For the female it would be way too much work. He was sleeping in the back seat, unrestrained, when he awoke to the thump-thump of the tires riding over rumble strips. By PETER JESSUPJust a week before the rugby league season opens, the code is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.At the centre of the storm across the Tasman are the Canterbury Bulldogs - for the second season in a row starting their season with a sex scandal.A woman's allegations of gang rape have prompted police and National Rugby League investigations that call into question the standards and morals of a code under siege.For the Bulldogs, it has probably ended their hopes on the football field - if anyone can remember football.Police are continuing to interview players and take DNA samples. Recently retired NRL great Johnathan Thurston has broken his 14-year silence on the Canterbury Bulldogs Coffs Harbour scandal which threatened to derail his career. She had plans. People are always accusing women of capitalising on me too but this is the first time Ive seen someone so blatantly using it for self promotion. THE RAIDERS HELD a team meeting on Monday, Nov. 1. Thurston admitted that the incident threatened to end his career before it began (AAP). Ryan, El Masri and many of their teammates remain angry over how the Bulldogs were treated by the media - especially when it comes to three instances of what he calls 'ridiculous' reporting - and they're backed by Glen Pearce, one of the lead detectives on the Coffs Harbour case. I don't even know how to feel about it. Brendan Ross Makes NCAA Commitment to The University of Alaska Fairbanks. Stallworth had a blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, above Floridas .08 limit. It is both to instil pride and to deny any opportunity for players to give the names of others, as is alleged in the Bulldogs' case.Their grand-final-winning lock Scott Sattler spoke this week of how the Panthers side partied hard after the 2003 championship win but managed to do so without incident. Joe Sullivan, a manager of victim services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has sat in a courtroom with Tintor's family during hearings over the past several months and has told them that the justice system can move slowly. Anna Wintour arrives arm-in-arm with rumored beau Bill Nighy at 2023 Met Gala. The woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by six Bulldogs on February 22 at the Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour, northern New South Wales. Up and coming Coffs Coast footballers are off to Tamworth for a four-day regional players camp. I genuinely feel sorry for her," he wrote. She was always there to help. After they left Topgolf, Ruggs and his girlfriend went to a friend's house, according to the police report. It was hours before daylight on Nov. 2. After retiring from the NFL, Stallworth became an advocate for ending impaired driving. April 27: Police announce they will not charge players after the DPP found insufficient evidence to prosecute. "Everything I am, everything I have, I honor his memory. The gym touts itself as a premier sports facility, catering to pro-level athletes. "It was tough for everyone because we were gagged and we couldn't give our side of the story.". "She was someone that I gained a lot of courage from, and I looked up to her in that sense. 67. 'He's been dead for 130 years and can still satisfy the ladies': Social media goes wild over mystery woman Cancelled? "It's very difficult for them to read all of the things that are being said in the papers and not be in a position to respond," he said.Club chief executive Steve Mortimer admitted that "the last 10 days have been the worst experience with the game of rugby league. He had asked her to slow down. She was crying. You'd have to suspect they were told not to wear Bulldogs logos. So Ruggs ran roughly a mile to Baptist Medical Center South to get to Scott. Select the subscription offer youd like to buy, click Subscribe with Google, and you will be directed to complete your purchase using your Google account. . She should never have been treated that way.". It reminds her of Tina. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. His brother Glen, who played for the Dogs in 2004, was also involved. He's going to do something. Ruggs' agent, Jovan Barnes, who has made numerous trips to Las Vegas since Nov. 2 to be with Ruggs, said that he would like to talk about the Henry Ruggs he knows but that he can't comment. JOHNATHAN Thurston today becomes the first Bulldogs player to give his version of the Coffs Harbour scandal that engulfed the club 14-years ago revealing in an exclusive book extract what he says happened the night a woman claimed she was gang raped by six players. COFFS HARBOUR SCANDAL TIMELINE February 18, 2004: A 20-year-old woman told police she had consensual sex with six Bulldogs players on this date while they were in Coffs Harbour,. But none of that will answer the existential questions. Media outlets seized on it as the team trying to get their stories straight before they were interviewed by police. Thurston was not involved in the incident. So what were some doing at a nightclub at 5am?And why was there no supervision from management either at the nightclub or the hotel as they rolled home?This is not the first such incident. Somebody got killed, he thought. Mirjana, Pinzon said, was wearing black. He said she had hopes of studying at UNLV. -. I wasn't a part of [the group sex] but certainly we had broken team rules," Thurston said. They had just come off a relatively uneventful bye week, but interim head coach Rich Bisaccia delivered a message as they entered an off day on Tuesday: Stay out of trouble. no judgment on guilt or innocence was being made against the players who had been stood down. