The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Former Cove Bulldawg plays in Europe for Hungarian football team The Bulldogs have been approached for comment. But once your delivery is activated, youll get the next edition, hot off the press. Sport; NRL; Updated Which clubs are in the running for NRL's blockbuster Las Vegas plans. Angela Pinzon, a mother of two, works at the Petco next to the park where Tintor walked her dog that last night. February 24: Police have by now identified 'significant errors' in the five statements given by the woman - and the number of errors increased over time, according to Pearce. By midday news had broken of the accusation made against between three and six players in the early hours of the morning. The club says their player is not of interest to police," Channel Nine reporter Danny Weidler tweeted. I was not involved with her on the Wednesday night and I did not see what happened in the pool area on the Sunday morning. Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman denied the request to suppress the test. One of the boys pushed her out and gave her a gob-full. He was also instructed to do 1,000 hours of community service and given eight years of probation. The arrival of youngster Steve Mortimer and veteran Bob McCarthy in 1976 signalled a new beginning at the Canterbury club. The players have been given seven days to respond and will attend meetings with club management this week. 'I remember a girl told me at a pub, "F***k off, you rapist, get out of here",'' Ryan said of the slurs Bulldogs players had to deal with. Citing evidence collected at the scene as well as Ruggs' condition and behavior at UMC, police concluded he was under the influence of alcohol. He compiled 266 total tackles, 87.5 sacks and 33 forced fumbles over the course of his career. They'd commiserate over mean customers and teenage angst. High Roller, the city's famous 550-foot observation wheel, was in Ruggs' sight line. Walker is accused of assaulting his fiance Alexandra Ivkovic outside their home in Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches in December. Kangaroos' new era marred by shock NZ loss, Cherry-Evans backs possible Hasler return. Im not even sure I think a woman could have completely consensual sex with 6 rugby players. To his right, a burned husk of metal rested in the middle of the road. "That's the advice that we had been given [to keep quiet]. Why was a football player with a multimillion-dollar contract in his car rather than one of the numerous rideshare options? TWELVE years after the infamous Coffs Harbour sexual assault case ripped the Canterbury Bulldogs apart, the NSW Police Force has gone to the rare step of reviewing its handling of the case - and it's due to a year-long campaign of unrelenting pressure by Dogs great Graeme Hughes. He went to Topgolf, a popular entertainment venue that overlooks the Strip. My wife was pregnant at the time, and some of the questions she was asked about it, it was a very stressful time'. Full Digital Access + Weekend Paper Delivery 12 Month Plan costs $312 (min. 'He's been dead for 130 years and can still satisfy the ladies': Social media goes wild over mystery woman Cancelled? No charges were laid against the players after a police investigation found there was insufficient evidence, but any public assumptions of their guilt went uncontested after the club advised its players not to address the incident. "The only thing I would say about Henry is that football may have been his life," Adams said, "but his life isn't over in my eyes.". It reminds her of Tina. Ryan, El Masri and many of their teammates remain angry over how the Bulldogs were treated by the media - especially when it comes to three instances of what he calls 'ridiculous' reporting - and they're backed by Glen Pearce, one of the lead detectives on the Coffs Harbour case. Ryan and El Masri are not alone in speaking out about how the Coffs Harbour scandal has left its mark on them. By midday, the team would hear the woman had accused three to six players of gang rape. Former Bulldogs stars reveal toll of infamous gang rape scandal Footy stars reveals the hell scandal-hit players go through Tintor's mom recently adopted another golden retriever, he said. I will be something great.'". THE RAIDERS HELD a team meeting on Monday, Nov. 1. She hoped Tintor's family would hear about the walk and know that the city of Las Vegas was thinking about them. Meanwhile, a Bulldogs spokesman has confirmed that 21-year-old five-eighth Johnathon Thurston has walked out on the club and wants to quit rugby league. To upgrade, call 1300 MY NEWS (696 397), As a Full Digital Access or Paper Delivery + Full Digital Access Member youll get unlimited digital access to every story online, insight and analysis from our expert journalists PLUS enjoy freebies, discounts and benefits with our +Rewards loyalty program. But the sexual assault allegations levelled against Thurston and his teammates threatened to end his career. Like all clubs, it has a duty of care.These are guys in their early 20s who earn in the region of $100,000 a year for playing football. 