The pile-on after Paul Kent asked for a delay in his court case so he can seek treatment for mental health and drinking problems has been significant and unsurprising.
The reasoning will be outlined later but, on face value, it would be hypocritical to question the validity of Kent’s decision. It would, in fact, be Kent-like.
Fox Sports NRL host and Daily Telegraph journalist Kent, 54, and a 35-year-old man were both charged with affray after a drinking session at an inner-west pub ended with an altercation outside another hotel.
There is no question Kent has underlying issues. His lawyer, George Elias, talked about “cognitive impairment” in court. He won’t expand on it.
Kent has never spoken publicly about his problems. Elias would not comment further, other than to say: “We all have issues and things wrong with us. But we won’t be talking about that now.”
I will leave Kent to talk about it when he chooses.
Paul Kent leaving Downing Centre Court earlier this month.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Then there is Kent’s obvious problem with alcohol. The fact he has a regular table at a Rozelle pub says a lot. There are clear issues and his employers could not have been unaware of them, but his behaviour was not addressed.
After one drunken fall, which resulted in a head cut, make-up artists were sent off site to get Kent ready for a publicity photo shoot and a launch.
The drinking is something he is finally getting treated for. The full impact alcohol has had on Kent’s life remains unclear, but he held down a high-profile media position for many years without any great problems. However, his behaviour during the past two years has been erratic, and many in rugby league have questioned the company he has been keeping.
It would be easy to dismiss Kent’s issues, as he has with others.
It is also worth noting that Kent had privately expressed fears he may have been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his low-level football and boxing careers. His trusted colleagues at Fox Sports were aware of his concerns. Kent’s struggles with the anger he displayed most nights on TV, and sometimes away from it, was what led him to think he may have CTE.
What has so many people up in arms – and rightly so – was his view that the world is full of, to use his word, “snowflakes”; people who can’t handle adversity or criticism.
It is a horrible accusation, and a word he used when trying to justify bullying his former radio colleague Anthony Maroon. Kent quit his radio job rather than apologise to Maroon for his on-air behaviour. Maroon will never forgive Kent, but would not respond to requests for comment. Kent and Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley did not respond to calls for comment.
Kent’s articles attacking those who are less equipped to deal with difficult situations, either through their own personality or because they are suffering from mental health problems, have been reproduced by those he has offended. Those pieces are heartless take-downs. In one particular article, he bemoaned how people use mental health as an excuse in difficult situations.
In reference to the end of a so-called “no dickheads policy” at the Swans, Kent wrote: “Sadly the policy is now dead under the Mental Health Act … Now all the dickheads in the world simply claim their dickhead behaviour is a mental welfare issue.
“And immediately it makes them no longer accountable for their dickhead actions and the bleeding heart left searching for a cause, get behind them and turn their guns on anybody who dares question their dickhead behaviour, partly in a bid to attract publicity to their cause. And with no examination whether the behaviour was actually mental welfare, or yes, just dickhead behaviour.”
Enough said.
Trell hath no fury
Souths had no issue with Latrell Mitchell standing up for himself when he saw Braith Anasta at a Surry Hills restaurant last week. In fact, it was just the opposite. The club was happy for Mitchell to stick up for himself verbally, but obviously would not support him if things got physical, which they didn’t. Mitchell approached Anasta at Chin Chin and wanted an explanation for some of his criticism of Souths and their star No.1. Mitchell felt it was personal.
Braith Anasta and Latrell Mitchell.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
As we revealed during the week, the heated exchange took place outside the restaurant. It is not unusual for a player to be annoyed by a journalist, but when one of the highest-profile players in the game defends himself against a former-player-turned-agent and media commentator, it is newsworthy. Mitchell had no desire for the story to become public.
Anasta was always difficult to cover as a player. Back then, those who covered his career were aware of his sensitivity to criticism. It is something he seems to have forgotten now he is dishing it out.
