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why doesn't this get treated as racism against the white man???
NEWCASTLE Knights chairman Rob Tew said yesterday his club had been proudly multicultural since inception and board member Robbie O'Davis had been unable to provide specific examples to back up allegations of a racist culture.
O'Davis has been quoted in the current issue of Rugby League Week magazine as saying Timana Tahu was regularly racially abused during his days at Newcastle and racist slurs prompted former Knight Owen Craigie to leave the club in 1999.
Tew said he contacted O'Davis, the former grand final hero and Test star who was voted onto Newcastle's board last month, to discuss his controversial statements.
"I've asked Rob what he's referring to, specifically, and he tells me he's not referring to anything specifically," Tew said yesterday.
"So I can only say what I know, and that is that we've been a club developed on a multicultural basis.
"Our first signing was an Aboriginal man [Ashley Gordon], a local Awabakal fellow, our first captain [Sam Stewart] was a Maori, and ever since those days we've had a broad cultural mix in our club and we've never had any racial problems in our club."
Asked whether he had censured O'Davis for his comments, Tew said he had "reiterated his responsibilities as a director" to O'Davis.
Tew said those responsibilities were to maintain the confidentiality of matters that are discussed at board level and also "primarily" to act in the best interests of the club.
Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said the club had embraced players of many races since its foundation year in 1988.
"We've been a club who have always had some sort of dark-skinned person playing for us, whether they be indigenous or Polynesian," Burraston said.
"Right at the moment, we've got a high number of Polynesians playing in first grade, but if you look at our under 20s, they're full of Aboriginal kids."
O'Davis was unaware of the furore he had created until Tew contacted him yesterday morning for a "please explain".
The former Queensland and Australian fullback flew to Brisbane on Tuesday to attend several promotions with fellow Maroons FOGs (Former Origin Greats).
O'Davis was also contacted yesterday by Johns.
"I spoke to Rob Tew about it this morning and until the whole thing has been sorted out, he's asked me to make no further comment," O'Davis told The Herald.
O'Davis was concerned Johns was of the opinion that he had accused him of being a racist in the article. O'Davis insisted that was not the case as he did not believe Johns was a racist.
Craigie is now working for a real estate agent in Lake Macquarie and was reluctant to discuss the issue when contacted by The Herald yesterday.
"Look, I wish both Timana and Joey all the best through this but I really don't want to make any further comment than that," Craigie said.
Having joined the Knights from Tingha as a 15-year-old schoolboy sensation, Craigie made his first-grade debut in 1995 at the age of 17 years and 81 days. He remains the youngest first-grade debutant in Newcastle's 23-year history.
Including the 1997 ARL grand final victory over Manly, the gifted three-time Australian Schoolboys representative played 76 games for the Knights before leaving the club at the end of the 1999 season to join Wests Tigers.
Craigie played 23 games in two seasons with the Tigers, then appeared in 54 matches for South Sydney from 2002 to 2004 inclusive, and finished his senior career with a season in England playing for Widnes.
Knights veteran Adam MacDougall, who played alongside O'Davis, Tahu and Craigie in premiership-winning teams, said yesterday he had seen no evidence of racism during his time with the club.
"I'm very surprised, to be fair [about O'Davis's comments]," MacDougall said.
"This club is a great club. It's one that has been built on embracing cultural diversity.
"We've got a high number of different cultures here.
"I've been at the club for a very, very long time and I can only speak from personal experience, but I've never seen any form of racism at this club.
"It's just disappointing that this is all coming out the way that it has in the media."
NEWCASTLE Knights chairman Rob Tew said yesterday his club had been proudly multicultural since inception and board member Robbie O'Davis had been unable to provide specific examples to back up allegations of a racist culture.
O'Davis has been quoted in the current issue of Rugby League Week magazine as saying Timana Tahu was regularly racially abused during his days at Newcastle and racist slurs prompted former Knight Owen Craigie to leave the club in 1999.
Tew said he contacted O'Davis, the former grand final hero and Test star who was voted onto Newcastle's board last month, to discuss his controversial statements.
"I've asked Rob what he's referring to, specifically, and he tells me he's not referring to anything specifically," Tew said yesterday.
"So I can only say what I know, and that is that we've been a club developed on a multicultural basis.
"Our first signing was an Aboriginal man [Ashley Gordon], a local Awabakal fellow, our first captain [Sam Stewart] was a Maori, and ever since those days we've had a broad cultural mix in our club and we've never had any racial problems in our club."
Asked whether he had censured O'Davis for his comments, Tew said he had "reiterated his responsibilities as a director" to O'Davis.
Tew said those responsibilities were to maintain the confidentiality of matters that are discussed at board level and also "primarily" to act in the best interests of the club.
Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said the club had embraced players of many races since its foundation year in 1988.
"We've been a club who have always had some sort of dark-skinned person playing for us, whether they be indigenous or Polynesian," Burraston said.
"Right at the moment, we've got a high number of Polynesians playing in first grade, but if you look at our under 20s, they're full of Aboriginal kids."
O'Davis was unaware of the furore he had created until Tew contacted him yesterday morning for a "please explain".
The former Queensland and Australian fullback flew to Brisbane on Tuesday to attend several promotions with fellow Maroons FOGs (Former Origin Greats).
O'Davis was also contacted yesterday by Johns.
"I spoke to Rob Tew about it this morning and until the whole thing has been sorted out, he's asked me to make no further comment," O'Davis told The Herald.
O'Davis was concerned Johns was of the opinion that he had accused him of being a racist in the article. O'Davis insisted that was not the case as he did not believe Johns was a racist.
Craigie is now working for a real estate agent in Lake Macquarie and was reluctant to discuss the issue when contacted by The Herald yesterday.
"Look, I wish both Timana and Joey all the best through this but I really don't want to make any further comment than that," Craigie said.
Having joined the Knights from Tingha as a 15-year-old schoolboy sensation, Craigie made his first-grade debut in 1995 at the age of 17 years and 81 days. He remains the youngest first-grade debutant in Newcastle's 23-year history.
Including the 1997 ARL grand final victory over Manly, the gifted three-time Australian Schoolboys representative played 76 games for the Knights before leaving the club at the end of the 1999 season to join Wests Tigers.
Craigie played 23 games in two seasons with the Tigers, then appeared in 54 matches for South Sydney from 2002 to 2004 inclusive, and finished his senior career with a season in England playing for Widnes.
Knights veteran Adam MacDougall, who played alongside O'Davis, Tahu and Craigie in premiership-winning teams, said yesterday he had seen no evidence of racism during his time with the club.
"I'm very surprised, to be fair [about O'Davis's comments]," MacDougall said.
"This club is a great club. It's one that has been built on embracing cultural diversity.
"We've got a high number of different cultures here.
"I've been at the club for a very, very long time and I can only speak from personal experience, but I've never seen any form of racism at this club.
"It's just disappointing that this is all coming out the way that it has in the media."
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