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On March 3 players were photographed wearing T-shirts, shorts and thongs as they arrived at the Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills to be interviewed by detectives. The case of Henry Ruggs III and a distraught family desperate for We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.. Clint Newton's rise to the top of the RLPA ranks goes all the way back to the 1980s with his rugby league journey now critical in the talks between players and the NRL's plans to resume the. Very large text size ONE of the most senior police officers involved in the investigation of the Bulldogs gang rape allegations in Coffs Harbour has publicly supported the footballers and said: "There was no woman raped." She said she was vaginally, orally and anally raped by six Bulldogs players in the pool area of the Pacific Bay Resort. The accident occurred after Littles 24th birthday party and a blood test showed Little had a blood-alcohol level of .19, nearly twice the legal limit of .10 at that time. He said he has a video call scheduled with at least one state senator next month. When he found out his friend was dead, Ruggs said he "lost himself." No Bulldogs charged over rape allegations - theage.com.au Las Vegas Bulldog Club - All Things Bulldog Prior to his move to the Cowboys, Thurston had made his NRL debut in Canterbury colours halfway through the 2002 season, before helping the Bulldogs to the 2004 title. October 22nd, 2018 7:08 am. Hobbs' incident came almost a year to the day after running back Josh Jacobs was arrested on suspicion of DUI in a single-car crash near the airport. Under Nevada law, Ruggs would not be eligible for probation if he's convicted, and faces between two and 20 years in prison. The opportunity to boost their skills comes ahead of the representative season. Her family checked with area hospitals and clung to their phones as news trickled out. Despite maintaining his innocence, NRL has controversially stood down de Belin from playing while he waits the outcome of aggravated sexual assault charges after a night out in Wollongong in December. ', Pearce says: 'Had senior police disclosed the true status of the evidence at the time, the players would not have suffered the damage to their reputation.'. Most have co-operated, via their lawyers, but star wing Hazem El Masri has refused and may be summonsed to provide an interview and sample.His objection is that he doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't take drugs or commit adultery and was insulted at being involved in the allegation of pack rape made by a 20-year-old Coffs Harbour woman.The police had told him he was not a suspect, not among the six players named by the victim or among others thought to have been in the pool area of the Pacific Bay Resort hotel early on February 22, when the alleged assault took place.The woman was found by a hotel maintenance worker at 7am, lying in a foetal position on grass near the pool, screaming and swearing.A taxi driver has told police that just two hours earlier he drove the woman and one Bulldogs player, whom she was obviously keen on, from the Plantation nightclub to the hotel and that she was obviously in good spirits at that stage.There seems no doubt that some criminal charges will follow.In addition, one player has clearly broken the club's code of conduct, which precludes bringing women back to the team hotel.Bulldogs chairman George Peponis has said any player found to have breached that code will be stood down.But legal advice was that the club could not act immediately because that might prejudice a fair trial for any player subsequently charged.It will be easy for the Dogs to shunt that player out as the sacrificial lamb; much harder to tackle the culture of arrogant dismissal of community standards the club has maintained, its unspoken assumption that it stands above the laws of the land.Just as the salary cap rort of 2002 made mugs of those NRL clubs that did stick to the player payment cap, so the assault by the as-yet-unidentified players is a major "dissing" of their team-mates.Any suggestion of this being a team bonding session, some kind of rite of initiation, is bizarre at best. "And then I remembered when I lost loved ones, the most important thing to me was the people who just showed up. Alex Otte, national president of MADD, said that the organization reached out to the Raiders and offered support in the hope of avoiding a repeat of what happened on South Rainbow Boulevard and that they have been in discussions about efforts to prevent impaired driving. Mason not involved at Coffs - Folkes. Mortimer says two players will be severely disciplined for breaching the club's code of conduct. "I've never been involved in, or am I aware of, another criminal case involving somebody traveling 156 miles an hour.". JT breaks silence on Bulldogs Coffs Harbour scandal He had broken two bones in his neck. She was really good with computers, her friend Ryder Hankins said. Thurston is now married to Samantha Lynch, and the pair have three girls, 18-month-old Lillie, three-year-old Charlie and five-year-old Frankie. JOHNATHAN Thurston has broken down after tackling two of the toughest times of his legendary league career in an emotional interview with . Officers also say players might have to provide DNA samples. I wish we could have come out and cleared our names straight away because everything was consensual at the time.. In 2017, he became a contributor for CNN and wrote a piece about what he did wrong and how to prevent impaired driving. However, I was shocked and scared to be interviewed by police for the second time in a year. Johnathan Thurston opens up on 2004 Bulldogs 'rape scandal' She was born premature, and endured bombings in the former Yugoslavia. Brent was driving home from a night of partying in December 2012 when he lost control of his car and crashed, killing his Dallas teammate, Jerry Brown, in the passenger seat. Tintor fought to get into the world. The players all denied the allegations and no charges were brought. The beauty of having a digital subscription or membership is that it travels with you. He attempted to take the IVs out of his arm and the monitor from his finger. It could take up to 5 business days before your first paper delivery arrives. