: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:25 pm  

"not a huge number of Pakistani Muslim cricket players go out on the lash"

Leave Sharia law out of this!

Actually I feel we are being unfair to the Aussies - a cultural bias - denying the spiritual lift of exchanging Sydney Opera House for karaoke in Batley or barbeques on Bondi Beach for kebabs in Castleford.
No comparison. Why deny them?

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:51 pm  

Iain wrote:

what with alcohol forbidden in the Qur'an.

I don't go there for a curry any more.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:26 pm  

Bigpev wrote:

I don't go there for a curry any more.

Re: Friends, Britons, rugbymen ... lend me your ears. : Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:04 am  

devilsadvocate wrote:

l played professional rugby league, fought in WW2, was at Normandy D-Day and worked on the docks all my life. l used to go to rugy until ill health made it impossible for me to continue. l had the priviledge of watching such great players as Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and the like grace our rugby grounds. l am an advocate of home grown talent but believe 'star imports' are a benefit to our game although l also think the limit should be 3 per club.

l used to believe that l fought for freedom but day by day this belief has diminished. We are now branded criminals for such 'crimes' as overfilling the wheelie bin or dropping litter in the city centre or speeding and so on. Whilst one can understand being fined for such things (except wheely bin) one should not have to be branded a criminal.

Now l find that my sport is also being targeted. Aussie players are being refused work visas because of their 'criminal' record. At first l thought what have they done? ... armed robbery? fraud? murder? GBH? ABH? NO! none of these, what we have is speeding offences, charged with assault (not convicted, just charged) and affray. Affray? we see that virtually every rugby match. lt is just above breach of the peace and is in reality just 'handbags'. Any altrication on the streets, in pubs, at home, at work, at matches etc etc the police can charge you with affray.

Upon further investigation l could find no reference to any foreign rugby union players being refused work visas or, god forbid, a Pakistani, or the like, cricket player being refused. ls it because these sports have influence and power? ... or like the cricketers, would result in mass demonstrations by the Muslim community. l say this for the Muslim community, they stand up for themselves and make their voice heardand for that they have my respect ... whether l believe in their cause or not.

But what does the working class sport of Rugby League and their supporters do? ... sweet FA! Except ofcourse slag off and gloat the clubs who have lost the services of these players. How narrow-minded and petty can you get? The RLHQ do nothing, the club boards do nothing and the supporters do nothing. Yet you have all the supporters at what ground or another so how hard would it be for all supporters to band together? You are in touch with all the clubs here anyway! Petitions, demonstrations etc may shame the club boards into coming onboard and maybe just maybe the RLHQ. Flood the Canberra British Consulate with e-mails ... and your MP's ... and the papers. Get media coverage ... hell, SKY is owned by Rupert Murdoch alone.

lf it carries on, what will happen to our sport? the lnternationals? ... depleted teams? Rugby League won't become 3rd rate ... it'll be lower!

l've fought my battles ... on the battleground, work, bureaucracy ... anything that l deemed injust or wrong. Some l won and some l lost but atleast l tried. l didn't cry in my beer and do nothing. Apathy seems endemic throughout the majority of citizens hence the minority always have the say ... especially the mandarins in Government. The one club that would speak out, Won't ... because they are French and wouldn't stand for it. God, that grates saying that but it's true.

What is happening to Rugby League is injust and wrong but it won't change unless the clubs, RLHQ and supporters speak out against it ... but ... the silence is deafening!

Good post, good points.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:46 am  

There may be trouble ahead, but now is the time to Unite and make a stance against Visa / Passport control - I have a plan, I need you help, which I hope will get some reaction.

Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. We now have a problem, if no one else can help, and if we can find them, maybe we can hire... The Homer-Team.

[/quote]

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:59 am  

Red Willow wrote:

How many RU players from Oz are plying their trade in GB?

How many of those who applied have convictions?

LOL - if you applied the letter of the law to their forefathers we would never see another Aussie in this Country. The Bureaucratic World really has gone mad.

Re: Friends, Britons, rugbymen ... lend me your ears. : Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:09 pm  

GanEden wrote:

Good post, good points.

That's either the most sarcastic comment I've ever read or you are as ill-informed as the oringial poster.

At least, having fought in WWII, he can use old age as an excuse - what's yours??

Re: Friends, Britons, rugbymen ... lend me your ears. : Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:02 pm  

Fatboys Limb wrote:

That's either the most sarcastic comment I've ever read or you are as ill-informed as the oringial poster.

At least, having fought in WWII, he can use old age as an excuse - what's yours??

Thats if he actually did fight in WW2 and Normandy and its not just some keyboard warrior using it as a way to try and back up his argument.

Re: Friends, Britons, rugbymen ... lend me your ears. : Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:11 pm  

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

Thats if he actually did fight in WW2 and Normandy and its not just some keyboard warrior using it as a way to try and back up his argument.

Can not remember the fight scene in Wayne's World 2
as for Normandy I was had a scuffle in a bar there once

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:19 pm  

I've absolutely nowt against the warriors of WW2 - they voted in the most Socialist government we've ever had in one of the biggest turn-outs in an election and with one of the biggest wins.

Good people.