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg also has the discretion to stand down players facing other serious charges, including violence against women and children. February 25: Detective Gary McEvoy contacted by NSW Police head of forensic services Superintendent Phil Fogel who McEvoy says told him allegations were 'red-hot' news in Sydney and he'd been told to give investigators all possible assistance even if it meant putting previous, serious cases to one side. We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.. The Bulldogs are currently second on the NRL ladder after a 38-12 win over the Dragons on Saturday. In an emotional interview with Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, Thurston who went on to become one of the greatest NRL players of all time with the North Queensland Cowboys said he was denied a chance to defend himself. September 22, 2022. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Retired NRL superstar Johnathan Thurston, who was at the club before he joined North Queensland, also spoke about the Bulldogs allegations in a 60 Minutes interview late last year. Bulldogs team bosses have issued an unspecified number of players with breach notices detailing the results of a club investigation into their behaviour at Coffs Harbour earlier this year. This story originally was published July 12, 2022. Amateur Sports Team. Her father, Nedeljko Tintor, struggled with language barriers and didn't have a driver's license. Club music thumped. "Everything was in slow motion," Adams said. She said she was vaginally, orally and anally raped by six Bulldogs players in the pool area of the Pacific Bay Resort. "We would like to be able to train players, staff, fans," Otte said. But, don't take our word for it. Not in conjunction with any other offer. In the February of that year, a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint with Coffs Harbour police alleging shed been gang raped by a number of the Bulldogs players at a resort after a pre-season trial. Everywhere we turned it was in your face, non-stop. They named him Max. A few weeks later, Pinzon was loading groceries into her car in the parking lot of La Bonita on South Rainbow Boulevard when a woman in the parking lot approached her. And yet the allegation just stuck there,' he says. Why subscribe to become a Full Digital Access or Paper Delivery + Full Digital Access Member? It was raining the morning of March 3, 2016, as they headed north on Interstate 65. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Club chairman George Peponis says the move 'is not specifically' about Coffs Harbour. Seeing double! Royal superfans camping on The Mall ahead of King's Coronation, Student kicked out of school for 'there are only two genders' t-shirt, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, 'We're not your enemies!' Some have never had another job. You walk past people and you wonder what they think. "Think of Kenzli," she says. Alex Otte, national president of MADD, said that the organization reached out to the Raiders and offered support in the hope of avoiding a repeat of what happened on South Rainbow Boulevard and that they have been in discussions about efforts to prevent impaired driving. She walked up to Mirjana Komazec, Tintor's mom, and hugged her. "Consensual group sex, a girl sleeping with more than one NRL player at the same time, was not unusual. The car began to slide, veering from the middle of the northbound lanes, south of Spring Valley Parkway, into the far right lane and hit Tintor's Toyota at 127 mph. Despite maintaining his innocence, NRL has controversially stood down de Belin from playing while he waits the outcome of aggravated sexual assault charges after a night out in Wollongong in December. It relaxes him when he knows everything is OK. March 18: The club fines Willie Mason $10,000 and Brent Sherwin $5,000 for wearing thongs and shorts to the March 3 police interviews. In 2000, when she was a toddler, Tintor, her parents and her brother, Djordje, came to the United States. "I honor him every day," Ruggs says in the video. Johnathan Thurston and Bulldogs teammates were accused of sexual assault after a night out in Coffs Harbour in 2004 Police found insufficient evidence against players and no charges were laid, but players were told to stay quiet by the club Thurston says he was not part of the group but everything was consensual New customers only. February 24:Broadcaster Ray Hadley reads out the woman's allegations on his top-rating radio show. Because he always told me, 'I will do something great. Thurston revealed the woman followed them back to the hotel and began screaming and knocking on the room adjacent where some of his teammates were staying. The sun will be out soon. Pinzon said it wasn't meant as a knock against the Raiders. She liked doing things for her family, be it babysitting Ayden, Komazec's son, or spending a day with her grandmother. Calling me a rapist just makes me want to snap and kill the bloke. At the time six Canterbury players were alleged to have gang raped a then 20-year-old woman in a Coffs Harbour pool area, with the police eventually dropping the case as a result of. He'd been friends with Scott since elementary school, when they met every morning to play basketball at a YMCA in Montgomery, Alabama. Hobbs' incident came almost a year to the day after running back Josh Jacobs was arrested on suspicion of DUI in a single-car crash near the airport. Home delivery is not available in all areas and is not the regional edition. "I wish I could tell you that I was shocked by the group sex - but I wasn't," Thurston wrote. Wide-eyed interns arrive in May and leave 10 weeks later Citizens for Life. He estimated 10 people were walking closer to the crash, and he remembered an officer telling one of the men to back up, and the man replied, "Oh, we are his friends, we know them.". In each of the previous cases, the player did not serve a long sentence in prison. The Bulldogs have been approached for comment. 