Disrespectful Conduct

[Mr Fourex]

It was Craig Bellamy who raised the issue but even the Channel 9 commentary commented on that moment saying it was disrespectful.

Normally I wouldn't think twice about it but since they even roped JT into it, I thought I'd see what everyone's opinion was on the matter. On top of that, I wanted to see what your opinions were on the Ennis/Reynolds incident from earlier and whether the target makes a difference or if there are any boundaries?

I think in the world that you and me live in Pete, respect is something that isn't taken for granted. The line that should be clear for everyone to see, unfortunately isn't.

Old school players would leave it at a word/sledge or let their actions do the talking on the field. Ennis takes it too far and has drawn his line of where he will take things, fairly low down the pole. One day he will get clobbered. The referees should really take note of the things he does do on the field and take that into consideration when he pushes someone over the edge.

In short, Ennis is a shit **** and the grass is green and the sky is blue. It is what it is. He should really think about just what kind of lasting memory he will leave in the game....tbh, Josh Reynolds is heading down the exact same route. OK player.....but the grubbiest of ***** that everyone wanted to smash and have nothing to do with after the game. I would rather be known for being a hard **** who played it tough and could still sit down with the opposition after the game and have a beer and a laugh.

ftr, I think it was CH9 who first raised the issue during the game. More than likely the media continued to run with it when interviewing Bellamy. If he wasn't asked the question, I dare say it would have been a non-issue in his and Cam Smith's mind.....and most likely the rest of the RL community as well.

 

[Mr Fourex]

He didn't whinge, Bellamy was asked and he just said he doesn't like it and he thinks things like that are disrespectful- he pondered Gen Y and left it at that.

Yes...well, Craig wouldn't be the first to ponder over Gen-Y's social standards.

 

[Broncoman]

Funny how the attitude has changed, when Manly in the mid 90's with their frothing at the mouth, sledging with Hoppa and Toovey etc used to do these it was viewed at terrible.

Their sledging fired up Newcastle and was one of their motivations in the 1997 Grand Final

 

[Cult]

ftr, I think it was CH9 who first raised the issue during the game.

It was Brett Finch who said it first. Some times I think I'm blocked by half of the people on here haha

 

[Super Freak]

I think people have a problem with it because it's Michael Ennis.

Was it disrespectful? Yes. However, I don't have a problem with it.

 

[Foordy]

The problem is that Ennis has been pulling this type of play for sometime - particularly against Souths where he just kept niggling at Reynolds over and over to the point where Adam had to take it into his own hands because lord knows the referees weren't going to do anything about it.

I also think the Australian captain should be shown a degree of respect. I know it's a Melbourne player so some on here won't care but if Ennis did that to Lockyer I'd be furious.

If he did that to Lockyer, he would have been knocked on his ass ... and IMO his niggling has intensified since the BS on punch and your off rule. and until they repeal it, we will see more and more of this type of stuff, because guys like Ennis know they won't cop one.

the rule only got brought in because the N(SW)RL were concerned that QLD would get even with that drug cheat in the second origin game a couple of years ago.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Michael Ennis is a fantastic heel and the NRL will sorely miss him when he's gone. None of the stuff he does damages the game. Most of what he does is hilarious. He never bites, trips, kicks a guy in the face, slides in with his studs up, tries to deliberately injure, stomps on a guy's head, spits on a cop, sexually assaults anyone or signs with AFL. He's out there every day, pouring sugar in gas tanks and slipping laxatives in coffee so that we get to watch a more enriching narrative. I say he's the man more deserving of our respect. Cam Smith couldn't troll his mother on the trollingest day of his life if he had an electrified trolling machine.

 

[jarro65]

Just another Ennis shitstir ..... he's the king of that stuff.

Seriously, if the Storm were leading late in that game i doubt Ennis would've even done it.

In saying that though, it was nothing for anybody to get worked up about anyway....let's save our anger for the chicken-wings and crusher tackles, or the good old lie-down-and-wait-for-a-penalty routine.

They're far more annoying acts IMO.

 

[K-Style]

I rather watch a game of Rugby League then slapstick slapping, pushing, pulling and acting. If I wanted to watch that I would watch soccer.

Ennis is getting away with too much. Yes, he is good at it "because he knows what he can get away with". Yes, we are talking about it but that doesn't make it good. The only reason he can get away with it is because he is protected.
Reynolds wishes he was as good as Ennis but I don't know why you'd want to be.

The referee was telling Souths to ignore it but it's pretty hard to ignore someone pushing and pulling at you and no one would tolerate it anywhere else.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Michael Ennis is a fantastic heel and the NRL will sorely miss him when he's gone.

Yeahh.....Nahhhh.

 

[john1420]

I have a problem with this incident, but it has nothing to do with it being Ennis, nor Smith

It has to do with how sport should be played

As an athlete of old, I was always taught to play the game as best you could and with fairness and respect

When someone tries to put you off your game, that was viewed as a form of cheating, and whether or not you buy into that there's no doubting the underlying message; "I can't beat you on talent alone, I have to seek an advantage"

My coach taught me to beat them on talent

After all, that was the ultimate insult

 

[Porthoz]

I have a problem with this incident, but it has nothing to do with it being Ennis, nor Smith

It has to do with how sport should be played

As an athlete of old, I was always taught to play the game as best you could and with fairness and respect

When someone tries to put you off your game, that was viewed as a form of cheating, and whether or not you buy into that there's no doubting the underlying message; "I can't beat you on talent alone, I have to seek an advantage"

My coach taught me to beat them on talent

After all, that was the ultimate insult

I can't like your post enough.

1000% agreed and exactly how I grew up as well. The same words were uttered by my coach as he taught us to ignore the ***** and beat them were it really hurt, by being better and scoring more... and this was as a soccer player mind you!

 

[1910]

If he did that to Lockyer, he would have been knocked on his ass ... and IMO his niggling has intensified since the BS on punch and your off rule. and until they repeal it, we will see more and more of this type of stuff, because guys like Ennis know they won't cop one.

the rule only got brought in because the N(SW)RL were concerned that QLD would get even with that drug cheat in the second origin game a couple of years ago.

I don't agree, the crackdown on punching has no impact on it. If it had created this sort of play then Elias wouldn't have been doing it 30 years ago. Hoppa and Toovey wouldn't have been doing it and Wally.

 

[ningnangnong]

Michael Ennis is a fantastic heel and the NRL will sorely miss him when he's gone. None of the stuff he does damages the game. Most of what he does is hilarious. He never bites, trips, kicks a guy in the face, slides in with his studs up, tries to deliberately injure, stomps on a guy's head, spits on a cop, sexually assaults anyone or signs with AFL. He's out there every day, pouring sugar in gas tanks and slipping laxatives in coffee so that we get to watch a more enriching narrative. I say he's the man more deserving of our respect. Cam Smith couldn't troll his mother on the trollingest day of his life if he had an electrified trolling machine.

This post is sensational. Everything about it.

10/10 would read again.

 

[Morkel]

Every time I watch it, it looks to me like Ennis is the one who reacts and gets the shits. Smith simply swats his hand away, and when it happens a second time it's Ennis that gets confrontational. Like he now thinks he's fully entitled to niggle (the refs never pull him up), and therefore Smith is expected to tolerate it and not shoo him away. Reminds me of that Southpark episode with Rusty, minus the actual punching.

 

[Harry Sack]

Great episode.