The Moral Centre of Rugby League

For those who are used to piss-takes on this blog: this is a bit more serious.

The news tonight was full of a story about a Rugby League star who has (I was going to say 'Fallen From Grace', but it should be obvious that Rugby League stars begin from a place a fair bit lower than that) screwed up, made a mistake and been a naughty boy - a bit of a wild lad, really.

That's how the press is treating it, anyway. For the record, the guy (whose name I can't remember, which might save me from some legal implications of writing about him) is alleged to have raped a teenage girl last weekend.

Of course, because he's a sportsman, and a famous one at that, the unctuous soft-pedalling by his emotionally retarded cronies begins immediately.

The dilution of the alleged crime is assisted by the news networks' insistence on using the term 'sexual assault', which is to the term 'rape' what 'prisoner abuse' is to 'torture'. (Technically correct, but not quite as, well, you know, indelicate. Do we have to use the 'R' word? He's such a great player...)

And the excuses start immediately for Mr. Fallen Hero. There are the solemn denunciations of the code's unhealthy affection for alcohol, with Mr. Alleged Rapist as an innocent victim (Chastened teammates: "If only he hadn't drunk so much! If only that bottle shop hadn't been open! If only that girl hadn't dressed like a...sorry, is this microphone on?").

Then there are the 'hard hitting' angles from the ABC news room, including the Suggested Punishment. And what draconian punishments they propose. A sporting 'personality' of some sort said on the 7:30 report (I'm paraphrasing here, of course): 'You have to hit 'em where it hurts - a fine won't deter 'em. You gotta ban them from playing - that's the only thing that'll teach these lads!'

So, let's get this straight. A Sporting Hero allegedly rapes a girl. A bunch of his friends go on a Government-funded show and tell us:

a. People don't rape people - beer rapes people; and

b. If he really did do it, well, gee - maybe he shouldn't play rugby for a while.

A sanctimonious suggestion. One thing that would work rather better than being deprived of some mano-a-mano combat for a fortnight would be an extended stay in, oh, I don't know, a prison? You know, with criminals who aren't famous.

This may sound pretty obvious for those who have not been lobotomised repeatedly with a dirty trowel, but what other profession on earth allows its members to get away with such appalling excuses for alleged criminal behaviour? (Movie stars don't even get a look-in in comparison, nor do any of the other absurdly privileged professions.)

A couple of random memories of the same phenomenon:

- Andrew Denton's appalling interview of the charmer Wayne Carey, who proved that you don't have to be a League player to be a violent criminal, although it does help. Denton, bless his heart, brought out the compassionate side of Carey for his audience - which was understandably obscured at the time, as Carey had recently assaulted some cops. Oh yes, and...ahem, allegedly...glassed his wife in the face.

- The SMH's bleeding-heart coverage of the, ah, alleged rape scandal that engulfed the Bulldogs a few years back. Headline: "Shattered", over a shattered bulldog logo. Yep, the SMH was sorry for the club, not the woman.

- The mysteriously restored reputation of Gary Ablett Snr. ("Hey Dad, wasn't there something with him and an underage girl who died and some ecstasy tablets-" "Shut up, son, he was a great player, ok?")