What makes it worse is Anasta was offered every opportunity to tell his side of the story. I called and text messaged him before the story appeared online, but he responded only with text message abuse after it was posted. In a strange move, he tried to dismiss the story on Instagram by posting a cryptic message about lies. Shortly afterwards, a positive spin was put on the same story by his employers at News Corp, written by one of his pay TV colleagues. That’s fair enough.
What it didn’t mention was his conflict of interest that everybody in the game has been talking about: his roles as a player agent and media host who talks about other players and clubs. It is particularly relevant when he discusses South Sydney, as he has had issues with the club due to the dropping of one of his clients, halfback Lachlan Ilias. The line between manager and media pundit is blurred.
The situation with his young half reached the point where Anasta asked for, and was given, permission to negotiate with other clubs. You can only feel for Ilias and his family in this situation.
Even some of Anasta’s closest colleagues are questioning his irritability and inability to handle criticism.
It is a shame because he had an excellent playing career, is a competent host and a committed dad. He told this columnist never to bother him again. So I won’t.
Sympathy card
There has been some interesting reporting on Braydon Trindall since he was allegedly caught drink-driving with cocaine in his system.
First it was suggested he was in a rehab centre when he was still training with the Sharks. On the day the story came out, he was actually at Shark Park.
Now there are suggestions Trindall deserves sympathy. What he did was unacceptable in most reasonable people’s minds and put others in danger. Fortunately, the only people he hurt are himself and those he loves.
It is far from the worst thing a footballer has done, but to try to tell us to feel sorry for him is an odd approach.
Lack of Jack-flip is Brad news for Blues
Those pushing the line that Jack Wighton retired from State of Origin football due to a poor relationship with former Blues coach Brad Fittler were left looking fairly silly during the week when Wighton told journalists he would not be making a comeback for the Blues.
Jack Wighton during Saturday night’s loss to the Cowboys.Credit: Getty
Those pushing the anti-Fittler agenda last year used Wighton’s decision not to play for NSW as part of their campaign to undermine the coach.
Wighton spoke to new Blues coach Michael Maguire and told him he wasn’t interested in returning to the rep scene. That certainly didn’t match up with the inference he did not want to play for Fittler.
Wighton is a Maguire-style player: big, physical, strong and with an attitude that reflects the mean streak and hunger the NSW coach is looking for. Instead, Wighton has opted to help out his club, South Sydney, where he was recruited as a star signing and who are running last after a diabolical start to the season.
While on Fittler, it is significant that he has had conversations with Maguire to help him as he adjusts to his new role. It is a mark of the man that he is able to put aside the shabby treatment he received from the NSW Rugby League while negotiating a new contract, where he was offered a part-time coaching role after putting in so much effort for the state over so many years. Despite being one of the Blues’ greatest players, Fittler was able to put aside his ego to help out Maguire.
Home to Roost
There has been a lot of attention on the Roosters’ recruitment during the week following David Fifita’s stunning change of mind, but one man who deserves some support is comeback kid Connor Watson. His sparkling return from injury is set to earn him a contract upgrade and extension.
Watson was poised to join the Bulldogs last year, but the Roosters made a late offer. He is rewarding the club by playing well above his $300,000 salary.
Ire of the Storm
The Storm do most things right when promoting the game and their brand. However, an attempt to plug a sponsor at a media conference to announce Craig Bellamy’s contract extension fell very flat. It looked bad for chief executive Justin Rodski, who should leave the humour to others.
Rodski stood beside former Wallaby Nick Cummins, who was representing a Storm sponsor, and told the gathered media he was a recruit for the club. In his previous life Rodski was a television reporter, and if he was missing the spotlight he picked the wrong moment to try to be a funny guy.
Fortunately for Rodski, he is surrounded by people such as Bellamy – who signed a contract extension to give him a 23rd season at Melbourne next year – and football manager Frank Ponissi, both of whom have plenty of experience in areas he doesn’t.
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