Everyone was tarnished with these allegations. 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,. Willie Mason told the Sydney Morning Herald, 'When they say, "You're a rapist", that makes my blood boil. Following the accident, Brent stepped away from football for two years. I can just imagine what the other players went through. If you looked the wrong way, smiled the wrong way - you wouldn't wish it upon your worst enemy. He went to Topgolf, a popular entertainment venue that overlooks the Strip. One of Tintor's friends posted on social media that it was the first funeral she had ever attended. In an interview with ESPN, he said he saw someone still in the driver's seat of a Corvette and remembered music blaring. The cramped quarters, and the shared anxiety of leaving behind everything for another country, forged a deep bond within the family. But once your delivery is activated, youll get the next edition, hot off the press. Despite that episode, El Masri told Daily Mail Australia he thinks the NRL should be able to stand players down if there is sufficient evidence they could have committed a serious crime and the player is given a fair hearing by the code before any ban is put in place. His blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit at the time of the crash and Ruggs had a loaded firearm in his vehicle. "She was someone that I gained a lot of courage from, and I looked up to her in that sense. There were cameras everywhere you went. "You're under pressure when you're on camera," she laughed. In each of the previous cases, the player did not serve a long sentence in prison. It's official! The club cannot divorce itself from all responsibility for those players' behaviour. Andrew Ryan and Hazem El Masri have spoken out about their personal experiences as the code struggles to deal with serious accusations against current stars Jack de Belin and Dylan Walker. Obviously the victim at the time and certainly the club at the time as well. He figured it was a way to honor Rod Scott, by wearing the uniform he couldn't. In 2004, several Bulldogs players were accused of sexual assault after a night out in Coffs Harbour. Henry Ruggs III faces multiple felony charges stemming from his involvement in a crash that left a woman dead in Las Vegas early Tuesday. One of the boys pushed her out and gave her a gob-full. Pinzon, who has four golden retrievers, found herself grieving a woman and a dog she had never met and wanted to do something. Controversial NHS Tavistock transgender clinic is threatened with court action by watchdog after failing to Do not sell or share my personal information. The look of love! 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. Kilgo-Washington told police she was on the phone while Ruggs was driving his Corvette. Johnathan Thurston remained quiet for 14 years. El Masri is in a unique position to speak on the code banning accused players. "We could have handled the situation better. I wish I could tell you that I was shocked by the group sex but I wasnt, the 35-year-old wrote. He was never charged because his blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. Tina's mother cried. My wife was pregnant at the time, and some of the questions she was asked about it, it was a very stressful time'. The police paint lines marking the vehicles' movements are fading, but the scorch marks from Tintor's RAV4 are still visible. A representative from the NFLPA told ESPN the use of ride-sharing apps is promoted in annual team meetings. "We would like to be able to train players, staff, fans," Otte said. 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. "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. Prices after the introductory pricing period may be varied as per full Terms and Conditions. Ruggs was at home in bed. I wasn't a part of [the group sex] but certainly we had broken team rules," Thurston said. 'Winning the grand final that year is the best moment in my football career,' Ryan says. With brilliant halfback Steve Mortimer the linchpin, the Bulldogs as they were to be named in 1978 played a brand of football that was the envy of the Sydney Premiership. Citing tests by hospital staff before police arrived, the report said Ruggs hadn't suffered head trauma. Authorities say Ruggs tore through Las Vegas' valley west of the Strip at 156 mph in his Corvette Stingray. Stallworth, who was 28 at the time, was suspended without pay for the entire 2009 season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the leagues personal conduct and substance abuse policy. Club legend Steve Price wrote in his autobiography 'Be Your Best' that during the Coffs Harbour affair, 'I would go to pick my kids up from school and could sense the other parents looking at me. New customers only. Sullivan set up a meeting in June between the family and Clark County assistant district attorney Eric Bauman, and Sullivan called the meeting productive. Why subscribe to become a Full Digital Access or Paper Delivery + Full Digital Access Member? The next time he woke up, Adams was lying in the middle of the road. Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia. March 22: Steve Mortimer resigns as Bulldogs CEO. "I didn't know a thing about her until the events, and it stuck with me all week. His phone kept ringing, and Ruggs kept hitting ignore. By Shayne Bugden For Daily Mail Australia, Published: 15:39 BST, 2 March 2019 | Updated: 20:56 BST, 2 March 2019. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. "I think the woman who made the allegations did so out of anger after the boys reduced her to tears. 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. A valid active email address and Australian mobile phone number are required for account set up. Go. Thurston was just a 20-year-old trying to make his name in the NRL when the scandal erupted (Getty), "I was not involved with her on the Wednesday night and I did not see what happened in the pool area on the Sunday morning.". "Think of Kenzli," she says. They certainly did during the Bulldogs Coffs Harbour dramas back in 2004. 