General Lifeline for disgraced Latu

[MiXmasterreece_old]

Lifeline for disgraced Latu
25 May 2006
By MATTHEW TORBIT

Banned former New Zealand rugby league representative Tevita Latu could find his salvation in the capital after he admitted punching a 19-year-old bikini beauty queen in the face.

Wellington provincial coach Paul Bergman said he was trying to contact Latu's Australia-based manager and was keen to sign him up for his Bartercard Cup team.

Bergman said he was prepared to take Latu under his wing – despite him being banned for life by National Rugby League officials who have called for other international clubs and codes to not go near the 24-year-old Aucklander.

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Latu was playing in his first season for the Sydney-based Cronulla Sharks, but has been charged with assaulting Brooke Peninton, 19, a 2004 Miss Bikini World finalist from the Central Coast.

Peninton claims Latu punched her in the face, breaking her nose, on the forecourt of a Cronulla service station in the early hours of Monday morning.

Bergman said it was clear Latu had personal problems, but banning him from rugby league was not going to solve them.

"Getting back to grass roots football would be good for him. He's a talented player and he just needs some guidance in life."

New Zealand Rugby League general manager Peter Cordtz said it was too early to say what Latu's league future would be if he returned to New Zealand, but it was certain the issue would polarise public opinion.

In 2003, three Auckland-based teenage rugby league players were jailed after a pregnant girl was beaten and kicked in the stomach to try and procure an abortion.

Shaun Metcalf and Geoffrey Ruaporo were sentenced to 18 months in prison, while Kyle Donovan got a 15-month term.

After the three completed their sentences, the NZRL allowed them to return to league, despite opposition from the girl and her family.

 

[Skinner_old]

Bergy better join the queue

 

[mosh_old]

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[MiXmasterreece_old]

excuse me mate ?

 

[Jesbass_old]

MiX, I think Mosh is suggesting Tevita Latu should take a position at a McDonalds... :?

 

[L N_old]

I understand your humour mosh
though personally I would think Latu is a KFC man

good on bergman for giving Latu
at the least a life line to go to negotiation talks
with Latu the leaper??

to give him a life time ban from NRL
is the call of the judiciary

but to stop him from plying his trade
in other international feilds
is a big call

yes the crime he did commit
was a idioctic brain explosion
which we are also led to believe
that he was under the influence of the evil drink

which correct me if Im wrong
but a certain injuried
NSW blues player was also under investigation
for some under the influence acts
which thankfully did not get to the stage
that Latu was reported for
but still had the under tones
of a more serious nature
and yet the book was thrown at him
in what capacity compared to Latu

and also in the same breath
if it was joe public that idiotically did the crime
the book would of been thrown at him
to serve his time and move on
but to throw him out for a life time ban??

and to restrict his playing future
with a black list strangle hold

does seem to leave it self open for debate??

 

[da mad maori]

I believe that if Latu can clean his act up, over a period of say, three years, then with the right lawyers, he could challenge the life ban. Murderers escape with lighter sentences, although technicholy they are sentenced to life.

 

[Jesbass_old]

I'm with you, Trev. I don't think banning him and throwing away the key is a sensible punishment. I think he should be given the chance to make amends and return to the game, even if that is in two to three years.

 

[Swanley_old]

I think what Gower did is on par with Latu.

Is he banned from the NRL !!!!

I think being banned for life does not fit the crime.

He could could dispute this a s a restrict of trade.

He should go to England. NRL has no say over there.

Maybe banned for the rest of the year, would have been more appropriate.

 

[da mad maori]

On the news today Swanley it is said that Latu is banned from playing league in OZ, and the ESL. Both have an agreement between them to stop players from jumping countries, after carrying out a criminal act. That is why I posted that he could appeal after a couple of years.

 

[legs_old]

was that harsh or what ? thought latu was in for some
severe punishment but to end his career in the nrl
was a shocker. cant help but wonder what the
outcome would have been had he been a high profile
aussie player instead of a kiwi

 

[commonsense_old]

lifeban is way too harsh. ryan bailey and chev walker were sentenced to jail and were allowed back to the ESL.

 

[jahc_old]

Hang on, didnt Logan Swann seriously hurt a guy outside a nightclub a few years ago?

 

[ozbash_old]

Hang on, didnt Logan Swann seriously hurt a guy outside a nightclub a few years ago?

i dont think there was any injury, just a bit of fisticuffs.

legs is onto it imo, if it was kimmorly or phil bailey would the sharks have been so quick ?
why did it change in about 8 hrs,, first reports were that the girl was not pressing charges, then shes spoken to by the sharks and the nrl and shes off to the cop shop ?

why was tevita chucked out for common assault when craig gower got a smack on the hand for sexual assault (plus a couple of other things) ?

why was the penalty handed down before he,d been to court. sure, tevita owned up but if here were mitigating circumstances,eg, she hit him first, made racial taunts, then the sharks and the nrl are going to look silly.

you dont just walk up to somebody in a servo and belt them. thats pretty psycho and not in tevitas game. he wont back down if confronted though.

 

[danco_old]

I can understand the club sacking him but a life ban doesnot fit the crime.let the courts look after him.he is not an aussie so they throw the book at him.