Bone Head epidemic in Australia claims another victim. Kurtley Beale again.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/kurtley-beales-wallabies-career-in-jeopardy-following-fresh-allegations-of-offensive-text-messages-20141009-113pqh.html

Yet another diciplinary incident involving Beale. It seems that a lot of Aussie players do not retire but rather they get kicked out of the ARU isntead. There are obviously good eggs too like Pocock, who notably didnt grow up in Australia but there are a long list of players to get the boot or face some sort of exile.

O'Connor, Giteau, Sailor, Tiquiri, Cooper to name just a few.

Is the prevalant bone head culture that is rife amongst Australian male youths to blame?

Yes! They're a bunch of bogan drongos!

Yet stick them in different environments and they seem to do just fine. No complaints about JOC at LI for instance (other than his rush to get over the channel when more money was on offer).

I think its global. Had the stars of yesteryear had social media and the game evolving into a younger man's sport they would have fallen for it to.

In the old days if a player stepped out of line, he was clobbered. It was sorted in-house. These days you can't do this sort of thing.
Guys are getting caps far younger and also on pitch responsibilities and a healthy salary. There is nothing to keep them grounded.

Jonno has always said he barely said a word in the changing room for the first 3 years and yet even then he was held already as an England regular, a Lions test first choice and probably the best front jumping lock in the world... one of the few England players to leave RWC95 with an enhanced reputation.

Rugby players getting out of line.... chaps have built an entire after dinner career out of that but these days its front page news.

The only diff is that money does tend to alter people's approaches in life. In the old days they were just like everyone else.... (bar Andrew Harriman there were few rich and I mean really rich rugby players). Today youngsters can be earning what 500,000 euros a year. Yesterdays man of the people are now big time charlies..... how do you think that would impact their social life/behaviour?

Not everyone will settle for MOTD on a Saturday night aged 24.... I would worry for those who do in fact.

Don't mean to be age'ist, but the average 16 year old sporting a mullet and moustache in 1985 would have been more mature than the average 23 year old in 2014. Kids these days are stupid when it comes to 'life'. And the likes of Beale and JOC are just immature kids at the age of mid 20s or whatever they are. They just don't get it.

In fairness, it's almost surprising that more don't go off the rails - if you look at the money and everything that goes with being a professional sportsperson these days, how many is us could stay on the straight and narrow?
Ebop has a piont though - the young players coming through now are cossested and indulged in a way that internationals were not even a few years ago - think about the fuss that was made over Clive Woodward's demands for England - five star hotels, first class flights, etc. and all these things are now on a plate for even the most junior players.

I remember quite a few years back when Wayne Rooney was a youngster. Got sent off for England vs N.Ireland (I think they lost 1-0). Anyhow as he got sent off Beckham tried to calm him down and he just pushed him.... imagine he tried that against Terry Butcher or Bryan Robson... I think he would ended up in ICU.

ebop wrote:Don't mean to be age'ist, but the average 16 year old sporting a mullet and moustache in 1985 would have been more mature than the average 23 year old in 2014. Kids these days are stupid when it comes to 'life'. And the likes of Beale and JOC are just immature kids at the age of mid 20s or whatever they are. They just don't get it.

I don't think so, I think the issue with youngsters is the money they earn, not being educated in the ways of the world, being heroes and gaining too much attention, they just don't know how to handle it.

Biltong wrote:

ebop wrote:Don't mean to be age'ist, but the average 16 year old sporting a mullet and moustache in 1985 would have been more mature than the average 23 year old in 2014. Kids these days are stupid when it comes to 'life'. And the likes of Beale and JOC are just immature kids at the age of mid 20s or whatever they are. They just don't get it.

I don't think so, I think the issue with youngsters is the money they earn, not being educated in the ways of the world, being heroes and gaining too much attention, they just don't know how to handle it.

I agree

When they had everyday careers they would get pushed around like everyone else. These days they are untouchable.

