- WRibbon Australia CEO set Trent Robinson on fire
- Stunned by his defense of Michael Jennings
- Jennings was ordered to pay $500,000 to his ex-wife
White Ribbon Australia boss Melissa Perry has branded Roosters coach Trent Robinson ‘disgraceful and appalling’ after he backed controversial NRL star Michael Jennings.
It comes as the center prepares to win its 300th first-grade match – which will not be celebrated by the NRL due to its ‘past conduct’.
Jennings recently returned to the code following a three-year ban from steroid use after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2020 while on Parramatta’s books.
While suspended, Jennings was ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in damages to his ex-wife Kirra Wilden following claims of sexual and verbal abuse in a civil suit.
Jennings denies the claims.
White Ribbon Australia boss Melissa Perry (pictured) has branded Roosters coach Trent Robinson ‘disgraceful and appalling’ after he backed controversial star Michael Jennings
The veteran center is preparing for his 300th first-grade match but will not be celebrated by the NRL due to his ‘past conduct’
Roosters coach Trent Robinson is happy for the club to celebrate Jennings’ milestone and says his return to the NRL ‘is not disrespectful to women’
It comes as Roosters coach Robinson claimed ahead of his team’s match against Newcastle on Thursday that Jennings’ return was ‘disrespectful to women’.
“It’s a tough one, right? “We don’t know what happened… there have been no criminal charges,” he said.
‘What judgment can we make if it was not criminal [charges] and followed the traditional line?
‘So it is not disrespectful to women, because no judgment in a criminal sense has taken place.’
Jennings’ Roosters teammate Spencer Leniu took to Instagram to share details of a fan-driven celebration for the under-fire veteran (pictured)
An angry Perry felt Robinson showed no leadership.
“These comments from the Sydney Roosters coach are absolutely outrageous and appalling,” she said News Corp.
‘While it is important that we continue to support men who are behaving unacceptably to change their behaviour, we must also ensure that there are consequences for their actions.
‘This was a missed opportunity by Trent Robinson to show genuine leadership within his club and the wider sporting community about how important it is for men and boys to play an active role in women’s safety and men’s violence and abuse to denounce.
“The complete lack of responsibility on display here is astounding.”