Why National Rugby League side South Sydney player Kirisome Auva'a got fined A$2,000 ($1,745) for "assaulting a woman" and Cronulla's Paul Gallen got fined A$35,000 for "sending an offensive Tweet is a question that has been asked a lot in recent days," according to Paul Kent of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The NRL believes there is a "consistency between penalties, something the rest of the rugby league world loudly disagrees with." NRL CEO Dave Smith is "carrying the load for all of them." He said that "no penalty was ever treated lightly." The NRL divides each incident into "three categories: serious misconduct
(involving criminal charges), serious misconduct (non-criminal) and
damaging misdemeanours." Smith: "Auva'a, [former Canberra player Blake] Ferguson and [former Newcastle player Russell] Packer were each criminal matters involving acts of violence. The penalties imposed on each player are similar in that for the
three players they are out of the game indefinitely until the NRL is
satisfied that they are ready to return." If "we want to look for consistency" -- why Ferguson and Packer got sacked
but Auva'a did not -- "it is important to remember the NRL did not sack
Ferguson or Packer." Their "clubs did." The NRL believes it "needed to send a message that violence against women will not be tolerated." But it came "much too late" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/19).
