Ben Ikin calls out NRL, Manly over handling of Addin Fonua-Blake ref slur
One of the game’s most respected voices says the NRL and Manly have failed to grasped the magnitude of damage done by Addin Fonua-Blake’s disgusting referee tirade. BEN IKIN’S FULL RESPONSE
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Respected NRL 360 host Ben Ikin has weighed into the highly controversial handling of the ugly Addin Fonua-Blake refereeing slur saga, declaring the game and Manly do not understand the gravity of the “f***ing retard” remark has on people living with disabilities.
Ikin is married to Wayne Bennett’s daughter Elizabeth, whose brother Justin suffers from a mental disability, and sister Katherine has a physical disability.
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While Fonua-Blake is facing a two-to-three week ban for his derogatory comment that was directed at referee Grant Atkins in the dying moments of Sunday’s 14-12 loss to Newcastle, Ikin was not convinced the apology or the NRL’s ensuing two-to-three match ban grasped the magnitude of damage done.
“I don’t want to catch anyone on the hop hear,” Ikin said as he addressed the issue on Monday night in a very measured response.
“I have had people close to me in the last 24 hours remind me that the use of this word is so highly offensive to people living with disabilities.
“To see the fact that this was not acknowledged, not by the player, not by the club, nor by the NRL, I think is an issue that needs to be addressed in the next couple of days.”
The Bennett family have always kept their family’s personal situation very private, so for Ikin to mention it obviously points to how serious they consider this to be.
“When it was first brought up to me it reminded me,” Ikin continued.
“But I think it is beholden on the game now, the player, the club and the governing body, to make sure that is addressed in the next couple of days.”
NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent put in perspective how light the Fonua-Blake two-match penalty was.
He pointed out that former Canterbury forward James Graham previously had a four week suspension downgraded to three games for offensive language.
Kent recalled: “James Graham had a go at Gerard Sutton … but he didn’t swear at him, he didn’t insult him with a name, and he got four weeks, which he took the early plea to get it down to three.”
Kent also recalled that former Balmain prop Steve “Blocker” Roach copped a $5000 fine and a four match suspension for patting former referee Eddie Ward on the head.
“This guy (Fonua-Blake) calls the referee a f***ing retard … and when the referee says, ‘you’ve been sent go’, he says, ‘F off’, and he gets two weeks,” Kent continued.
“How have they handled that well?”
There is a view that the NRL match review committee may have gone soft on Fonua-Blake, and perhaps it was because Manly were robbed of a penalty in the match that could have sent it into overtime.
UGLY TWO-WORD INSULT COULD RUIN MANLY’S SEASON
By Paul Crawley
It’s a two-word insult that has the potential to ruin Manly’s top-four hopes, and even jeopardise a top-eight spot.
And here’s why Addin Fonua-Blake’s ugly referee slur has now made Sunday’s showdown with struggling St George Illawarra vitally important for Des Hasler’s desperate Sea Eagles, according to Fox Sports Stats.
While former leading referee and match review chairman Greg McCallum believes Fonua-Blake should have been banned for “five-to-six weeks” for calling referee Grant Atkins a “f***ing retard”, the Manly powerhouse can escape with a two-match suspension if he cops the early guilty plea for a grade three contrary conduct charge.
Even if the Sea Eagles contest the grading to try and serve even less time, a three-match suspension won’t impact Fonua-Blake because the third game of his ban would be an away game against the Cowboys. And given he is an anti-vaxxer who refused the flu shot earlier this year, he won’t be allowed to fly to Townsville to play.
But even a two-game suspension has put his team’s finals chances in a really hazardous position.
Given this season has been reduced to 20 rounds, the 10th placed Sea Eagles are slipping into dangerous territory.
Since Tom Trbojevic (hamstring) and Dylan Walker (foot) were injured in their last win over Canberra, the Sea Eagles have lost to Cronulla and Newcastle.
Parramatta lead the comp on 14 points ahead of Penrith (13), Melbourne (12), Newcastle (11) and the Roosters and Raiders (10).
After that it is Cronulla, Wests Tigers, Souths and Manly on eight points between spots seven and 10.
What it means is those four teams all need to win at least six of their remaining 12 games just to make 20 competition points.
But on top of being without Trbojevic until round 13, and Walker until round 15 or 16, now Manly will also be without its best metre-eater against the Dragons and the Eels.
Fox Sports Stats’ Aaron Wallace explained this year teams would most likely need to win 11 games to be sure of making the top eight cut.
“You might make it on 10 but you might not,” Wallace said.
“When you look back over the years, if you win 50 per cent of your games you are pretty close. Some years it is one win more, some years you can sneak in with less.”
While Turbo Trbojevic is without question their most important player, Fonua-Blake has been averaging 181m this season.
Only Jason Taumalolo (218m) is ahead of him for middle forwards, with Penrith’s James Fisher-Harris (173m) next and then Roosters Siosiua Taukeiaho (162m).
It was only a few weeks ago many experts were talking up Manly as a genuine premiership force after their gutsy win over the Raiders.
But on the back of losing Trbojevic and Walker, Fonua-Blake’s suspension could be disastrous.
After the Dragons and Eels, they still face North Queensland and Penrith before Trbojevic is expected back.
From round 13 their run home is not considered tough by any stretch with the Warriors, Knights, Rabbitohs, Storm, Tigers, Bulldogs, Titans and Warriors again.
“But if they lose to the Dragons, making the top four is going to be very hard, especially missing Turbo,” Wallace added.
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“They are not in dire straits but it could prove very important because it is a game they should win.
“And if they lose it will be three in a row, and they would have only won four of their first nine games.
“It is starting to become difficult, especially with your best player still on the sidelines for weeks to come.”
Meanwhile, McCallum believed Fonua-Blake deserved a lengthier suspension.
McCallum wasn’t debating that Manly should have been awarded a penalty for Bradman’s Best shove in the back on Tevita Funa that could have pushed the game into golden point in the 14-12 loss to Newcastle.
But asked what he viewed fair punishment before the NRL handed out its charge sheet, McCallum said: “I would think five-to six-weeks is probably the right charge for it.
“What he said was pretty ordinary. To talk to someone using those terms is not good.
“(Atkins) absolutely did the right thing sending him off. You can’t let that go. You have to take a stand.”