase his involvement.

ARL Commissioner Mark Coyne is an asset to rugby league. Picture: Toby Zerna

He served as a judiciary panel member for many years while he spent six years as chairman of the NRL and Rugby League Players Association education and welfare committee. He also had a rolling role with the Queensland side during the past decade and had minor roles with St George Illawarra.

But this year, finally, Coyne joined the ARLC in February. His presence has been long overdue and was rightly celebrated. A straight-talker, Coyne has already gained plenty of traction despite being just months into the role.

So much so he has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Peter Beattie as chair. If not next in line, it seemed just a matter of when for Coyne to lead the game. That now seems like a distant memory as he faces the very real prospect to be the first commissioner dumped.

Mark Coyne on the patch of SFS turf where he scored the greatest try in Origin history. Picture: Michael Amendolia

It would be a cruel fate handed down to one of the game’s genuine good guys.

Coyne deserves to be reprimanded for his actions. They were stupid. But they were completely out of character. Perhaps his biggest failure was not disclosing the incident immediately to his fellow Commissioners. According to Coyne, he was acting on legal advice to let the court case play out in Singapore before saying anything publicly.

Regardless it does put the game in an awkward position. At a time when player behaviour was at an all-time low during the summer, now one of their own is creating headlines for the wrong reasons. Albeit minor, it is still a terrible look for the game.

In Coyne’s case though, his three decades of upstanding behaviour needs to count for something. The game is better for having someone like him involved.

The game has waited so long for Coyne to return. He will just have to wait a little longer before becoming the game’s chair.