Seven years ago, <keyword> 7 years ago  <close keyword> a young, foolish, irresponsible and immature Matthew Johns engaged in an act of sex with a 19 year old woman.  Without knowing all of the facts of that night, just like most of the media that is piling on Matty Johns like a pack of wild wolves onto a dead rabbit, I find it hard to portray an honest and ethical response to the moral boundary of the event of that night.  The interview last night on A Current Affair was shameful.  The station manager and the production manager of ACA / Channel 9 should be ashamed of theirself.

What we do know:

1.  The woman was 19 years of age which is of legal consent to entering into a sexual engagement of any kind be it with one partner or multiple partners.

2. The woman was a willing participant in the sexual encounter and as stated in the interview on A Current Affair Wednesday night, she did not want to have sex with an annonymous player, but pointed to have another act with Matthew Johns.

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Where is the line in the sand drawn?

Channel 9 and the NRL are quite happy to have Matthew Johns brother, Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns, on their payroll and representing Rugby League.  I’m sorry, but how did one manage to pull the mental health card and achieve ultimate forgiveness for displaying the same types of off field behaviours and using a drug known as X or ecstacy that he was caught with in London?  Let’s go to the root of the problem with Channel 9 and the NRL.  Why is it okay to have a drug using, drug posessing and habitual drinking offender on your payroll?  Oh yehhh- because they’re one of the 100 year players of all time and they have said “I’m sorry- I’m bipolar.” and raised some awareness about a disease that people only throw legal drugs at to cure.

Both Channel 9 and the NRL are willing to accept what is politically correct and not willing to accept what is damaging to their brands.  If Joey Johns would’ve been caught with ecstacy in his pocket in London and had not been Joey Johns, he would be writing to Schapelle Corby about how stupid he was for having an X in his pocket.  The treatment of players or high profile celebrity type people is shockingly biased to begin with, but to have something that was NOT a CRIMINAL OFFENSE brought back up 7 years later and to have the NRL and Channel 9 be the moral judge and jury is pathetic.

If I were Matthew Johns, I would be seeking legal representation for wrongful sacking if he is indeed sacked instead of suspended.

Let’s look at the facts of Channel 9 and the NRL:

Main sponsor for the NRL on Channel 9:  VB

Main contributing sponsor for the NRL on Channel 9: Keno

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David Gallop is acting like a spineless jellyfish in the web of trying to sort out what is best for his beloved NRL.  His decisions made after the fact have been pathetic.  A history of 100 years states that there are good apples and there are bad apples.  The NRL itself is to blame in the majority of this onslaught of bad publicity.  We need our players bigger, faster, stronger, able to leap tall buildings and also be the role model to every young boy and girl of Australia and New Zealand.  Yet, whilst they expect that to be the truth, they also endorse having VB be their main sponsor and encourage gambling with Keno and TAB Sportsbet.  So I ask the question- Why have the constant reminder of brands with alcohol and the temptations of winning money by betting on NRL games?  Oh yeh- for MONEY!

Where is the TRUE LEADERSHIP of the NRL?  It is in the hands of the select few that they define as “brandable” for their beloved game that can MAKE THEM MONEY.

I say the NRL needs the attitude adjustment and needs to take a stand on their own code of ethics that they have so righteously placed upon their prestigious brand.  I personally spoke with the NRL’s COO and asked him if the NRL would like to participate in branding a group of community based websites across Australia for young people to help them stay physically active and develop an outreach program for disadvantaged youths to give them some guidance through tough times.  His reply to me was “definitely not.”  I was a bit taken aback and replied to him “but it’s free- I would like to incorporate a sport that I love to watch and help the youth of Australia at the same time- and it’s not going to cost the NRL to be the participating active sponsor for the websites.” and he went onto say “I still don’t care and we’re not interested.”

So, with strong moral standards and being against any person or persons that would endanger someone’s life or harm them in any way, I have to ask the question:   Why seven years on and why has the NRL and Channel 9 taken the action that they have?  I have the answer- being politically correct in the aftermath of what has happened with the drunken stories of NRL players this year alone with regard to their public reputation and MONEY.  Had they not acted, they would have probably been banned by every single women’s rights organisation in the Pacific and a lot of those groups have ties and members with corporate identies that spend money with the WIN Network.

My words to Matthew Johns and his lovely wife Trish:

Live your life.  Get on with securing a more stable and loving relationship together and with your two young sons.  A catastrophic decision made by Matthew some seven years ago has now came back to haunt the both of you through a high demand for political correctness in which Matty has been made the scapegoat.  My prayers are with you for your recovery and ongoing success of your marriage.  I wish happniess, longevity and prosperity to your lives.

James Wester

myozspace.com.au