News Jackson Topine takes Bulldogs to court

[Rebuilding Phase]

There has been word for a while that he wanted to come back to the NRL however his parents advised otherwise. Which is why his manager was looking for other clubs for him however his parents did not want that. I understand the dad wanting to defend him but his son is an employee and someone’s father should never be contacting an employer and threatening them in that way. This is just a disaster in every way and only going to get worse for him

 

[Howie B]

Yep, Andrew Johns said before that he once had to stand up in front of the whole playing naked and sing a song.
Now that would have more legs as that is way outside his job description and that would be humiliating.
Not doing something that is inheritent with your job.
That would be like a swimmer being late and he has to do another 20 laps or something.

Spot on mate. He is being taken for a ride by his lawyers. Footy career over and legal debts that will cripple him.

Once he loses and has to figure out how to pay those legals I can’t imagine what his mental health will be like.

His fuckhead dad might need to get another job to support him

 

[Bullfrog2]

Finally after 10 years of shit we are finally in the top 8.
Now we have this bloke that wants to sue the club 4 million dollars for 15 minutes of wrestling.
He was never going to make it in the NRL!
He reckons he had a NRL career, we should be celebrating, I hope he has the money to pay for the clubs legal team if he losses the case.

 

[Harry Oz]

I do not want to denigrate what Topine is going through.

I have no doubt he is struggling with his mental health.

But an important question that has not been addressed is did the wrestling create the mental health issue or was it the straw that broke the camels back?

If he had issues from before, from previous relationships or family incidents or school or wherever, just how liable should we be if found guilty?

Exactly.
This is what the court will try to work out.
If Topine does have a psychological injury, if so, was it pre-existing and made worse by the club failing to provide a safe workplace.
Or did the club cause the injury.

 

[GoTheDoggies]

What a sook, flop and gronk of the highest order.

 

[Juniorluke]

Exactly.
This is what the court will try to work out.
If Topine does have a psychological injury, if so, was it pre-existing and made worse by the club failing to provide a safe workplace.
Or did the club cause the injury.

That’s also why it won’t go to court.

 

[LordSidious66]

This whole thing might fire the team up even more IMO. We will have a point to prove this year.

 

[hoody06]

The way our system works, no matter how shit the employee is and you've ticked every box in dismissing them in the right legal way they will still get a payout. This is now about how much $$$, and that is not an admission of guilt from the dogs, it's just the way the system works.

 

[Menteek]

The way our system works, no matter how shit the employee is and you've ticked every box in dismissing them in the right legal way they will still get a payout. This is now about how much $$$, and that is not an admission of guilt from the dogs, it's just the way the system works.

don’t think so, from what I heard it’s actually completely different situation. It’s actually the reason why it took Jackson so much time to finally doing it… behind the true reasons are not discussed in public only snippets. Our club will definitely be defending the claims. Braidon burns is a perfect example as to it happened and moved on. So the precedent set is there.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Jackson was a proud representative of our junior systems. Fittler thought so highly of him as a natural leader that he made him capt of Junior SOO. He could have had a good career here and was certainly a better player than Oki.

Fittler coached him in u19 SOO?! I just watched the clip from the footy show with them discussing it and I don’t remember him mentioning anything about it, which is strange if he had such a relationship with JT.

What they said is basically the same view of the situation, as I’ve had from the day this story broke, but it holds far more weight coming from legends of the game obviously. The very strange part about it, is looking at the fact that JT was an Australian schoolboy and NSW rep player, so he had something special obviously, then one day some harsh punishment breaks him? Very ootb.

Interesting what Freddy said about Manlyks preseason training where they were awake for 48 hours or something like that and had to walk to Bondi and back from Manly! He said he knows what he’d prefer out of that and JT’s punishment. That would be obvious to anyone.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Plenty of players from previous suffered anxiety, depression, a range of psychological conditions that can be attributed to the pressure of their working environment.
Many chose self-medication, some decided to end their own lives.
If anything things were worse in the past with social pressure not to appear weak and seek help.
Comments like those from Fittler and Slater actually put pressure on any players worried about their mental well-being to keep it from themselves. I would expect Slater to say something like if you're not up to tough training how can you play? But a bit surprised that Fittler joined in.

There will be many NRL players who right now are struggling to cope and wondering if they should seek help.

Shaming people with mental health problems does not help.

Jackson Topine is more than entitled to make a claim against the club.

The court will decide the truth of the matter.

In the meantime I hope he makes a full recovery and reaches his potential as a human being.

I don’t think they said anything wrong tbh. They were saying how it is and has to be for the elite players to be at the required level. They also said it’s not for everyone. Imo, if a player has issues, the environment is better than ever for them to come forward.

