Ngawini, Billy

Billy NGAWINI [Player Stats]


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Destruction leads to a very rough road but it also breeds creation
Wed May 24, 2006
by Vas Venkatramani
It's a line from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' smash hit "Californication". One can attribute this to the whole Tevita Latu scandal.

The story is clear of what happened and what has occured as a result. Rater than focus even further on all that went wrong, it is time to consider a few bright points that has come out of it.

Firstly, recognition must go the way of young Bulldogs tyro Billy Ngawini. He was reportedly the Bulldogs player who attempted to defend 19 year old Brooke Peninton from Latu, and if not for his intervention, worse may have come to the victim. One can only imagine the media frenzy that would have been involved had Latu and Ngawini had swapped places, and the next chapter to the Bulldogs soap opera that would have eventuated.

That wasn't what had happened however. It took a virtuous piece of courage for Ngawini to stand up like he did, and both he and the Bulldogs must be publicly applauded for their roles that something terrible didn't turn into something worse. In the anti-Bulldogs ideals of the Fourth Estate however, we know that may never happen. Rugby League could use fine ambassadors like Ngawini.

The second goes to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Past indiscretions by players have resulted in clubs deliberating for tedious periods over their next course of action. The Craig Gower scandal this year is one such example.

The Sharks however did not hesitate. Within 15 hours of committing the offence, Tevita Latu was officially sacked by the club. In that time, the club had investigated the event, talked to witnesses and the player himself about the course of events. They made a quick example of Latu and thereby affirming that such behaviour has no place in the game or life in general.

Some may argue that the club would have been seen as weak and immoral had they done anything but sack Latu. While that may be the case, it doesn't take away from the sincere and haste response from the club to adjudicate on the matter, so as not to draw out the issue. A round of applause must be handed to the Sharks.

The final words, I believe ought to go to the player himself. In one rash act, Tevita Latu has destroyed any chance of playing in the NRL again. One can only hope the RFL in the UK follow suit. The crime was atrocious and he will have to live with this.

That said, there is hope. One would hope that the act itself and the punishment imposed on him can re-form him into a better person and better human being and see the error of his ways. That isn't a rugby league matter, but one for life in general, for he likely will never play the game again.

====================================================================================================== 2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Gold Coast Titans 1 games; [View] Round 26 [07 Sep 08] L 12-28 v Tigers (H). [BE] ====================================================================================================== 2006 VB NSWRL Premier League Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 5 tries, 20 points. ====================================================================================================== 2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 3 games; [View] Round 10 [14 May 06] W 22-18 v Eels (H). [BE] [View] Round 11 [21 May 06] W 32-24 v Sharks (H). [BE] [View] Round 14 [12 Jun 06] L 26-28 v Raiders (H). [BE] ======================================================================================================

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