"Do you know who I am"... doesn't reach so far when you're an articles clerk earning 15,000 rand a month (regardless of you playing for SA) and messing up like every other junior awaiting an a.ss kicking from your middle manager.

A little different from someone taking home 10 times as much and having joe public kiss the ground you walk on.

Eventually it will sink into the best of them. Shame that but they all have to have a little bit of fun every now and again. We need well adjusted chaps not monks.

I don't think the average 16-year old is any dumber to how they were thirty years ago. The world's just changed.

Biltong wrote:

ebop wrote:Don't mean to be age'ist, but the average 16 year old sporting a mullet and moustache in 1985 would have been more mature than the average 23 year old in 2014. Kids these days are stupid when it comes to 'life'. And the likes of Beale and JOC are just immature kids at the age of mid 20s or whatever they are. They just don't get it.

I don't think so, I think the issue with youngsters is the money they earn, not being educated in the ways of the world, being heroes and gaining too much attention, they just don't know how to handle it.

That's my point in general for young people these days. There's 13 year old kids that talk in wise tones.

kingraf wrote:I don't think the average 16-year old is any dumber to how they were thirty years ago. The world's just changed.

I do. A 16 year old in 1985, when hanging around a bunch of adults, would keep relatively quiet and would observe and learn from those older than him. A 16 year old kid these days doesn't give a hoot about learning from those older and wiser than him and is more likely to start lecturing an older person about the meaning of life. That's obviously a very general generalisation. But I know when I was growing up, I knew my place.

It is a generalisation. Teenage pregnancy is lower now than it was 30-odd years ago. Getting pregnant as a teen is normally a pretty decent herring of a generation with poor decision making skills. Violent crime is also down amongst juveniles. A lot of the things that the Aussie boys are being caught with wouldn't have happened twenty years ago, but thats as much a product of technology than anything else. If I go to party now, and have a joint, it'll be all over my social circle before the weekend. Was that possible thirty years ago?

Is there a different attitude amongst the youth of today? Yes. Different circumstances. Growing up in a world where every second country is at war (and that information is a fingertip away) does breed pessimism. And we've become, more than nearly every generation before us, acutely aware of the fact that being older doesn't mean you're right (it wasn't 16 year olds that caused the recession, or the war in Iraq, or the Crimean war, or the property plunge, ad infinitum). We obviously live in different countries, so maybe your experiences are different to mine - but I don't think your statement as a rule has any tract.

kingraf wrote:It is a generalisation. Teenage pregnancy is lower now than it was 30-odd years ago. Getting pregnant as a teen is normally a pretty decent herring of a generation with poor decision making skills. Violent crime is also down amongst juveniles. A lot of the things that the Aussie boys are being caught with wouldn't have happened twenty years ago, but thats as much a product of technology than anything else. If I go to party now, and have a joint, it'll be all over my social circle before the weekend. Was that possible thirty years ago?

Is there a different attitude amongst the youth of today? Yes. Different circumstances. Growing up in a world where every second country is at war (and that information is a fingertip away) does breed pessimism. And we've become, more than nearly every generation before us, acutely aware of the fact that being older doesn't mean you're right (it wasn't 16 year olds that caused the recession,  or the war in Iraq, or the Crimean war, or the property plunge, ad infinitum). We obviously live in different countries, so maybe your experiences are different to mine - but I don't think your statement as a rule has any tract.

I do agree with what you're saying... things today due to social media can quickly spin out of control. I got my first phone aged 18 when I went to uni. Before then what was the point, it wasn't exactly a fashion accessory like they are now... I mean all you could do was play snake.

Not sure about pessimism. If you look back and think what was the world before and what it is today its a far better place than it was. Everyone generation thinks they have it tough but hey wars have happened since the dawn of time and recessions... in the old days they happened every 3 years or so.  Technology is a blessing most of the time...from strawberries all year round power steering cars to simply being able to contact your family within seconds. Moving to the other side of the world meant letters and not speaking to them for 6 months at a time. Now you can Skype for free every day if you wish.