'It was devastating for the players, the staff, everyone', The NRL has stood down star player Jack de Belin (pictured with girlfriend Alyce Taylor after a 2018 State of Origin match) from playing while he waits to answer a sexual assault charge. 'The only way to get away from it [the scrutiny] for us was at home with your loved ones or on the training paddock That was our safest place to be.'. Mason not involved at Coffs - Folkes. Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman denied the request to suppress the test. To his right, a burned husk of metal rested in the middle of the road. She wanted to be a nurse, then changed her mind and focused on computers. She had had consecutive consensual sex with eight players on the Wednesday before, the meeting heard.Whatever was said, it obviously emboldened some, who clearly showed they thought no charges would be brought.Afterwards, coach Steve Folkes spoke about the allegation for the first time. Michael Leone, who lives along South Rainbow Boulevard, was awake and feeding his 6-month-old son when he heard a boom. Meanwhile, a Bulldogs spokesman has confirmed that 21-year-old five-eighth Johnathon Thurston has walked out on the club and wants to quit rugby league. Former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2014. No charges were ever laid and all players cleared of any wrongdoing. On March 3 players were photographed wearing T-shirts, shorts and thongs as they arrived at the Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills to be interviewed by detectives. NSW police investigating the alleged sexual assault of the woman on . They want to know everything that happened the night Tintor died. There are several countries around the world that have an "American Football League". 'I've got four young kids and what they'll find if they Google my name, yeah, it's a factor it's a worry. But if your subscription or membership includes home delivery, then you can request to suspend your paper delivery through My Account. Gutweilers husband said the family received a small settlement from a civil proceeding against Little. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. I want to change something. It's a vital part of the representative program, as players prepare for the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups in February. In an extensive interview with ESPN's College GameDay in 2019, Ruggs said he wouldn't be playing football if it weren't for Scott. Raiders owner Mark Davis attended the funeral, and Komazec thought it was a nice gesture. Ruggs, a second-year receiver who was finally showing the promise that earned him the 12th overall draft pick and a $16.67 million guaranteed contract, decided to go out that night. The team's hooker in 2004, Corey Hughes, was fined $10,000 by the club for becoming involved in a brawl at a racecourse that started when he was called a rapist. Doggy day-care! NRL great Johnathan Thurston has opened up on the Canterbury Bulldogs rape scandal which saw his young rugby league career briefly descend into chaos. A valid active email address and Australian mobile phone number are required for account set up. The former Bulldogs players comments come after the NRL announced on Friday a new no-fault stand down policy for players facing serious criminal charges. Leone said another man -- later determined to be a security guard at a nearby condo complex -- helped the driver to the side of the road. It is incumbent on all sporting clubs of any code to educate young players that ignoring community standards degrades the brotherly bond sports teams espouse.El Masri and others not involved have a right to feel aggrieved at being let down. The team won two championships in 1993 and 1997, the only team to win . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. According to Thurstons memoir,Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography, an unnamed woman allegedlyslept with six Bulldogs players at the teams hotel on the Wednesday night. Allow up to 5 days for home delivery to commence. Full Digital Access + Weekend Paper Delivery 12 Month Plan costs $312 (min. Sullivan set up a meeting in June between the family and Clark County assistant district attorney Eric Bauman, and Sullivan called the meeting productive. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. It could take up to 5 business days before your first paper delivery arrives. She later told police that they were drinking mai tais and that she drank two but didn't know how many, if any, Ruggs had. Hobbs also faced a separate reckless driving charge from earlier that month -- he was going 110 mph in a 65 mph zone -- for which he entered a no-contest plea and paid a $250 fine. An unnamed 20-year-old slept with six of them back at the teams hotel before being spotted by Bulldogs the following night at the Plantation Hotel. The football coaches at Robert E. Lee also kept pursuing Ruggs, and junior year, he finally relented. The players have been given seven days to respond and will attend meetings with club management this week. Now hes broken his silence about the 2004 Coffs Harbour rape scandal that nearly derailed his career, before it had even begun. In 2014, he spoke at the NFLs rookie symposium, sharing his story and pleading with young athletes to not make the same mistakes he made. Tintor loved cooking and dyeing her hair and doting over her dogs and cats. Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri (in grey) leaves the Sydney Police Centre after meeting detectives investigating the false claims of a woman that she was gang raped at Coffs Harbour, Bulldogs including Sonny Bill Williams (right) were slammed in the media for wearing T-shirts, shorts and thongs to police interviews in 2004 - but teammates including Andrew Ryan and Hazem El Masri say the episode was a 'laughable' media beat-up that smeared the players. Former detective Glen Pearce says investigating police didn't think the allegations stacked up enough to take the matter to court. Some were evicted by bouncers.It is apparently younger players who were involved in the incidents, including the alleged sexual assault. Authorities say Ruggs tore through Las Vegas' valley west of the Strip at 156 mph in his Corvette Stingray. The NFL could discipline him if another team attempts to sign him. "I never knew Tina," Las Vegas resident Bob Kendzior said. Now, Thurston has spoken about the scandal for the first time in an interview with 60 Minutes. 'There was no grounds whatsoever for that. The next time he woke up, Adams was lying in the middle of the road. See www.couriermail.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details. The young woman was trying to enter the car as well. The new policy meant that St George Illawarras Jack de Belin has been stood down indefinitely while he faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault. Charlotte is daddy's double! Annual Waking Up in Vegas Specialty Show Information. That morning, the woman allegedly had consensual sex with one of the players near the hotels pool. The 23-year old driver of the Toyota and her dog were both killed, police said. The North Coast Bulldogs under 16s and 18s squads were put through their paces at a skills and welfare session today. In addition to the Coffs scandal, he suffered when he was dropped from his role as an NRL ambassador when he faced a domestic domestic violence charge in 2015 - with the ban lifted when he was found not guilty. The Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was insufficient evidence to launch a prosecution. 0407 228 124 [email protected]. El Masri engaged his own lawyer as police questioned the players and was the only member of the team to refuse to take a DNA test - a decision he took out of concern for the effect it could have on his reputation. A TMZ video shows the Corvette on the side of the road, partially on the sidewalk -- hazard lights flashing and doors ajar. My wife was pregnant at the time, and some of the questions she was asked about it, it was a very stressful time. When Ruggs was at the hospital, he became enraged, police said. "You don't even know how you feel anymore. The opportunity to boost their skills comes ahead of the representative season. The Clark County coroner ruled in December that Tintor and her dog burned to death in the crash. She was really good with computers, her friend Ryder Hankins said. Game Centre for Coffs Breakers U14 Youth Girls v Bellingen Bulldogs U14 Youth Girls in AFL North Coast 2022 season, Round 2 . It's almost 4 a.m., around the time Tintor died on Nov. 2. Walker is accused of assaulting his fiance Alexandra Ivkovic outside their home in Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches in December. 'They stood me down without even hearing me or holding any internal investigation whatsoever, even though I had a recording [that exonerated him in court]. The others are Roy Asotasi, Hutch Maiava and Matt Utai.After the allegations were first aired the team held a "truth session", where each player spoke and gave his version of events at the hotel and nightclub on the night in question.Some reports have suggested that the tone of that player meeting was that the woman was asking for it. (Only applies if home delivery is included in your package), Subscriber-only newsletters straight to your inbox, Todays Paper, a digital replica of the newspaper, SuperCoach Plus for stats, analysis, tips and more, Saturday and Sunday paper delivery* She told Pinzon that she never would have imagined all those people would show up that day for Tintor. It's unclear whether Ruggs is actually working out or whether he has hopes of someday resurrecting his football career. Tracking fifth-year options for 2020 first-rounders: Which were picked up, and which were declined? One of the boys pushed her out and gave her a gob-full. Hatten is a former Copperas Cove Bulldawg who graduated in 2013. The evidence against [the female] is very strong to the point where if this was any other matter [the female] would find herself charged. Mortimer says two players will be severely disciplined for breaching the club's code of conduct. Hatten was drafted into a Brazilian league as an import player, a term used to indicate players drafted from America. Leone said he saw a black SUV pull up behind the accident scene, and then noticed a white car also parked not far away. Thread starter nqboy; Start date May 26, 2004; Prev. He went on John Laws' radio show to defend his players, conceding only that some had shown an error of judgment, but that was all.An unidentified