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Bulldogs party ended in woman's screams by pool - The Sydney Morning Herald See www.couriermail.com.au/subscriptiontermsfor full details. But then calls to Tina's phone kept going to voicemail. Johnathan Thurstonremained quiet for 14 years. "I was not involved in any capacity with the woman who made the accusations. The former Bulldog was sworn to secrecy when his teammates were accused of gang rape. A celebrity, a football player, was involved in a crash. Manlys Dylan Walker has also been stood down while he faces a domestic violence charge against his partner who has since retracted her initial statements made to police. cost) every 4 weeks unless cancelled as per full Terms and Conditions. She later told police that they were drinking mai tais and that she drank two but didn't know how many, if any, Ruggs had. You'd have to suspect they were told not to wear Bulldogs logos. 'For blokes like [2004 teammates] Sonny Bill [Williams] and Willie Tonga and Reni Maitua, it's hard We don't take s*** like that.'. Bulldogs 'rape' was nonsense: detective - The Sydney Morning Herald We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Andrew Ryan and Hazem El Masri have spoken out about their personal experiences as the code struggles to deal with serious accusations against current stars Jack de Belin and Dylan Walker. "My Tina," she told him, "she never came home last night.". If you looked the wrong way, smiled the wrong way you wouldnt wish it upon your worst enemy.. Now, Thurston has spoken about the scandal for the first time in an interview with 60 Minutes. 'Everywhere we turned it was in your face, non-stop,' he says of the Coffs Harbour pack rape scandal of 2004. It's official! But if your subscription or membership includes home delivery, then you can request to suspend your paper delivery through My Account. Three stoplights away, a family was desperately trying to find their 23-year-old rock of the household. Panther axed from trial over sex tape scandal, Napa escapes ban, clubs fined over $1.5m as NRL vows never again, Manly Sea Eagles star Dylan Walker stood down for three months, NRL hand down tough sanctions to Napa and Bolton. Other players are threatened with probation. Despite that episode, El Masri told Daily Mail Australia he thinks the NRL should be able to stand players down if there is sufficient evidence they could have committed a serious crime and the player is given a fair hearing by the code before any ban is put in place. Two vastly experienced private investigators who were former detective sergeants - one acting for the Bulldogs and one for the NRL - both reached the same conclusion that the woman was not telling the truth within a similar time frame. JUST A FEW hours after the NFL's first-round draft picks walk the red carpet under the backdrop of the Bellagio Fountains in late April, Pedja Komazec quietly gets in his Volkswagen and makes the 3:30 a.m. journey home from work. There was just one rule: Neither the dogs nor their humans could wear Raiders gear. Several Bulldogs players were questioned during a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault during the pre-season trip to Coffs Harbour. "It was a traumatic time for everyone. Bulldogs team bosses have issued an unspecified number of players with breach notices detailing the results of a club investigation into their behaviour at Coffs Harbour earlier this year. By. According to Thurston's account, after spotting the woman at the Plantation Hotel, he and a couple of teammates hopped in a taxi at 5am ahead of the team's 7am recovery session the next day, when the woman allegedly wanted to meet up with members of the Bulldogs squad again. See www.couriermail.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details. NRL great Johnathan Thurston has opened up on the Canterbury Bulldogs rape scandal which saw his young rugby league career briefly descend into chaos. She walked up to Mirjana Komazec, Tintor's mom, and hugged her. The RAV4 was propelled 571 feet. ', Hazem El Masri (pictured with his family) was engulfed in the 2004 Coffs Harbour sex scandal and went on that year to break the NRL's point scoring record with 139 goals and 16 tries. Out in Dallas, Cowboys safety Damontae Kazee had been arrested on suspicion of DWI during his team's bye two weeks earlier, and that was front of mind for the Las Vegas staff. She was crying. 'The only way to get away from it [the scrutiny] for us was at home with your loved ones or on the training paddock That was our safest place to be.'. The Bulldogs are investigating breaches of their own code of conduct, devised in consultation with the players after allegations last year at the same resort involving three players and a woman. It is incumbent on all sporting clubs of any code to educate young players that ignoring community standards degrades the brotherly bond sports teams espouse.El Masri and others not involved have a right to feel aggrieved at being let down. El Masri engaged his own lawyer as police questioned the players and was the only member of the team to refuse to take a DNA test - a decision he took out of concern for the effect it could have on his reputation. