I'm making this 'Post of the week' - congratulations!

I'm not a fan of this from McManus:

"Whilst serving his ban it is critical that Ben is now provided all due personal and professional support. His rehabilitation is now paramount. During the period of his ban he will be no more than a 25-year-old boy who will be extremely vulnerable emotionally."

I don't see that there's any rehabilitation to be made, if anything there's the same burden on Saints to work with LH for his forarm. Nor is he a boy and while there will be some emotion I see that the main problems here are the result of the overblown way in which this has been treated.

In another game, I don't know, lets say GB v's Aus nothing would be said, it's not like Morley was lambasted this much for his high tackle and first tackle sending off.

This nearly cheered me up as much as the guy clapping his own post a few days back.

I'm liking this post of the week idea - we should continue with it throughout the close-season.

However, I'm outraged at the fact you're using fireworks already and it's still three weeks to bonfire night.

So, if I add punctuation to your "remark", you DON'T think that Flower should have been sent off ???

Interesting view.

Not one shared in too many quarters.

Making death threats to a person who knocked another person out with a one punch and a rugby person to boot, got to love the keyboard warriors, all those caught should have the book thrown at them.

How? Take their keyboards off them and no more CeeBeebies for a fortnight? The Internet age has inflated the number but has inherently rendered almost all threats meaningless. Just a few keyboard warriors indulging their fantasies. If you want to talk about ironic, how ironic is it that the people who have lost most, I.e. Wigan fans, almost certainly aren't issuing death threats? The fans of other clubs now throwing their weight about should be thanking Flower, not castigating him. He singlehandedly (word?) gave Saints the GF trophy!

All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description.

Do you mean how do you find them or punish them?

The police have powers to track Twitter posts now so can identify them if they are commiting an offence, and threatening someone's life (and wife in this case) is a criminal offence.
Punishment can be a simple fine and indeed taking their online access away but most of all the punishment is outing them because as said above, usually it is some keyboard warrior who thinks they can be tough.

The problem is, it only takes one nutter, so it needs to be dealt with.
Adrian Morley's book tells of him being goaded in a pub and being caught out because he hit him. Cost him a lot in fines, even though the guy was looking for it. Flower will have to contend with every drunk nutter who thinks they are bullet proof a) because they are drunk and b) because Flower has a lot to lose if he defends himself.

I feel for the guy. I hope he comes back stronger. I never sawa him as a penalty machine before (though you guys will know better) so it's not like he needs to clean up his game. He just needs to concentrate on getting back to form afetr the layoff.
If he comes back and shows he is still a good prop, the publicity will actually do him good.

It's not like anyone is having a go at Graham now after last years biting incident. His reputation is actually enhanced because people notice him more.

Quote: pies-r-us "All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description. Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

Quote: pies-r-us "All those who are calling the outcome a bit of a limp dick response from RFL and wanting a much more aggressive stance, and a suitable stiffening of the rules, those same ones would be shouting “it’s a disgrace” from the roof tops if one of their own ever suffered from that very punishment, but then of course their player was, “hit from behind first” or, “he never did anything, it was that dirty Wigan thug” Saints is a nickname not a self-description. Maybe we should use this as a yard stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj57GvEj2DI

everyone who has issued death threats against him should be allowed to go 1 on 1 with him and see how that goes....

tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/gra ... en-6108134?

tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/gra ... en-6108134?

Wheeling out some past-it former coach that has only seen the "highlight" reel for some reaction. Quality reporting right there.

The RLFans boards tend to get full of hysterical nonsense far too often, and it seems to be getting worse (could be my imagination but I don't think so).

Too many people are happy to dish out the pitchforks and torches treatment to opponents, but not accept any sort of rational judgement on their own players.

I suppose I used to be like that when I was a kid, and perhaps a lot of the 'keyboard warriors' around are still children, but I find the whole tone depressing.

Sadly it seems likely that Flower will have this round his neck like an albtaross, when in fact everybody should now accept the punishment and move on. I'd compare it to James Graham's biting incident - pretty unsavoury, just two years ago in a GF, and yet rarely raised here. Had he done that in England it seems it would still be the only thing said about him.