Has Graham ever given you cause to believe he does? Thomas has!

and regardless, it is unimportant if you believe homophobic chanting and chanter ginger at Graham are the same, the fact leeds fans chanted about Graham in no way mitigates the homophobic chanting at Cas. It doesnt make it any better or any more acceptable, nor does it makes Castlefords fine wrong.

I didn't realise the RFLs respect policy only covered minority groups who had been murdered. I thought a respect policy would be equal to all. Maybe rlthis man who was stabbed for being gingerrl should have been killed and then SmokeyTA would give the nod for us to stop disrespecting ginger haired people.

The RFL have a respect policy, butit isn't just about respecting gays because they still are being persecuted in other countries. It's all about respect and right down to grass roots rugby league is trying to change peoples old ways. Calling GT a poof is as hurtful and disrespecting as it is calling JG a ginger barsteward.

CTRLFC were fined for not taking the correct action after GT (or anyone else in the crowd) was offended. Similarly this should apply to the rest of the RL world, including ginger haired.

Just because you dismiss it as "banter" doesn't mean the next person wouldn't be offended.

Correct, but it also means Leeds should get the same fine for failing to control the crowd, just like Cas did.

whilst it does, and it is a terrible thing all the same, it is a much rarer occurrence because of this much rarer prejudice

oh, i fully acknowledge it exists, just at nowhere near the same level.

you however drew this parallel before the offence occurred, Seems strange for you to be making the point leeds should be fined before the offence occured?

Doesn't matter to what level it exists; it still does exist and therefore it should be just as punishable. I don't mean the same level of fine but at least a warning.

Erm what? All of this was started after the 3rd chant, which clearly shows Leeds did not do enough to stop the chanting (Cas drowned out 2 of the 3 chants at Thomas with the RFL Respect CD, Leeds did not, you could hear the PA), Cas got fined for not stopping the chanting even though they tried, Leeds did not try, therefore a fine.

i dont think you should disrespect anyone. I however understand the power behind certain words and actions and how the are indicative of certain attitudes.

But you almost found an example there, but not quite



no, but it is indicative of the more serious nature of Homophobia compared to the relatively trivial anti-gingerism


no, it isnt.

no, they werent.

Just because you dismiss it as "banter" doesn't mean the next person wouldn't be offended.'"

i wouldnt disagree, i would hope all clubs would endeavour to cut out all offensive chants, however minor some may consider them, but they will obviously be on a sliding scale of importance and priority.

Spot on. We're being told that ginerism is just banter, because it suits their argument, yet anything racist or homophobic is a no go. It's quite pathetic and is the same attitude people had years ago with black people and gays.

To simply dismiss the point becaus they don't think it is offencive is disgusting. If the RFLs respect policy is all about picking and choosing who they protect then it's absolute bull. But as brayton has mentioned, the RFLs respect policy goes right back to grass roots rugby and includes such things as bullying ginger people. The RFL has set the bar. No one at Cas (at least in the whole) are saying that homophobic chanting is ok. But you cannot pick and choose who you are going to fine when there is little respect on the terraces all through RL, wether it be racism, homobhobic or gingerisms.

No, the issue of anti-ginger chanting was something brought in before the Leeds match even started

and again, you seem to not have even bothered reading what Cas actually got fined for

whats pathetic is to equate all that has happened in the name of racism and homophobia to people chanting about James Graham being ginger.

Do you think Cas would come out looking any better if all chanting that mentioned anything whatsoever about a person was fined?

No, but the RFL set the precedent and now they must fine any club who are found guilty of abusive chanting then on top of that failing to stop it.

I'm not the one trying to compare which is worse. By your argument, only people who have been chopped into tiny pieces should be protected from abusive comments. Don't say a harsh word to a gay man, but feck the gingers it's only a laugh!

It's a respect policy, respect to all.





Do you think any other club would come out smelling of roses?

do you have the same defence for Andrew Johns? you must believe that was a huge over-reaction? Was Tahu wrong? if not do we just expect people to accept racism? or do we expect the victim of racism to be the one to lose out?



doesnt matter, you dont let Ian Brady got through because Jack the Ripper went free.

If you want to make the point that the RFL dont take chants of 'fat ginger b@st@rd' or 'dirty yorkshire b@st@ard' as serious as homophobic chanting or racist language then you are right, but then in real life, these are much bigger issues, which more extreme attitudes and more serious consequences