There's less teenage pregnancy because kids spend much more time online in their bedrooms. That is actually what came out in a study in the UK on this. It doesn't mean their wiser or making better decisions but that they have less opportunities to make mistakes and don't have to go out to have fun.
Going by the teachers that I know the change is twofold. Kids seem to have more sense of entitlement with less life experience. Another generalization I know.

So Dave lister lookalike beale sent a offensive txt and now they going to kick out a good player . Should have kept it amongst them selves discipline him fine or whatever and that's that . Now Im going to miss his cry baby face come November the 8th

jimmyinthewell68 wrote:So Dave lister lookalike  beale sent a  offensive txt and now they going to kick out a good player . Should have kept it amongst them selves  discipline him  fine or whatever and that's that . Now Im going to miss his cry baby face come November the 8th

Not like its his first offence.

He has an attitude problem that's for sure. It was plain to see when he punched his Captain Gareth Delve on a team night out. There have been a few issues since.

You can't keep on fining a guy. One should be enough, two is last chance saloon.

jimmyinthewell68 wrote:So Dave lister lookalike  beale sent a  offensive txt and now they going to kick out a good player . Should have kept it amongst them selves  discipline him  fine or whatever and that's that . Now Im going to miss his cry baby face come November the 8th

You wont miss him conjuring a try out of nowhere in the last couple of minutes to chalk up yet another narrow win vs Wales though will you?

He does increasingly come over as a complete richard though

ebop wrote:

kingraf wrote:I don't think the average 16-year old is any dumber to how they were thirty years ago. The world's just changed.

I do. A 16 year old in 1985, when hanging around a bunch of adults, would keep relatively quiet and would observe and learn from those older than him. A 16 year old kid these days doesn't give a hoot about learning from those older and wiser than him and is more likely to start lecturing an older person about the meaning of life. That's obviously a very general generalisation. But I know when I was growing up, I knew my place.

Kids nowadays are better educated in general than they were while at the same time have far less responsibilities.That is a combination that is bound to make them feel entitled to speak up while lacking maturity.

The way everything is recorded and news travels all over the world also makes it seem like the players behave worse than they did,there was plenty of bad behaviour in the past that simply wasn't reported.

Don't believe the PR, Beale is clearly being set up by Mckenize who is acting in a nepotistic manner regarding his in-house affair with Patston.

The team are all behind Kurtley, have no doubt this is a stitch up.

Mckenzie will be gone before the World Cup kicks off.

You reckon its made up Dick? Guess it ll be pretty easy to tell from the phone messages. Look forward to seeing more.

Yeah, Kurtley is being hung out to dry here. Mckenzie cutting off his nose to spite.

fa0019 wrote:

Biltong wrote:

ebop wrote:Don't mean to be age'ist, but the average 16 year old sporting a mullet and moustache in 1985 would have been more mature than the average 23 year old in 2014. Kids these days are stupid when it comes to 'life'. And the likes of Beale and JOC are just immature kids at the age of mid 20s or whatever they are. They just don't get it.

I don't think so, I think the issue with youngsters is the money they earn, not being educated in the ways of the world, being heroes and gaining too much attention, they just don't know how to handle it.

I agree

When they had everyday careers they would get pushed around like everyone else. These days they are untouchable.

"Do you know who I am"... doesn't reach so far when you're an articles clerk earning 15,000 rand a month (regardless of you playing for SA) and messing up like every other junior awaiting an a.ss kicking from your middle manager.

A little different from someone taking home 10 times as much and having joe public kiss the ground you walk on.

Eventually it will sink into the best of them. Shame that but they all have to have a little bit of fun every now and again. We need well adjusted chaps not monks.