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. One Las Vegas DUI defense lawyer not involved in the case said such delays are not unusual, given the volume of DUI cases in the city and the kind of legal maneuvering expected over evidence and medical records. Johnathan Thurston says Canterbury Bulldogs players could not defend Club music thumped. I wish I could tell you that I was shocked by the group sex but I wasnt, Thurston wrote. Players preparing for North Coast Bulldogs season. Facebook. What Has Happened to NFL Players Who Were Involved Drunk-Driving She took him wherever he needed to go, and she was supposed to pick him up from work the morning she died. 'I've got four young kids and what they'll find if they Google my name, yeah, it's a factor it's a worry. Just a few hours later at midday, news had broken regarding an accusation made against "three and six players" in the early hours of the morning. NRL Las Vegas round 2024 season: Which clubs are in the running for the "That he's going to say, 'We have too many problems in the club. He was never charged because his blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. Johnathan Thurston says Canterbury Bulldogs players could not defend themselves amid gang-rape allegations, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. "You can't even imagine the pain," Komazec said of his niece's death. It lists Roderic D. Scott's date of birth, the date of his death and an epitaph for a young man who never saw his 18th birthday: "I will do something great. Thurston revealed that he was "shocked and scared" to be interviewed by police in regards to the incident, and explained how his feelings towards the woman involved in the incident had changed over the years. There were cameras everywhere you went. The North Queensland Cowboys legend became the first member of the 2004 Bulldogs squad to open up about the incident, doing so in his new book, Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography. How to Watch Warriors vs. Lakers Game 1 Second-Round Playoff Series, Warriors Confront LeBron James, Lakers in Real Battle of California, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', San Jose Police Arrest 3 Suspects in Robberies Targeting AAPI Community, Malik Monk's Old Comments Motivated Warriors to Game 7 Win Vs. Kings, French Bulldog Stolen From Car in Oakland. Players preparing for North Coast Bulldogs season | NBN News Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. Komazec thinks about the final seconds of his niece's life over and over. He asked the man why he did it, and the man said he didn't know. February 18, 2004:A 20-year-old woman told police she had consensual sex with six Bulldogs players on this date while they were in Coffs Harbour, northern NSW, to play a trial game. St. George Illawarra Dragons player Jack de Belin has been stood down. -. Player Stats; Goalie Stats; Shop. They were slammed for being disrespectful and the images became synonymous with the case. Sullivan set up a meeting in June between the family and Clark County assistant district attorney Eric Bauman, and Sullivan called the meeting productive. He wants to meet with state legislators about toughening DUI laws. The state Supreme Court ruled that "investigative writings or recordings are privileged communications protected from disclosure."). April 27: Police announce they will not charge players after the DPP found insufficient evidence to prosecute. Obviously the victim at the time and certainly the club at the time as well. Bulldogs players handed breach notices as Thurston walks, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. Get it all on Foxtel. It is both to instil pride and to deny any opportunity for players to give the names of others, as is alleged in the Bulldogs' case.Their grand-final-winning lock Scott Sattler spoke this week of how the Panthers side partied hard after the 2003 championship win but managed to do so without incident. She's got a right Lotte cheek with tantrums, feisty remarks and bossing her brothers about. The North Coast Bulldogs under 16s and 18s squads were put through their paces at a skills and welfare session today. She tried to enter their cab as they were leaving the Plantation Hotel to go back to the Novotel Hotel where they were staying. In the February of that year, a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint with Coffs Harbour police alleging shed been gang raped by a number of the Bulldogs players at a resort after a pre-season trial. . The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California.The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International (1993-1997) and Major League Roller Hockey (1998) before returning to Roller Hockey international (1999). She heard him yell, "What is this guy doing?" He had asked her to slow down. ', Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes said in the days after the allegations were raised: 'We've had more front pages than the 9/11 disaster in New York.'. Thurston was not involved in the incident. Some were evicted by bouncers.It is apparently younger players who were involved in the incidents, including the alleged sexual assault. "The way things happened that week was as a result of the way the coach [John Lang] wanted us to act," Sattler said.Coach Folkes has a spot on the Dogs' website.