Shock jock Ray Hadley has accused Parramatta players of acting like “idiots” during a press conference about teammate Dylan Brown, where they made inappropriate cat calls and dog whistles.
Brown, 22, has been charged with five counts of unauthorized sexual touching after an alleged incident at a well-known pub in Sydney’s trendy eastern suburbs, the Golden Sheaf.
Police will allege that Brown groped a 20-year-old woman who did not previously know him multiple times after he was called to the location at 11:40 p.m. Sunday, while his side was having a bye round. He faced court for the first time on Wednesday and must return there on June 28.
The NRL decided to use its discretionary powers to block Brown while the case is heard in the courts, and given the high level of interest in it, Parramatta decided to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to address the matter.
With Brown set to miss a minimum of three matches, facing serious allegations and the club languishing in 12th place despite playing in last year’s grand final, the presser was expected to be a dismal affair.
Police will allege Dylan Brown (left) groped a 20-year-old woman several times, accusing the Eels star of five times of sexual touching
The superstar faced half down local court at Downing Center on Wednesday over the alleged incident, with the NRL subsequently setting him down using its discretionary powers while the case is still before the courts.
Radio star Ray Hadley continues his long-running feud with the club, labeling some players ‘idiot’ for making animal noises during a press conference about Brown
That turned out to be far from the case.
While senior player Shaun Lane and skipper Clint Gutherson stood in front of the press to talk about Brown’s legal troubles, rather than the club’s top management, several TV cameras caught players making bizarre animal noises.
“Meow meow meow” can be very loud in the background, with reporters present reporting hearing multiple cat noises and dog whistles.
Hadley, who has been embroiled in a public war of words with Parramatta for many years, repeated his claim that the club was ‘a zoo without discipline’, labeling the club’s media manager a ‘dope’ for laughing at the players’ performance . .
“While trying to interview Shaun Lane, who was behaving respectfully in his capacity as a senior player, cat calls and dog noises came from the barns from at least two, maybe more players,” Hadley said on 2GB Drive show with Chris O’Keefe.
“As if that wasn’t bad enough in light of the very serious nature of the allegations against their teammate… Josh Draper, the media manager, who I don’t deal with much because I think he’s a dope, giggled, thinks it was funny.
‘I’ve been saying for a long time that it’s a zoo here, there’s no discipline in the tent.
“That’s why they haven’t won a grand final since 1986 and probably won’t win this year, given the way they travel.”
Eels players have been criticized for not taking Dylan Brown’s allegations (far left, pictured celebrating a try with teammates in the side’s Round 12 victory over the Rabbitohs) seriously enough
The Eels playmaker (right) has made 95 appearances for the club since moving from his native New Zealand
A reporter present said, “It made everyone uncomfortable. We weren’t sure why it hadn’t been addressed.” News Corp.
The two senior players – Lane and Gutherson – who addressed the media also appeared to be downplaying the seriousness of the allegations for allegedly sexually touching a 20-year-old woman without her consent.
“He (Brown) probably regrets it, but it’s something you live by, learn from and move on. He’s only 22, he’s not just learning the game, he’s learning the life,” Gutherson told reporters of his teammate, who has now played more than 90 NRL games.
“Obviously he’s been a little down, he feels like he’s attracted unwanted attention.”
Lane, speaking as the animal sounds echoed around, echoed the time-tested answer for athletes who get into trouble off the field, that “nobody’s perfect.”
“No one is perfect, everyone makes a mistake sometimes … he knows what he did wrong,” he said.
Eels coach Brad Arthur (pictured) allows bad discipline at the club, according to shock jock Ray Hadley
Hadley (pictured) has launched another devastating spray at the Eels for their off-field operations, accusing Arthur and other club officials of allowing a culture of ill-discipline
While Hadley insisted during the press conference that both senior players were respectful, he was scathing to their teammates who failed to understand the seriousness of the situation.
It comes just days after the radio legend said the lack of discipline at the club came from above: ‘The Eels have no discipline within the club. It goes to the chairman, to the chief executive, to the coach(s) down.”
On Wednesday, he once again took aim at his longtime nemesis Arthur, as he reportedly nurtured the culture of ill-discipline.
“If the players think it’s time to whistle and yell dogs at a media conference that’s being held, and there’s a senior player behaving with dignity and decency, and these imbeciles in the barns carry on like this, that gives you an idea of the level of discipline at the club,” he said angrily.
And then the media manager has to chuckle and smile about it, it illustrates what kind of place is run there.
“That’s the standard I’ve come to expect from the club for a number of years under Brad Arthur.
“I don’t see the humor in it… it’s a very serious matter… but of course there are people within the club who don’t take it that seriously given their behavior today.”
Incredibly, the behavior of some players wasn’t the only thing that raised eyebrows during the press conference.
The Eels haven’t won a major final since 1986 and Hadley believes they won’t be winning another any time soon if their perceived indiscipline continues.
The alleged Saturday night incident involving Brown came just hours after his star halves partner, Mitch Moses, insisted that he and his teammates keep their heads down during their farewell weekend to revive their stuttering season.
“Enjoy the bye this round, it’s been good. We’ve had a pretty rough start to the year so far, so enjoy the week off,” Moses continued Triple M on Saturday morning.
“You could actually do whatever you wanted… but we made a pact together as a team, we didn’t want to go crazy in this break and set up the end of the year.”
That immediately raised eyebrows when the alleged sexual assault incident in the notorious watering hole in the eastern suburbs came to light.
But Gutherson wasn’t worried that Brown hadn’t “kept his head down.”
“Lying low means a lot of things to different people,” he told reporters Wednesday, who questioned whether Brown had ignored the team pact.
As part of his bail conditions, the star half is barred from entering licensed premises in the exclusive eastern suburb of Double Bay and must report to Rose Bay Police Station every Monday.
One way or another the Eels will have to regroup and face the Bulldogs on Monday for the King’s Birthday clash, which will be crucial if the 12th-placed side are going to make a run for the top 8.