Leading Moree rugby league and union figures have voiced their unanimous condemnation of racism, in light of the Andrew Johns-Timana Tahu incident.
The Champion spoke with seven people, two of them Indigenous, all of whom made clear that people should be judged on merit rather than skin colour.
All criticised Johns for his comments, although many pointed out that it was still unclear exactly what had happened.
However, Tahu’s decision to walk out on the NSW State of Origin team received a mixed reaction.
Of the seven, only three were prepared to speak on the record: Todd Mitchell, the Boars under-18 coach, and Boomerangs publicity officers Lloyd Munro and Paul Duncan. The others - a league coach, a league identity, an ex-league player and a union identity - were wary that their comments might be taken out of context, or somehow used against them.
“If he was calling particular players black so-and-sos and monkeys, it’s pretty ordinary,” Mitchell said, a sentiment endorsed by everybody.
“At the end of the day, there’s no room for racism in any sport.”
Most revealed that they had heard on-field racist comments, whether directly or indirectly, and that they had been white-on-black, black-on-white and even black-on-black.
According to Munro, he’s experienced the full range “many a time”. The ex-league player revealed that he had been racially abused - and “in the heat of the battle, you say those sorts of things yourself”. But the union identity said that he had never heard any on-field abuse, while Duncan said that he had never been racially targeted.
The issue of reverse racism was also discussed. “What about when a black player calls a white player a white c...? Is that racist?” the league identity asked, claiming that reverse racism is more common than the conventional type. “It’s only racist when it happens the other way,” he ironically added.
The league coach insisted: “If I went to a Boomerangs game, I’d cop it from the crowd.”
Surprisingly, although both Munro and Duncan criticised Johns for his remarks - coming as they did from a coach in an off-field capacity - they said that what happens on the field should generally stay on the field.
These things happen “in the heat of the moment”, Munro claimed, saying that all should be forgotten if the warring parties are prepared to shake hands at the end of the match. He added that if a white footballer racially targeted his sons but then offered his hand, he would want those involved to forget the incident and move on.
Tahu received only mixed support for his walkout, with interviewees suggesting that there was probably more to his reaction than had been reported, and that the dispute “should have been settled between them then and there.” The league identity even called the saga “a media beat-up”.
Nevertheless, most who disagreed with Tahu’s decision praised him for having the courage of his convictions.
“He took a stance, which is fair enough,” the ex-league player argued. “He stood up for what he believed in,” Mitchell agreed. “You can’t knock anybody for doing that.”
Munro declared: “Tahu needs to set the record straight by telling everyone what Andrew Johns said - or if he did say anything.” Still, he was supportive: “Good on him that he’s made a stand.” Duncan echoed those thoughts: “He’s made a strong stance. He’s proud of his culture, which is good to see.”
Kevin Humphries, the Barwon MP and NSW opposition spokesman for sport and Aboriginal affairs, offered a different take on the issue.
Speaking to The Weekend Australian, he said that he wants to take Johns and senior league officials to Bourke, Tahu’s hometown, so they can properly understand the impact of the ex-Newcastle star’s comments.
“I want to show them why Tahu took the stance he did,” he said. “The racism we deal with out here is not one-off comments, it’s structured racism where you have organisations that collude to keep people out.”
Despite their divergent views on the Johns-Tahu furore, the interviewees would all hope that Mitchell was right when he said that racism is less of a problem today than it once was.
“We’ve come a long, long way from where we were 20 years ago.”
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