I think its a bit easy to say the guy is soft. Put yourself in his position - you dedicate your life to a sport and your career is over after an incident with a guy who has been told the way he is playing is not acceptable because it is too dangerous ie. the very thing they were telling smith would happen, happened.
Dont get me wrong i loved craig smith and his running style because his opponents hate it, put putting myself in Mr. stankevitchs shoes, I would be feeling hard done by.
yes you take chances playing rugby league, but this is something that could have been prevented.
Stankevitch
Re: Stankevitch
I agree El Rifle. Although the other side of the coin is that Stankevitch will probably have something else to fall back on should his RL career have failed; most players do college courses whilst in the academy and he was at Saints since 15. If he doesn't have something to fall back on (he is looking to go into coaching so I assume he does) then he is rather foolish as an RL playing career doesn't set you up for life.
With regards to Smith, I can also see that his running style may have caused this incident and blame may lie with him as he was warned about raising his knees but maybe it's in everyones interests to try and sue to RFL. They did not punish Smith for his running style which then caused the end of a players career, maybe this would cause a reshuffle in the disciplinary department that is needed!
With regards to Smith, I can also see that his running style may have caused this incident and blame may lie with him as he was warned about raising his knees but maybe it's in everyones interests to try and sue to RFL. They did not punish Smith for his running style which then caused the end of a players career, maybe this would cause a reshuffle in the disciplinary department that is needed!
Re: Stankevitch
Perhaps you should contact Mr Stankevitch with a view to representing him rob hehe....i have a feelin thats gona be his lawyers angle!
Re: Stankevitch
Criag Smith left the NRL because he kept getting pulled up for raising his knees when running.
He felt he was being persecuted and had no future there.
When he came here there was not a dicky bird said about his style until the Stankevitch incident and it was never mentioned again after it.
Smith is now in the NRL again and has not been pulled up for his running style since his return. It seems his time over here has let the controversy fade over there.
He hasn't changed his running style one bit so IMO unless he was being penalised week in, week out for it Stankevitch is just latching on to the controversy that dogged Smith in his rarlier NRL career.
He has a repuation that has stuck but as we all saw when he came here there was simply no problem as far the RFL were concerned until that tackle.
IMO even then it was the RFL reacting to his past repuation when they issued him a warning.
I also think if it had been any other player who had hit Stankevitch with the knee Stankevitch would not even dream of legal acation because he would realise it was not intentional and an unfortunate way to have his career ended.
I mean is Botham looking for someone to sue? What if the tackle on Locky that did his knee had ended his career?
Unless you can prove a player deliberately set out to maim an opponent I can't see how players can even consider legal action given the nature of the game. The starting point ought to be the fact the RFL had dished out a Sin-Die suspenstion to the player responsible for the "offence" not some afterthought based on an ill-founded reputation.
Dave
He felt he was being persecuted and had no future there.
When he came here there was not a dicky bird said about his style until the Stankevitch incident and it was never mentioned again after it.
Smith is now in the NRL again and has not been pulled up for his running style since his return. It seems his time over here has let the controversy fade over there.
He hasn't changed his running style one bit so IMO unless he was being penalised week in, week out for it Stankevitch is just latching on to the controversy that dogged Smith in his rarlier NRL career.
He has a repuation that has stuck but as we all saw when he came here there was simply no problem as far the RFL were concerned until that tackle.
IMO even then it was the RFL reacting to his past repuation when they issued him a warning.
I also think if it had been any other player who had hit Stankevitch with the knee Stankevitch would not even dream of legal acation because he would realise it was not intentional and an unfortunate way to have his career ended.
I mean is Botham looking for someone to sue? What if the tackle on Locky that did his knee had ended his career?
Unless you can prove a player deliberately set out to maim an opponent I can't see how players can even consider legal action given the nature of the game. The starting point ought to be the fact the RFL had dished out a Sin-Die suspenstion to the player responsible for the "offence" not some afterthought based on an ill-founded reputation.
Dave
Re: Stankevitch
How could it have been prevented? By playing touch rugby?El Rifle posted:
Dont get me wrong i loved craig smith and his running style because his opponents hate it, put putting myself in Mr. stankevitchs shoes, I would be feeling hard done by.
yes you take chances playing rugby league, but this is something that could have been prevented.
Stankevitch got injured in a tackle because Smiths knee connected with his shoulder.
With anyone else but Smith that would have been the end of it.
Dave
Re: Stankevitch
well perhaps i was misinformed - i was under the impression smith received letters etc previous to the stankevitch tackle. if that is the case prevention was possible, if its not the case theres no real argument
Re: Stankevitch
He didn't get anything prior to the Stankevitch incident in the UK if I recall correctly.El Rifle posted:
well perhaps i was misinformed - i was under the impression smith received letters etc previous to the stankevitch tackle. if that is the case prevention was possible, if its not the case theres no real argument
When he arrived I was expecting post after post from Saints fans and others on message boards saying what a thug he was with his raised knees.
Until the Stankevitch incident he had a career comepletely free of controversy such that there never were any threads questioning his play.
Terry newton comes in for far mre stick then Smith ever did from opposition fans. Given Wigan are usually the prime target if there is the slightest whiff of controversy I think the lack of any concerning Smith just shows his running style wasn't a problem.
Dave