Burkie1203 wrote: » How has this come abouthttps://twitter.com/offtheball/status/962763672358735874
Former Former wrote: » The IRFU are a disgrace. Petty and cowardly. Some tolerance for drug cheats, zero tolerance for awkward questions. Just so we're clear on the values of Irish rugby. Lots of posters here will heartily endorse this spineless development but any organisation trying to silence or ignore a media asking questions it doesn't like should be called out for it. Ridiculous and utterly self-defeating. Their press and PR people just don't know when to stop digging.
NollagShona wrote: » The IRFU have taken the line, a player had erred and taken his punishment then it’s done. This “ban for life” doesn’t exist and unions couldn’t bring in a rule to ban players for life the CAS has found against that time and again and they’d leave themselves open to litigation
irishbucsfan wrote: » This is not remotely true or relevant. Noone, absolutely noone, is asking for a life time ban.
Deleted User wrote: » Far too little verified information to be making these kinds of statements. We've heard from exactly one side and one side only and hearing from the other side through them is not the same as hearing from the other side. You know my opinion on drug use, but I'd like to hear what exactly the IRFU's issue is here. I can disagree with their stance on recruiting a doper but I can agree with them if some commentary on this is unreasonable or over the top. I don't point the finger at the player in this instance, I point the finger at Munster and the IRFU for hiring him, but a lot of the debate has gotten personal about the player which is wrong imo.
NollagShona wrote: » Just not play for an Irish province? He has served his ban you can’t legitimately exclude him based on some high moral ground position What is your position?
irishbucsfan wrote: » This is not remotely true or relevant. Noone, absolutely noone, is asking for a life time ban. Don't make the mistake of thinking this is about the drug issue alone. The press have been, very rightly, skewering the IRFU's total incompetence on many issues over the past 18 months. They're tired of losing so they're taking their ball and they're going home.
irishbucsfan wrote: » Of course you can legitimately exclude a convicted cheater. There's absolutely no basis for what you're saying here. It's a completely legitimate reason to not hire someone. The IRFU's policy is "zero tolerance", and they've proven there is absolutely no weight of meaning behind that policy.
Deleted User wrote: » On a separate note, this is obviously hanging over Joe and before France there was a cloud hovering over Best. I'm not sure either have done anything wrong or had a hand in decisions that they are now answerable for. Maybe they did but no one knows and speculation is not something the media should indulge in. I really hope this isn't impacting the camp in general, it's certainly not an upbeat mood surrounding the players despite two wins on the trot.
NollagShona wrote: » The press are only there to make a story- sell advertising. How are the IRFU losing? They are just taking back control from the journos not allowing them to dictate the narrative. Joe isn’t losing by any Means, the provinces are in rude health, who exactly is losing???
irishbucsfan wrote: » So if one journalist's commentary is unreasonable of over the top you would agree with the IRFU removing access for all print journalists across the board?
NollagShona wrote: » You cannot exclude someone based on something they have served their punishment for. See the Gatlan case in UK athletics. This isn’t just sport- it’s employment law
NollagShona wrote: » The media salivate over that story like a dog with a bone. They can’t wait to publish the most seletios detail on the front of their webpage, without any regard for the alleged victim
irishbucsfan wrote: » The press are not only there to sell advertising. Seems that maybe you don't have a great understanding of the importance of a free press in an open society. The IRFU have been skewered for their total mismanagement of many issues. From this drugs issue which has been a total disaster back through other issues over the past year, for example when their totally disastrous management of the women's game led to an international protest. There are multiple examples of the press taking them to task and the IRFU's responses have generally been quite poor.
Deleted User wrote: » How do you know it's one? Like I just said, we don't know why there is an issue or what has happened. We don't know whether it's about Grobbler or Best or even someone else. Let's wait until there is an actual statement or comment and then decide who is at fault. Surely this week alone has proved why it's important to also be sceptical of the news. A lot of people were delighting at the forlorn image of Rory Best on the front of the Times. I didn't see many apologies in the media when his presence was explained by the judge.
Jump_In_Jack wrote: » seletios = salacious?
NollagShona wrote: » The drugs issue with a typical Pail Kimmage tour de force. The ladies team is a question of allocating resources and the press again rushed to the high moral ground rather than tease out the minutiae of the argument Journalists days of believing they are the fourth estate are over for me, their a few very good journalists- but their are becoming an endangered species
Burkie1203 wrote: » The IRFU could have refused to sign off on Grobler based on his steroid ban. As part if the zero tolerance policy. Which has nothing to do with employment law and everything to do with the companys own values
irishbucsfan wrote: » Yeah, I think you're several miles off on this one. Especially with your clear and total misunderstanding of the women's rugby issue. I'd suggest you spend some more time considering those sorts of issues.
Former Former wrote: » Rory Best was not required to be there. He chose to be. I think it was worth a question. Again, there's people like you who would be happy not to hear the awkward questions. It's a very slippery slope.
NollagShona wrote: » They couldn’t. You might believe they could, but if they cited that they would be wide open to being sued by Grobler
Neil3030 wrote: » The journalists in that video admit that's only one possible reason why the print session was cancelled. And they even offered an alternative - that the IRFU, like many other sporting organisations, are turning more toward their in house PR. The latter is still not good, just to be clear.