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THE NRL is set to throw the book at star Mitchell Pearce after a clash with the Sydney Roosters administration.
The NRL reportedly intends to announce a 12-week suspension for the 26-year-old, but are prepared to downgrade the ban to a minimum of eight weeks.
According to Channel 9, the NRL is furious over the Roosters’ attempts to portray Pearce as “soft, nice, warm and fuzzy” through a stage-managed media blitz since his return from a rehabilitation centre in Thailand.
Channel 9 reported the NRL was able to see through the Roosters’ attempts to create public empathy for Pearce in a bid to put pressure on the NRL to soften the punishment they hand down.
“The NRL are not happy about that,” Channel 9’s Danny Weidler reported.
“They are also of the view that the Roosters are comparing the Mitchell Pearce incident to other incidents that don’t match up. The NRL as a result are aiming for a 12-week ban for Mitchell Pearce.”
The Roosters confirmed in a statement on Tuesday morning that Pearce has been stripped of the co-captaincy and suspended from its leadership group.
“After four weeks in an intensive rehabilitation facility, Mitchell’s wellbeing remains paramount,” Roosters chief executive John Lee said.
“On the basis of medical advice received by the club, and subject to the satisfactory assessment of his continuing rehabilitation, Mitchell will resume training at the club from Monday, March 7.”
The Roosters are currently investigating how similar incidents have been handled before announcing their final sanctions over the infamous video that showed Pearce simulating a lewd act with a dog during a drunken Australia Day celebration
They were, however, quick to point out Pearce had already missed more than a month of training since being stood down by the club since his drunken Australia Day escapades.
“He was also unavailable for the NRL Auckland Nines; the club’s training camp in Dubai; the World Club Series; and he will miss the club’s opening fixture against Souths,” the Roosters said in the statement announcing his demotion.
Pearce met with teammates for the first time on Monday since returning from a month-long stint in a Thai rehab clinic.
He has said he is not an alcoholic, he has accepted he has a problem with binge drinking and will be giving up the grog for the foreseeable future.
It came as the 2013 premiership winning playmaker revealed he has trust issues at the Roosters.
Pearce openly said some teammates doubt his ability to take control of his alcohol abuse.
“I’m under no illusions that people are going to — sorry to swear — have the sh*ts,” Pearce told Triple M’s Grill Team.
“A lot of people aren’t going to like me. A lot of people aren’t going to forgive me for this. It felt nice yesterday to go and see my mates at the club and they were pretty forgiving.
“Although, there’s still a few trust things there. They’re probably not going to trust that I’m going to fully get off the drink and all the rest of it.”
He said on Tuesday morning he simply hopes that his penalty will be fair.
“The way I acted at the time was totally humiliating and disrespectful,” he said.
“I’m not proud of myself looking back at that and I’m not proud of other stuff I’ve done. Hopefully, it’s taken into account that I have gone to a rehab centre for a month and got myself into a program.
“I’m not the same person that I was that night, so hopefully that goes into consideration. I love footy and I want to be a part of it. I learned that even more when I was away.”
Meanwhile, Shaun Kenny-Dowall is set to be named for the Sydney Roosters’ NRL opener against South Sydney, a day after being cleared of domestic violence charges.
There were suggestions Kenny-Dowall might not be in the right frame of mind to play against the Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium on Sunday following his acquittal on Monday.
The drama has taken a significant toll on Kenny-Dowall, his friends and his family.
However, the Kiwi international is keen to put the matter behind him and move on with his football and will likely take his place in the Roosters side.
Kenny-Dowall was found not guilty of all 11 charges by Downing Centre Local Court magistrate Greg Grogan.
The 2013 premiership winner last played in the Roosters’ big World Club Series win over St Helens last month in England.
Kenny-Dowall will play in the centres against arch-rivals the Rabbitohs with young gun Latrell Mitchell set to make his NRL debut on the wing.
The NRL reportedly intends to announce a 12-week suspension for the 26-year-old, but are prepared to downgrade the ban to a minimum of eight weeks.
According to Channel 9, the NRL is furious over the Roosters’ attempts to portray Pearce as “soft, nice, warm and fuzzy” through a stage-managed media blitz since his return from a rehabilitation centre in Thailand.
Channel 9 reported the NRL was able to see through the Roosters’ attempts to create public empathy for Pearce in a bid to put pressure on the NRL to soften the punishment they hand down.
“The NRL are not happy about that,” Channel 9’s Danny Weidler reported.
“They are also of the view that the Roosters are comparing the Mitchell Pearce incident to other incidents that don’t match up. The NRL as a result are aiming for a 12-week ban for Mitchell Pearce.”
The Roosters confirmed in a statement on Tuesday morning that Pearce has been stripped of the co-captaincy and suspended from its leadership group.
“After four weeks in an intensive rehabilitation facility, Mitchell’s wellbeing remains paramount,” Roosters chief executive John Lee said.
“On the basis of medical advice received by the club, and subject to the satisfactory assessment of his continuing rehabilitation, Mitchell will resume training at the club from Monday, March 7.”
The Roosters are currently investigating how similar incidents have been handled before announcing their final sanctions over the infamous video that showed Pearce simulating a lewd act with a dog during a drunken Australia Day celebration
They were, however, quick to point out Pearce had already missed more than a month of training since being stood down by the club since his drunken Australia Day escapades.
“He was also unavailable for the NRL Auckland Nines; the club’s training camp in Dubai; the World Club Series; and he will miss the club’s opening fixture against Souths,” the Roosters said in the statement announcing his demotion.
Pearce met with teammates for the first time on Monday since returning from a month-long stint in a Thai rehab clinic.
He has said he is not an alcoholic, he has accepted he has a problem with binge drinking and will be giving up the grog for the foreseeable future.
It came as the 2013 premiership winning playmaker revealed he has trust issues at the Roosters.
Pearce openly said some teammates doubt his ability to take control of his alcohol abuse.
“I’m under no illusions that people are going to — sorry to swear — have the sh*ts,” Pearce told Triple M’s Grill Team.
“A lot of people aren’t going to like me. A lot of people aren’t going to forgive me for this. It felt nice yesterday to go and see my mates at the club and they were pretty forgiving.
“Although, there’s still a few trust things there. They’re probably not going to trust that I’m going to fully get off the drink and all the rest of it.”
He said on Tuesday morning he simply hopes that his penalty will be fair.
“The way I acted at the time was totally humiliating and disrespectful,” he said.
“I’m not proud of myself looking back at that and I’m not proud of other stuff I’ve done. Hopefully, it’s taken into account that I have gone to a rehab centre for a month and got myself into a program.
“I’m not the same person that I was that night, so hopefully that goes into consideration. I love footy and I want to be a part of it. I learned that even more when I was away.”
Meanwhile, Shaun Kenny-Dowall is set to be named for the Sydney Roosters’ NRL opener against South Sydney, a day after being cleared of domestic violence charges.
There were suggestions Kenny-Dowall might not be in the right frame of mind to play against the Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium on Sunday following his acquittal on Monday.
The drama has taken a significant toll on Kenny-Dowall, his friends and his family.
However, the Kiwi international is keen to put the matter behind him and move on with his football and will likely take his place in the Roosters side.
Kenny-Dowall was found not guilty of all 11 charges by Downing Centre Local Court magistrate Greg Grogan.
The 2013 premiership winner last played in the Roosters’ big World Club Series win over St Helens last month in England.
Kenny-Dowall will play in the centres against arch-rivals the Rabbitohs with young gun Latrell Mitchell set to make his NRL debut on the wing.
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