He dun wrong but he is our man

[cookieduster]

Danny done wrong but heck...todays herald sun FOUR seperate STORM articles . Now we have the answer asign someone to slug a player each game and our profile goes up 300%. Sure no players season end but boy the exposure....

[jellyhead]

Yes unfortunately the old adage "any publicity is good publicity" rings true here.

From "The Pulse", Daryl Timms, Herald Sun 20-07-04

"Pies Lose Focus"

Who said rugby league isn't big in Melbourne.

Collingwood was training at the Lexus Centre yesterday while at the same time Storm was training at the adjacent Olympic Park.

There was not one camera at Collingwood's session, but the media was packed into Olympic Park because of Storm forward Danny Williams' king-hit on Wests Tigers second-rower Mark O'Neill.

What a pity it took something like Saturday night's incident to raise the profile of RL in Melbourne, and in particular Melbourne Storm

[Insomniac]

Yeah but I doubt this sort of publicity is going to attract new interest and support for RL and the Storm, which is our primary goal... if anything, we have taken a step backwards in that respect.

[Buzz]

This article in todays Daily Telegraph, and republished on Foxsports.com.au:

On verge of life sentence
By Paul Kent
July 20, 2004

SO the reactionaries and the hysterics, all together on this one, look like getting their way and having Danny Williams rubbed out for life.

Hang him high, count the cost tomorrow.

On the same weekend that Brendan Cannon gets a two-week suspension for punching All Black Keven Mealamu, whose arms were down by his side, the Hanging Judge has been called in to prosecute Williams.

What to give for similar consistency among the faithful?

Just because rugby league is the most high-profile sport doesn't mean that every time there is an incident we have to go running down the streets screaming like our fingers have been jammed in the car door.

There is no doubt that Danny Williams is guilty. He has already apologised.

There is no doubt he will get a long sentence. He has already said he will accept the decision of the judiciary.

Yet none of that is good enough for some, who have added to the din with their righteous cries.

Yesterday's column calling for control in the Danny Williams case met with the expected hysteria.

"The biggest load of crap I have read this year," wrote in Chris Rose, a noted reader.

"You have written total rubbish before but this takes the cake ... Find another job, imbecile," wrote Brett Day, apparently a job counsellor.

One man called talkback radio saying he had just about got his wife to agree to allow their son to play rugby league - but now Williams had gone and spoiled it. A tip: if the kid goes out and king hits someone first time on the paddock, the problem's at home, not with Danny Williams.

Earlier this year Cronulla's Greg Bird was rubbed out for 10 weeks for kneeing South Sydney's Shane Marteene.

Bird and Marteene had had a running battle all game, as both sides illustrated during the case. The prosecution to indicate intent, the defence to suggest provocation.

Williams and O'Neill have also had several run-ins this season.

The first was in round 13 when Williams broke O'Neill's nose.

Then Saturday's incident, when O'Neill tackled Williams high and Williams retaliated, as we all came to see.

But where does each incident sit on the scale when the emotion has been removed? If you measure a punch against a knee, most will argue that the knee is far more dangerous.

If you argue the degree of provocation most will argue that Williams was provoked more than Bird, particularly given their recent history.

Against that certainly the result of Williams' punch caused more injury than the Bird knee, which will be a consideration for the judiciary.

But is a bad swinging arm, thrown straight across the chin, any worse than a punch? Or a spear tackle?

Do some even care? Or think about it?

"All in all, I felt compelled to write to you to make my feelings heard," wrote Jonathan Lee, "which I'm sure at least 90 per cent of the public will agree when I say that your column was a crock of S*#T."

Williams looks like paying the cost for the high profile of the incident.

Any suspension near the 18 weeks or so being privately spoken about will almost certainly cost him his career.

He will almost certainly leave the Storm at the end of the year and will need to convince an English club to take him with whatever suspension still remains.

If no club is willing to do that next year he is gone. He won't have the required quota of NRL games for following years.

Sorting through all the e-mails I prefer to go with Marjorie Tahija, a female rugby league fan.

"I watched that game on Saturday night and I was appalled at the media attention it has brought against a player who will probably lose his whole career over something that he will live to regret for the rest of his life," she wrote.

The Daily Telegraph

[NZ Storm]

And this is the article he got bagged for.

Pressure on NRL to hit hard

To me it's the voice of reason, not a crock of ****

[Thunderstruck]

He's one of the few who've been supporting Danny since the whole thing blew up. Even does so on Fox. Props to him.

[steaming stormer]

Yes unfortunately the old adage "any publicity is good publicity" rings true here.

From "The Pulse", Daryl Timms, Herald Sun 20-07-04

"Pies Lose Focus"

Who said rugby league isn't big in Melbourne.

Collingwood was training at the Lexus Centre yesterday while at the same time Storm was training at the adjacent Olympic Park.

There was not one camera at Collingwood's session, but the media was packed into Olympic Park because of Storm forward Danny Williams' king-hit on Wests Tigers second-rower Mark O'Neill.

What a pity it took something like Saturday night's incident to raise the profile of RL in Melbourne, and in particular Melbourne Storm

I may be a sceptic, but I saw this as just another opportunity for the Melbourne media to beat up on Rugby League, and give it a bad name to keep AFL on top. Over the same weekend, Fremantle player Jeff Farmer gave just as good a cheap shot, being a knee to the head of someone over the ball. He fractured the guys eye socket... I didn't see 4 pages in the HS outlining this incident did I??

[Buzz]

I'm actually surpised Farmer will be going to the Tribunal - and I can't see more than 2 weeks at most. The way I saw the incident, he was moving his leg forward to gain better traction for the tackle. The knee to the head was incidental. So my guess is 2 weeks for reckless behaviour.

Danny - my guess is still 10 weeks.

That means we have to make it to the Grand Final to allow Danny to be available for Round 1 next year!

[steaming stormer]

I think Danny is looking more like 15 weeks. And I think we may have to re-sign him now, or we won't be able to field a team next year... we'll have no forwards

[Buzz]

I'm sure if we did re-sign Danny he would have to offer himself for a discount wage (which I think he already does). If he is getting close to retirement - I would love for him to have the opportunity to finish the game with us, and with our fond memories and support.

[Insomniac]

He'll be booed more than Mason if/when he returns!

[Surandy]

He'll be booed more than Mason if/when he returns!

Not by me he won't. Danny that is, I'll still boo Mason. I'd boo head-hunter Morley too except he won't play against us next week due to his latest head high tackle.

[Insomniac]

No, I obviously meant by those that aren't Storm supporters... you know, the MAJORITY!