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. To his right, a burned husk of metal rested in the middle of the road. Thanks to her new 16m Harry Potter TV deal, it's JK Rowling who's having the last laugh over Scientists discover what happens seconds before you die - activity in the brain and heart RAMPS UP, Trendy hard floors could be to blame for your foot pain (and there is a simple way to stop it). In 2000, when she was a toddler, Tintor, her parents and her brother, Djordje, came to the United States. No cancellations during the first 12 months. She just wanted the day to be about Tintor and Max. The state Supreme Court ruled that "investigative writings or recordings are privileged communications protected from disclosure."). Canterbury Bulldogs NRL players Mark O'Meley, Roy Asotasi, Brett Oliver and Jonathan Thurston leave Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills after giving DNA evidence & video testimony in the gang rape scandal. Home Delivery is not available in all areas and is not the Regional edition. '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]. Thurston, who was not involved with the accuser, shed light on the situation which threatened to end my career before it even got started. In each of the previous cases, the player did not serve a long . Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, club legends Hazem El Masri and Andrew Ryan revealed how damaging the allegations were for everyone at the club. Thurston explained in his account how group sex was commonplace early on in his career, so when his teammates revealed that the unnamed woman involved in the incident had "slept with six of them" while partying at the Plantation Hotel in Coffs Harbour, Thurston was unmoved. "We believe, still to this day, we had done nothing wrong and it was just an unfortunate event that had occurred," he said. (Police did not conduct a field sobriety test at the site of the crash.) According to Thurstons memoir,Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography, an unnamed woman allegedlyslept with six Bulldogs players at the teams hotel on the Wednesday night. No cancellations during the first 12 months. To everyone involved in community football in 2021 - thank you! Mortimer says two players will be severely disciplined for breaching the club's code of conduct. The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.. She wanted to be a nurse, then changed her mind and focused on computers. Dozens of friends and ex-teammates were contacted for this story, and a number of them either didn't reply or declined to comment. ON THE HEADER of Ruggs' Twitter page, which has been silent since Oct. 31, is a photo of a tombstone. Stallworth returned to the NFL in 2010 and played in eight games for the Baltimore Ravens that season. This is not acceptable, what's going on.' To share it with the people who were there through thick and thin for us, that was the most special bit to me. But it was important to be here.". Seeing double! But that news hadn't gotten out yet. Brent was driving home from a night of partying in December 2012 when he lost control of his car and crashed, killing his Dallas teammate, Jerry Brown, in the passenger seat. Now, Thurston has spoken about the scandal for the first time in an interview with 60 Minutes. Thurston, who was not involved with the accuser, shed light on the situation which . "That he's going to say, 'We have too many problems in the club. See www.couriermail.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details. Hatten was drafted into a Brazilian league as an import player, a term used to indicate players drafted from America. 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. Doggy day-care! Even though theyre serious allegations, everyone involved at the club knew that we were not guilty of anything. She repeatedly pleads for help and tells Ruggs to think of their toddler daughter. Moment commuter blasts eco-zealots, Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service, Saboteurs wreck Russian train cut power cables 37mi from Ukraine, Braverman: People crossing Channel are 'at odds with British values', Cambridge students party in the park during annual celebrations, Unseen footage of Meghan Markle during her teenage years, Moment large saltwater crocodile snatches pet dog off beach in QLD, Hundreds of Household Division members rehearse for coronation. Leone went to his backyard, where he could see the street. Her uncle said some of that came out of necessity. 'I remember being in an airport with the team and everyone was looked at differently - a look of, "Hang on a sec, is that one of them, could that be one of the guilty guys?". Sport; NRL; Updated Which clubs are in the running for NRL's blockbuster Las Vegas plans. To upgrade, call 1300 MY NEWS (696 397), As a Full Digital Access or Paper Delivery + Full Digital Access Member youll get unlimited digital access to every story online, insight and analysis from our expert journalists PLUS enjoy freebies, discounts and benefits with our +Rewards loyalty program. 'It was devastating for the players, the staff, everyone. Now! The story of the Cowboys scout and prospect son Dallas just drafted, Legacy pick: Cardinals take great-great-nephew of team's first-ever draft pick, Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman denied the request. Ryan and El Masri are not alone in speaking out about how the Coffs Harbour scandal has left its mark on them. Players preparing for North Coast Bulldogs season. "And then I remembered when I lost loved ones, the most important thing to me was the people who just showed up. Ryan was the Bulldogs' captain when they won the 2004 grand final at the end of an incredibly damaging year for the club that saw a 20-year-old woman accuse players of gang-raping her after a pre-season trial. Just a few hours later at midday, news had broken regarding an accusation made against "three and six players" in the early hours of the morning. Former Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan with wife Olivia. 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. He can't shake the memories. Facebook. But despite Pearce and other police warning their superiors - including Detective Chief Inspector Jason Breton, who headed the investigation - that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the players' innocence, Pearce says senior police kept 'telling the media a completely different story'. Canterbury Bulldogs NRL footballers Adam Perry, Corey Hughes, Glen Hughes, Jamaal Lolesi, Brent Sherwin & Willie Mason accompanied by legal counsel as they arrive at Sydney Police Centre to provide DNA sample as well as submit to questioning as police continue gang rape allegations. But then he later read in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Davis said he wouldn't abandon Ruggs even though he was cut from the team. NRL great Johnathan Thurston has opened up on the Canterbury Bulldogs rape scandal which saw his young rugby league career briefly descend into chaos. "Bulldogs club chaplain Ken Glendenning has counselled a number of players. 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.
bulldogs coffs harbour players involved