There’s no shame in putting your hand up and saying “I’m not up for this”. I’m sure they get told this a lot. The fact that coming forward would probably scare most guys because they think they might ruin their careers is valid, but we’ve seen several cases of players in recent times that have been treated for MH and come through the other side and continued their careers. It IS possible. People like G.I, Darius Boyd and Angus Crichton.

The difference here is that whatever has happened JT has cutoff all contact a week after the “incident“.

 

[Shanked]

The way our system works, no matter how shit the employee is and you've ticked every box in dismissing them in the right legal way they will still get a payout. This is now about how much $$$, and that is not an admission of guilt from the dogs, it's just the way the system works.

not if they dont turn up to work

 

[D0GMATIC]

I don’t think they said anything wrong tbh. They were saying how it is and has to be for the elite players to be at the required level. They also said it’s not for everyone. Imo, if a player has issues, the environment is better than ever for them to come forward.

There’s no shame in putting your hand up and saying “I’m not up for this”. I’m sure they get told this a lot. The fact that coming forward would probably scare most guys because they think they might ruin their careers is valid, but we’ve seen several cases of players in recent times that have been treated for MH and come through the other side and continued their careers. It IS possible. People like G.I, Darius Boyd and Angus Crichton.

The difference here is that whatever has happened JT has cutoff all contact a week after the “incident“.

The difference though, G.I, Darius and Crichton had an established career to continue, topine was a fringe first grader at best. If his agent received any interest at all from the list he sent out, I doubt we get to this situation

 

[Powerslide]

Yes... I think Topine had some ability and therefore made the junior rep sides. However it takes something more to turn that into a First Grade Career. I see at least 3 attributes for a player. 1) Skill, 2) Physical Characteristics 3) Commitment and Motivation (Working Hard).

I see a player can succeed with 2 out of the three but never 1. Topine has limitations in his physical characteristics. He is on the short side for a Forward and seems to have some difficulty bulking up. He is more a lean than strong.

To survive in First Grade with those physical limitations, you need to be one tough mother or having amazing fitness. Considering the facts that he is complaining / challenging the physicality of the training. you would have to deduce that he is neither a tough mother or having supreme fitness.

Some people compare him physically against Radley... Radley there is one tough mother. I can't see him whinging about training... or needing/allowing his Dad to threaten his club with legal action because of their training.

But as has been said NRL is not for everybody. Doesn't mean that he isn't suffering, but it certainly puts the legitimacy of his claims (10 year NRL Career) in question.

 

[Nate DAWG]

Yes... I think Topine had some ability and therefore made the junior rep sides. However it takes something more to turn that into a First Grade Career. I see at least 3 attributes for a player. 1) Skill, 2) Physical Characteristics 3) Commitment and Motivation (Working Hard).

I see a player can succeed with 2 out of the three but never 1. Topine has limitations in his physical characteristics. He is on the short side for a Forward and seems to have some difficulty bulking up. He is more a lean than strong.

To survive in First Grade with those physical limitations, you need to be one tough mother or having amazing fitness. Considering the facts that he is complaining / challenging the physicality of the training. you would have to deduce that he is neither a tough mother or having supreme fitness.

Some people compare him physically against Radley... Radley there is one tough mother. I can't see him whinging about training... or needing/allowing his Dad to threaten his club with legal action because of their training.

But as has been said NRL is not for everybody. Doesn't mean that he isn't suffering, but it certainly puts the legitimacy of his claims (10 year NRL Career) in question.

Hundreds of NRL players have completed the shark bait wrestling drill too - with out suing

 

[Cappuccino]

Hundreds of NRL players have completed the shark bait wrestling drill too - with out suing

I had to do it once too, luckily it turns out I wasnt a straight up bitch and didnt ruin my life over it

 

[Lynchpin]

whinging about training

Where, exactly, beyond a myth that has been somehow perpetuated by media and speculation, did he "whinge" or even complain about training.
As stated before...

As that article admits: "In fairness to Topine, he was always seen as a good trainer; he did not shirk his responsibilities."

...the article also claims:
"He did not complain about the wrestling, but he did question whether he was late for training. He did not understand the reason for the punishment, but did not complain about it."

I think the perceived "unfairness" of being overlooked for inferior performers built up over time and led into a "straw" (that broke the camel's back) with the addition of the perceived unfairness of "being late" when he wasn't (at least in his view).

Even Gus, speaking prior to Topine being officially named, was saying there was no complaints about "the punishment" or training, etc.

I think the real issue here has been completely missed by (nearly) everyone, & particularly the talking heads ("legends") in that clip.
They're commenting, based on other media reports, on what they've been told happened, rather than what actually did (...probably, we don't actually know yet. And we might not ever know).