Or is it just the world of transparency we live in? I mean in 1985 you couldn't even send a text let alone an abusive one. back then you might ring someone and let them have it- not a lot of proof in some after match review to answer to.

Pretty sure none of those guys have done anything I didn't see (or for a couple of them do) in the 80's. I think we just get to hear about them more and back then players didnt have to put up with the social media going on at them.

I mean look at what Beale could have read by typing his name into google over the past few months.

No excuse but I think the issues are different for young sports folk these days.

No kidding. The England players learned their lessons when ambushed by the kiwi media at RWC2011. Will be interesting to see if everyone else has too

This is a copy of an email doing the rounds.

"From what I have been told all is not well in Camp Wallaby. McKenzie (Link) has lost the support of a number of senior players. It all started when he took on the Qld job and rather than stay in Sydney and commute all the time he rented (or bought) a one bedroom unit which he used as a base. Over time he met the ARU female official now the centre of the Kurtley Beale matter and they commenced an affair that became so strong that he’s left his wife Sally and children in Sydney and he and the female lived together. When Link got the Wallaby job he came to Sydney and requested the ARU to hire the lady as one of his support staff saying that he needed her to do a certain job. So they did and he lives with her in Sydney. His daughters do not talk to him from all reports.

There is discontent in camp wallaby because of the importance he has placed on her position within the team management and players do not like being told by her what to do etc. When Kurtley was having the argument with a male official on the plane, they were getting ready to arrive in Brazil and Kurtley had on a T shirt which they asked him to change into a Wallaby shirt. He argued with the male and Link and the female were sitting together and Link apparently told her to give Kurtley a message to change shirts. He gave her a gobful about being Links gofer etc. She became so upset whe wanted to leave the team and come back home. Kurtley has plenty of suppoort from a lot of the players who were fed up with Link and the female always being together, at times, away from the team when they (players)were required to be together.

The ARU are furious at Links decision to miss training whilst he drove her to the airport so she could return to Australia. they wanted to know why someone else could not have driven her there or she could get there herself as his duty was to the team and not her. I was told that israel Folau is behind Kurtley and is now considering returning to League.

NSW will be very upset if Link resigns or get the sack and ARU appoint Cheika to the job.Apparently Link and Cheika, although strongmates through the Randwick connection, have had a few blues about resting pklayers, style of play etc and mainly over ARU refusing to do all they could to keep Kane Douglas in Australia. Link not too keen on Douglas whereas Cheika loved him.

I think most of this is accurate but some may be unsubtantiated rumour but it comes from a good source."

If this is true then i can't see how EM can stay on as coach. Seems the ARU has been taking lessons from the ECB on how to monumentally stuff things up. It can only get messier from here, especially with the 3rd BC game next week.  Interesting that Jake White has recently resigned from the Sharks.

Yeah, told you so.

Read that too. If its true then McKensie is quite daft to get himself in such a mess.

What the Aussies would give for a dour farmer's son from Yorkshire eh?

BamBam wrote:What the Aussies would give for a dour farmer's son from Yorkshire eh?

power corrupts no? If he wins the RWC15 no doubt he will trade in his missus to become Katie Price's husband no.8

Sounds like the Wallabies are falling apart again. Not good. These are the texts: http://www.espn.co.uk/australia/rugby/story/244077.html

I would ask how the texts were brought to light but then again we all know Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd has the Rugby Championship deal...

Richard wrote:Don't believe the PR, Beale is clearly being set up by Mckenize who is acting in a nepotistic manner regarding his in-house affair with Patston.

The team are all behind Kurtley, have no doubt this is a stitch up.

Mckenzie will be gone before the World Cup kicks off.

Just looking at that remark on its own, If Mckenzie is to go/resign surely it will be  this year not next? A lot of  old seasoned Aussies will not be happy with this whole affair (for want of a better word).

They'll force him to stay because the Waratahs won't want to lose Chieka. After Chieka there's no other options.

Well other then Martin Johnson....