The last few weeks we’ve read about Todd Carney performing ‘the bubbler’, shoulder charges being penalised during Origin, David Williams being suspended for betting, the Shayne Hayne decision (or lack thereof), and Darius Boyd’s amazing interview.

The list could go on. Everyone has an opinion and more often than not, the opinion is negative.

Recently I read an article by Paul Kent addressing his concerns for the game and player behaviour both on and off the field.

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I reckon most footy players are some of the nicest, most gracious people I’ve ever met. I would like to highlight one example.

I got engaged late last year. Of course the Missus immediately began planning our engagement party (or my wake as some mates referred to it) and one my closest and most enterprising friends had the bright idea of asking one of the Bulldogs first grade players if they’d stop in to say hello.

(I’m an ardent Bulldogs supporters, unfortunately the Missus is a Roosters supporter, and I have buckley’s of convincing her otherwise.)

None of my mates know any players directly. We’ve met them at fan days, had pictures taken with them but just like any other fan of any other sporting team there is a great divide between us and them.

Still, my mate from sent Frank Pritchard a message on Twitter asking him if he’d stop by. On the night, quite out of the blue, Frank the Tank was kind enough to stop in with his beautiful wife and they were absolutely lovely.

When they first arrived they said they could stay for around 30 minutes, but ended up staying for close to an hour and a half. We had quite a few kids in our family who play rugby league and they couldn’t believe their luck. Frank was gracious enough to take photos with each and every one of them.



He was even more patient with the bigger kids – every ‘adult’ male at the party – as we asked questions and pestered him.

This might sound like a gushing fan letter, well it is. Rugby league players get a bad wrap and the game itself is battered from pillar to post. It’s all the small things though that you just don’t hear about, like the co-captain of your favourite team, someone you idolise and cheer on, who turns up to your house to congratulate you on starting the next chapter of your life.

He didn’t have to do it, no one forced him, he didn’t make a big deal about it and unfortunately there isn’t a lot of money to be made by highlighting it, so someone like Paul Kent or Buzz Rothfield would never bother.

It’s been asked where the gentlemen of rugby league have gone, well they’re right under our noses, captaining our teams, leading from the front, and just generally being good guys.

Surely I’m not the only one to have a great experience. If you have, write about it, talk about it, get it out there. I talk to fans all the time who have similar stories to mine – they’re the norm.

Unfortunately, listening to the powers that be, you’d never know it.