It's very easy as "a fan" to lay into a 22yo rookie, who I believe has been caught in between being badly advised on one side, and badly managed on the other.

I can cut Ciraldo some slack on this. He is/was a rookie coach and his career depends on implementing much-needed change (something HAD TO CHANGE at the Dogs), but this situation simply wouldn't end like this with someone like Bennett in charge (no, I'm not saying Ciraldo shouldn't be or isn't the right person to be coaching us through this re-build...far from it. Based on 2024-to-date, which is a reflection of his pre-season, he is definitely the guy.).

I feel desperately sorry for Topine; he has ended up as collateral damage in a mis-managed Cluster-F#ck.
Based on his talent & work ethic (the continuing "too small" malarkey has never and still does not fly with me), there is no reason he should not have been picked up by another NRL team. But based on the politics, speculation, and backgrounding that has been going on since this first blew up (yes, EVERYONE knew who the "unnamed" player was), no team was going to go there - just not worth the hassle. And THAT is probably where the essence of the suit has come from (rightly or wrongly).

 

[Lynchpin]

Fittler coached him in u19 SOO?! I just watched the clip from the footy show with them discussing it and I don’t remember him mentioning anything about it, which is strange if he had such a relationship with JT.

For anyone paying attention, you just learned a tonne about his character right there.
Johns is saying "he doesn't know him" and Fittler just stays silent. What a coward.

 

[Nate DAWG]

Where, exactly, beyond a myth that has been somehow perpetuated by media and speculation, did he "whinge" or even complain about training.
As stated before...

Even Gus, speaking prior to Topine being officially named, was saying there was no complaints about "the punishment" or training, etc.

I think the real issue here has been completely missed by (nearly) everyone, & particularly the talking heads ("legends") in that clip.
They're commenting, based on other media reports, on what they've been told happened, rather than what actually did (...probably, we don't actually know yet. And we might not ever know).

It's very easy as "a fan" to lay into a 22yo rookie, who I believe has been caught in between being badly advised on one side, and badly managed on the other.

I can cut Ciraldo some slack on this. He is/was a rookie coach and his career depends on implementing much-needed change (something HAD TO CHANGE at the Dogs), but this situation simply wouldn't end like this with someone like Bennett in charge (no, I'm not saying Ciraldo shouldn't be or isn't the right person to be coaching us through this re-build...far from it. Based on 2024-to-date, which is a reflection of his pre-season, he is definitely the guy.).

I feel desperately sorry for Topine; he has ended up as collateral damage in a mis-managed Cluster-F#ck.
Based on his talent & work ethic (the continuing "too small" malarkey has never and still does not fly with me), there is no reason he should not have been picked up by another NRL team. But based on the politics, speculation, and backgrounding that has been going on since this first blew up (yes, EVERYONE knew who the "unnamed" player was), no team was going to go there - just not worth the hassle. And THAT is probably where the essence of the suit has come from (rightly or wrongly).

Didnt his own suit say that the wrestling cause him psychological harm? This is the catalyst of his claim. He is claiming that this punishment is un fair snd has ruined his chance to play NRL. This could be described as whinging about training. This wrestling drill has been completed by hundreds of NRL players since wrestling came into the game

 

[steeliz]

Where, exactly, beyond a myth that has been somehow perpetuated by media and speculation, did he "whinge" or even complain about training.
As stated before...

Even Gus, speaking prior to Topine being officially named, was saying there was no complaints about "the punishment" or training, etc.

I think the real issue here has been completely missed by (nearly) everyone, & particularly the talking heads ("legends") in that clip.
They're commenting, based on other media reports, on what they've been told happened, rather than what actually did (...probably, we don't actually know yet. And we might not ever know).

It's very easy as "a fan" to lay into a 22yo rookie, who I believe has been caught in between being badly advised on one side, and badly managed on the other.

I can cut Ciraldo some slack on this. He is/was a rookie coach and his career depends on implementing much-needed change (something HAD TO CHANGE at the Dogs), but this situation simply wouldn't end like this with someone like Bennett in charge (no, I'm not saying Ciraldo shouldn't be or isn't the right person to be coaching us through this re-build...far from it. Based on 2024-to-date, which is a reflection of his pre-season, he is definitely the guy.).

I feel desperately sorry for Topine; he has ended up as collateral damage in a mis-managed Cluster-F#ck.
Based on his talent & work ethic (the continuing "too small" malarkey has never and still does not fly with me), there is no reason he should not have been picked up by another NRL team. But based on the politics, speculation, and backgrounding that has been going on since this first blew up (yes, EVERYONE knew who the "unnamed" player was), no team was going to go there - just not worth the hassle. And THAT is probably where the essence of the suit has come from (rightly or wrongly).

He is suing the club over training.

The ultimate public whinge.