Master,

I bet all those people went to school at some stage too. I blame school, it leads to these kind of incidents. They probably all had mothers too....

Houellebecq, when a League player breaks the law or does something silly, "HE" is to blame.

More Rugby League History:

1997: Canterbury Bulldogs players while on a film set did this - - - - - urinated on a makeup artist's leg, indecently exposed themselves to her. A wardrobe woman was subjected to Bulldog players players trying to break down her door while they were yelling indecent propositions. During a break from filming, 6 Bulldogs players were driven around Woollongong in a hired bus while having sex with 2 prostitutes.

2005: Dane Tilse and (other players unknown to the general public) assaulted a 19 year old woman in Bathurst. Twelve players were fined $50,000 each.

2004: Chris Walker, from the Roosters Club, was involved in a drunken altercation with police. Police used capsicum spray to subdue him. He was charged with assaulting police, obstructing police and public nuisance. He was placed on an alcohol ban.

2004: Anthony Minicheillo and Mark Gasnier sent a sexually harassing phone message to a woman's answering machine, implying lewd acts. They were fined $50,000.

2004: Five bulldogs players were seen groping women on the dance floor of the Plantation hotel, Coffs Harbour. They were later involved in a fight. They were eventually ejected.

2001: NRL players, Craig Field and Kevin McGuinness from the Wests tigers were suspended for 6 months after tests revealed they were on illegal drugs - - - cocaine and ecstasy respectively.

2002: Willie Mason tested positive to taking amphetamines.

2004: Julian O'Neill attempted to set fire to a costume worn by a boy during a river cruise.

2001: Shane Webcke tested positive for probenecid, which was kept from the media until he retired in 2006.

2003: Three bulldogs players were involved in a sex incident with a 24 year old woman at the Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour on 3rd March 2003.

2005; Michael Crocker assaulted police during an alcohol fueled disturbance outside a Sydney hotel. He pleaded guilty to affray. He was fined $10,000.

2005: Corey Hughes was involved in a brawl at Kembla Grange Racecourse and charged with numerous offences.

Master,

'when a League player breaks the law or does something silly, "HE" is to blame.'

Exactly. Rugby league has nothing to do with it!

But, you say

'Gotta love Thugby League, it "really" builds character in men.'

so I say,

'Gotta love school and parents, they "really" build character in men.'

I think parents have a lot more to do with the character of people than the sport they play.

That's correct Houellebecq. Rugby League is not to blame, the Rugby League PLAYER is to blame.

And, Rugby League has HISTORICALLY attracted the type of man (or should we say "boy") who has a predisposition for the behaviours mentioned. It's been an ongoing problem, a HUGE entrenched problem. It's the Rugby League "culture". The Players' behaviours are NOT caused by Rugby League or it's juvenile machismo culture. Rugby League and it's juvenile machismo culture is the MAGNET that attracts these juvenile men. These men were juvenile BEFORE they played professionally. Rugby League didn't make them juvenile.

Rugby League culture attracts juvenile, machismo driven men. That's obvious. It's not hard to understand.

The phrase "Gotta love Thugby League, it really builds character in men" does not mean "Rugby League is to blame". It means that Rugby League does NOT equip these certain juvenile men (they're a minority within the League) with the maturity and life skills to stay out of trouble. For that to happen, the grassroots culture within Thugby League needs to change drastically. The League is trying, but they're failing.

“I think parents have a lot more to do with the character of people than the sport they play.”

Houel that is so wrong. I’ve experienced what gangs and clubs, groups (especially peer-groups) do – how the children you thought you knew change and take on new attitudes.

I think a sports team is similar to a gang mentality… a group mindset, attitudes, culture. NRL would be to blame for how these young men thought they could act or treat people. Their behavior on the field is shameful but they wouldn’t even know it anymore, they’d be entrenched in it. It would be encouraged as the fitness, bonding, training as a team would keep them from thinking too much as individuals.

They’d think themselves s#it hot and maybe on the field they are but sports players used to be older and now they are young fellas and more susceptible to the big ego side of things along with their sports brothers. I bet they even call each other brother.

Seeker already said something about parents being in control, I wish we were.

So they are naughty and no I don’t blame mums and dads. I’m still undecided about the feminists but it might take a group to settle another group down; if there was a plot it may even be a good plot.

Master, "Rugby League does NOT equip these certain juvenile men (they're a minority within the League) with the maturity and life skills to stay out of trouble."

You are right, the few who act disgracefully are a minority in the League. That is true of all occupations, there are those who act disgracefully. Similarly, Australia's politicians are generally beyond reproach but there are those who go into strip clubs, lose their trousers in a seedy motel, commit fraud on travel, commit serious driving offences, get boozed to the eyelids and so on.

Now if you really want a mob who are going out of their way to be disgraceful, how can you go past the television industry itself? What about the fair Jodi Gordon, isn't she a sweet little thing paying for female lap dancers in a strip club as well as her other little diversions? Then there are the shenanigans of the actors of various soaps where no young new actor is safe from the drug and sex culture.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a166370/home-and-away-star-returns-to-face-music.html

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/10/25/1130239521487.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a167345/home-and-away-actor-drugs-are-common.html

Strange isn't it how Sarah Ferguson, Tracey Grimshaw and others don't go anywhere near the television industry itself and shine a light on the shabby behaviour which seems to be the norm. Do as we say not do as we do?