Double standards in Mark Coyne case

Mark Coyne found himself in trouble with Singapore officials. Picture: Craig Greenhill

Just suppose Mark Coyne was still an NRL player. Just suppose, on an end-of-season trip, he had a few too many beers and got into a blue with a cab driver and abused a police officer.

Called him a “f…ing stupid idiot” and a “f…ing d..khead” — and a “c..k” for good measure. And then threatened to “sue you through your f…ing arse”. Just suppose he was offered an opportunity to withdraw and apologise and he declined.

As a player in this unfortunate situation, Coyne would have been required to own up. Long before the case went to court, resulting in a $4000 fine, he would have been compelled to contact the NRL integrity unit and let them know what was going on.

ARL Commission and NRL code-of-conduct rules make it obligatory for players, coaches and officers to self-report charges, even the prospect of being charged by police, whether overseas or in Australia.

Details would have come out and been splashed across the media, NRL officials would have spoken gravely about the need to crack down on poor behaviour and Peter Beattie may well have drawn another line in the sand.

Coyne, of course, is no longer a player. He’s a formerly respected member of the ARL Commission. The same Commission that has taken such a strong stand against poor player behaviour in the past few months.

His behaviour in Singapore was probably not a sacking offence. He’s been a goose, for sure. His tirade was idiotic undoubtedly. But it was an indiscretion rather than an outrage and if he had owned up and apologised, it might have all gone away.

But instead he said nothing for six weeks. Told no one. Shut himself away in a Singapore hotel room waiting for his case to be heard. Coyne did not report the incident to the ARLC until Tuesday, the day before he appeared in court. Apparently he rang chairman Beattie and admitted he had been keeping it under his hat for weeks.

Clearly he has failed to abide by the tough standards that he and the Commission impose on players.

There can only be one consequence of this if the NRL is serious about maintaining its standards of behaviour and is to have any hope of players complying with those standards. Mark Coyne must stand down immediately from the Commission.