Wellington ditches Teen Thug

[rowan]

How long till this guy pops up in the NRL? Seems to have all the right credentials...

Filipo caused public outrage after being controversially discharged without conviction on charges of assaulting four people, including two women.

The 18-year-old withdrew from the The Wellington Lions Mitre 10 Cup squad this afternoon as a way of demonstrating his remorse, the Wellington Rugby Union says.

Wellingtron Rugby chief executive Steve Rogers has told media Filipo was on a two-year provincial contract from December 2014 which has been terminated but, "he's not lost to rugby, he's not lost to sport".

He says the player is free to join a rugby club as an amateur player and,"he can play globally if he wants to".

Rogers says a lot of information has come out in the last 24 hours which the union has had to reflect on, specifically extracts from the judge's summation.

But Mr Morgan says that's not enough.
"You can go into rehab at other places. With any of those players they go to helping out with the young up and coming player as well.
"And I mean saying that's community service, it's not really. It's not community service and it's not enough. And for him to say he's remorseful, he's not at all. I think he's now sorry that he's been upfronted by the media.
"He's had some enjoyment out of what he's done. I mean firstly he's knocked out me, proceeded to stomp on my head and then he's gone and turned on the girls. I mean that says everything about his character really.
"He enjoyed what he did. If it was anybody else if you'd knocked someone out he would have stopped there, but he continued to do it."
One of two women also assaulted, Kelsey Odell, says she was forcefully punched in the chin and fell to the ground, hyperventilating with blood dripping down her face form her chin and inside her mouth where her lip was gashed.
The other woman assaulted, Olivia Samuel, says Filipo "punched me straight in the throat" and she ended up on the ground, crying and distraught.



More here: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zea ... us-assault

[morepork]

How did avoid doing a lag?

[rowan]

He was only 17 at the time. Still big enough to KO a guy, stomp on his head and apparently ruin his rugby career. So big enough for a stretch behind bars, if you ask me.

[J Dory]

I feel for the victims but not sure jail is the best way to teach a 17 year old. I'd rather we give him a way forward than throw him away. All the support may seem unfair to the victims and those that don't get the same opportunity but in the end it's better for everyone if he goes on to succeed rather than fall into NZs "rehabilitation" circle of failure.

[morepork]

I feel for the victims but not sure jail is the best way to teach a 17 year old. I'd rather we give him a way forward than throw him away. All the support may seem unfair to the victims and those that don't get the same opportunity but in the end it's better for everyone if he goes on to succeed rather than fall into NZs "rehabilitation" circle of failure.

If that philosophy were applied to all brown boys across the board then I'd be all for it.

[J Dory]

I hear you. Still.

[rowan]

Doing a stretch behind bars doesn't mean you "throw the guy away." Rehabilitation is part of the system, particularly as what I meant was the youth correctional facility, not the adult variety. But if you stomp on a guy's head after knocking him out (because you happen to be a big, muscle-bound guy who probably spent a bit of time in the boxing gym) and then punch out a couple of women, you deserve to be punished for that, & rehabilitation can only begin with accountability.

[rowan]

Two sides to every story, of course:

Former Manu Samoa player, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has hit out against the media coverage of the Losi Filipo case saying the facts were “slanted and exaggerated” at the player’s expense.

More here: http://sobserver.ws/en/07_10_2016/local ... Filipo.htm

[morepork]

Doing a stretch behind bars doesn't mean you "throw the guy away." Rehabilitation is part of the system, particularly as what I meant was the youth correctional facility, not the adult variety. But if you stomp on a guy's head after knocking him out (because you happen to be a big, muscle-bound guy who probably spent a bit of time in the boxing gym) and then punch out a couple of women, you deserve to be punished for that, & rehabilitation can only begin with accountability.

My experience with NZ correctional institutions were that they were somewhat medieval in their rehabilitation programmes...

[jared_7]

My experience with NZ correctional institutions were that they were somewhat medieval in their rehabilitation programmes...

I'm imagining Shawshank Redemption but with Fred Dagg replacing Tim Robbins.

[morepork]

No one put anything in my mouth.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

No one put anything in my mouth.

Only the arse?

[rowan]

Guess who's starring for Samoa at the U20 Championships in Georgia:

Disgraced former Wellington rugby player Losi Filipo has been one of the star turns in a well beaten Samoa side, in last night's U-20 Rugby World Cup opener against England.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/r ... -world-cup

[rowan]

Played for Wellington in last night's 31-10 win over BOP: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/r ... -cup-clash

[rowan]

Meanwhile, another 18-year-old has been arrested in Australia for assaulting a referee during an U19 final. Does this warrant a life ban?

[rowan]

Meanwhile, another 18-year-old has been arrested in Australia for assaulting a referee during an U19 final. Does this warrant a life ban?

He got 10 years, so I think we'll see him playing in the NRL in 2 or 3 years time...

[Which Tyler]

Gotta love his skipper's look of disbelief

[rowan]

Gotta love his skipper's look of disbelief

Looked like a Jim Carrey sketch

[rowan]

Look who's in the Canes squad for the Brisbane 10s (Filipo also played for Samoa at the World U20s in Georgia last year):

[rowan]

Brissie 10s:

Day one results:
Pool A
Wild Knights 19 Rebels 17
Blues 29 Reds 7
Blues 47 Wild Knights 10
Rebels 21 Reds 17
Pool B
Waratahs 31 Pau 10
Chiefs 17 Highlanders 12
Chiefs 31 Pau 7
Highlanders 12 Waratahs 10
Pool C
Brumbies 17 Fiji 12
Crusaders 22 Hurricanes 0
Hurricanes 12 Fiji 5
Crusaders 31 Brumbies 7
Women
NSW 19 Queensland 5
Brumbies 17 Rebels 7
NSW 27 Rebels 0
Queensland 33 Rebels 0

[rowan]

Brissie 10s, finals day results here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/101 ... finals-day

[rowan]

Day 2

Reds 38 def Wild Knights 7
Blues 29 def Rebels 7
Pau 22 def Highlanders 7
Chiefs 15 def Waratahs 12
Crusaders 17 def Fiji 0
Hurricanes 12 def Brumbies 10
QF 1: Reds 19 def Chiefs 7
QF 2: Hurricanes 35 def Waratahs 24
SF1: Blues 22 def Reds 10
SF2: Hurricanes 14 def Crusaders 10
WGF: QLD 10 def NSW 5
MGF: Blues 10 def Hurricanes 7

CROWD: The crowd figure for day two was almost twice the day one figure (19236) but probably still not enough to satisfy tournament organisers. The tournament hangs in a little odd limbo land with tens not being established, the February heat consistently working against it and a Friday-Saturday schedule that surely impacted crowds on at least one of the two days.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/brisba ... 3752538934