Mitchell Pearce should never be allowed back, says NRL women’s advisor Catharine Lumby
THE NRL’s own adviser on women says Mitchell Pearce should not be allowed back in rugby league — ever.
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NRL women’s adviser Catharine Lumby maintains Mitchell Pearce should not be allowed back in rugby league ever.
Professor Lumby was adamant Pearce’s behaviour on Australia Day was “aggressive harassment” towards women, “wreaked incredible self-entitlement”, and that talk of a six-match suspension and a $50,000 fine would represent a “slap on the wrist”.
A remorseful Pearce returned home on Sunday after his month-long stint in a rehabilitation centre in Thailand and immediately declared he was ready to cop whatever penalty he received “on the chin”.
When asked if Pearce would be allowed back in the game if she was in charge of handing out the punishment, Lumby said: “No, and I have said that publicly.
“Personally I wouldn’t because of all the support and education he has had and the fact he is a senior leader who should know better.
“He has had ample opportunity (to learn).
“And my view about the behaviour with the dog was that it was a way of aggressive harassment of a women with her dog.
“That wasn’t just some harmless prank with the dog, it was aimed at her.
“The whole thing wreaked incredible self-entitlement when it came to women and how you to speak to them and treat them.”
In the month since Pearce’s wild night, the views of many have softened considerably.
Initially, many were calling for the disgraced Roosters co-captain to be stood down for at least a year, while others viewed a half-season suspension and a fine of several hundred thousand dollars as sufficient.
The talk now is that Pearce could escape with as little as a six-match ban and a $50,000 fine.
Asked if that would represent a slap on the wrist, Lumby said: “Yes, I would say that is a slap on the wrist.”
It had been previously reported that Lumby would reconsider her position as an NRL adviser if the governing body did not satisfy her with a strong penalty.
Lumby wanted to make the point clear.
“I am not telling the NRL what to do and I am not saying if they don’t follow my advice I will spit the dummy and walk away,” she said.
“That is not my go.
“I remain confident that the NRL has really shown incredible leadership in sport on educating players on their off-field behaviour.
“All I am saying is that I have a zero tolerance approach, particularly if a player has had plenty of opportunity and support.
“Knowing all of that and being aware of the extent of the support provided, my view is particularly if you are in a leadership position there is no excuse for this sort of behaviour.
“And I think a zero tolerance approach at that stage will be enforcing the message we want to send.
“In saying all of that, I have compassion for Mitchell Pearce because he has an alcohol issue.
“I have compassion for his family.
“But in certain roles there are things you can’t get away with.
“I feel passionately that the NRL has shown so much leadership on this stuff, (now) it is critical for the reputation of the game and its future.
“It is a business model really. It is about how the game is seen.
“A lot of people say he was doing something in private, someone should not have filmed it, blah, blah, blah.
“Guess what, it’s reality.
“Suck it up.
“If the CEO of a company got caught behaving like that, would anyone expect them not to be stood down?”
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