player interviewed by the Sydney Sunday Telegraph described the woman as hysterical after being rejected by the boys when she offered group sex. Bulldogs team bosses have issued an unspecified number of players with breach notices detailing the results of a club investigation into their behaviour at Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales mid . The scandal saw Bulldogs players accused of sexual assault after a night out in Coffs Harbour in 2004. It will cover the Coffs Harbour allegations, new claims by the woman involved in that case that she was approached by club officials who tried to dissuade her from going to police, the allegation that a player urinated in front of media and an unrelated allegation that a Sydney Roosters player openly had sex on a Newcastle beach during a pre-season trial.That inquiry is likely to be widened to include the latest case, where two Melbourne Storm players are accused of a sexual assault.Some clubs have taken the pro-active approach. Subscribe with Google lets you purchase a subscription, using your Google account. That hearing has been rescheduled four times -- the latest postponement coming last month. Fellow Bulldog, devout Muslim and family man Hazem El Masri broke the NRL's point scoring record that season after also being unfairly engulfed in the drama. Classes conducted by the NRL on behavioural codes are not enough.At the Bulldogs, some have believed group sexual assault is acceptable behaviour and - not only that - but that the club would circle the wagons to prevent any "collateral damage" after the boys had had a fun night out.How else do you explain ex-Auckland player Sonny Bill Williams turning up to be interviewed and DNA tested on Wednesday wearing a T-shirt carrying the words "We Play Dirty".None of the players was in club gear. Full Digital Access $4 charged for the first 4 weeks, then $28 charged every 4 weeks. It's official! . He returned to the Cowboys in 2014, appearing in one game before retiring from the NFL in 2015. Six Bulldogs rugby league players will not be charged over allegations they gang raped a woman at a Coffs Harbour resort. Adams said the driver was speeding and distracted on her phone. Authorities say Ruggs' blood alcohol content, measured two hours after the crash, was 0.161 -- more than twice the legal limit in Nevada. Read the full extract in the Courier Mail here. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Picture: John Grainger. The police paint lines marking the vehicles' movements are fading, but the scorch marks from Tintor's RAV4 are still visible. JOHNATHAN Thurston has broken down after tackling two of the toughest times of his legendary league career in an emotional interview with . He said he reached out to Ruggs but Ruggs never responded. The matter returns to court in April. 'It probably impacted the players' families more,' he said. The Bulldogs are investigating breaches of their own code of conduct, devised in consultation with the players after allegations last year at the same resort involving three players and a woman. I'm sorry if I wasn't dressed appropriately, but I've never been to a Serbian event before. Staff Writers from Fox Sports. (Not available in all areas and is not the Regional edition). To share it with the people who were there through thick and thin for us, that was the most special bit to me. When Breton announced the decision not to press charges, he even told the media there was evidence a rape had occurred - comments then NSW Premier Bob Carr publicly rebuked him for. There was just one rule: Neither the dogs nor their humans could wear Raiders gear. When he finally answered and heard the news, he wanted to rush to see Scott, but his brother, Kevontae', had taken his truck to the hospital. The former Bulldog was sworn to secrecy when his teammates were accused of gang rape. He turned and headed home. Players deny this and say they were given no time to prepare. Why was a football player with a multimillion-dollar contract in his car rather than one of the numerous rideshare options? ', Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes said in the days after the allegations were raised: 'We've had more front pages than the 9/11 disaster in New York.'. His blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit at the time of the crash and Ruggs had a loaded firearm in his vehicle. He would tally up 29 NRL games across three seasons with the Bulldogs. Ruggs had barely picked up a football in his first two years of high school, but Scott kept urging him to play. The scandal saw Bulldogs players accused of sexual assault after a night out in Coffs Harbour in 2004. Malcolm Noad is announced as the new Bulldogs CEO. Tina drove a 2013 RAV4. Two key members of the Canterbury Bulldogs team caught up in rugby league's most infamous off-field scandal have revealed the devastating effects the unproven allegations had on the players and their families. Its a very weird team bonding experience! Renewals occur unless cancelled as per full Terms and Conditions. The pioneering heart operation that only takes an hour and doesn't leave a scar is performed on first Briton, Martin Lewis reveals how to get a cheaper supermarket shop and FREE food. It will cover the Coffs Harbour allegations, new . "We could have handled the situation better. No charges were laid against the players after a police investigation found there was insufficient evidence, but any public assumptions of their guilt went uncontested after the club advised its players not to address the incident.
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