Karmichael Hunt charged with cocaine supply.

[Train Without a Station]

This is literally the definition of a storm in a teacup.

Your comments I have seen before, just like this one, only make every Reds supporter look like one eyed dickheads.

If Hunt is found guilty, of any charge relating to drugs, he should most certainly be gone.

I personally would back him if he gave a passionate denial on the basis that he's innocent until proven guilty, but can understand if they immediately stand him down.

Any moves by him to plea bargain and downgrade charges, and I would be looking at my legal options, to terminate the contract as swiftly as possible (only taking time to ensure it was within the legal rights of the Reds) on my assumption that something like this would be a breach of contract on his behalf.

A high profile athlete charged with illicit drug offence. A storm in a teacup it definitely is not. It may not be everything the charges make it out to be, but if he's guilty of any part of it, it's certainly no storm in any teacup.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I hear you, and I am not looking to represent anyone but myself. But there is precedent, see Mathew Stokes.

In saying all this, we currently have no information.

My assumption is that all of this on some very small recreational level, and he was not in fact "supplying" on any sort of commercial scale.

 

[Slim 293]

In Mathew Stokes' case he was immediately stood down by the club and suspended for 8 rounds after being initially charged with possession and "trafficking" one gram of cocaine...........

He later plead guilty to the possession charge.........

But the AFL's leniency towards such issues has already been brought up..........

 

[redveincheese]

I cant see any other option for the Reds and ARU than to stand him down immediately. Innocent till proven guilty is one thing, however his contract must have clauses that deal with bringing the game into disrepute. You just cant have a player representing an organisation as large and high profile as the Reds that has a drug charge hanging over his head. Its not a good look. and integrity must be first priority.
I had high hopes for Hunt and was so looking forward to seeing him become a real talent in rugby which I am sure he would have become given some time to settle in and adapt. But I am shattered by all this. However, life goes on, and my remaining hope is that the reds for the sake of Queensland rugby are decisive and quick in their response to enable things to normalise as quick as possible and move on into the future.

 

[Scrubber2050]

For me
1. Hunt should be suspended immediately on no pay.
If found NOT GUILTY then back pay and resume career.
If found NOT GUILTY on the charges but he still admits to Possession then terminate immediately.

WE (The Reds) OWE this bloke nothing. He owes us. He is not one of ours (yet).

AND he hasn't even been playing great football

 

[Quick Hands]

We already do buddy.. That's the point of the discussion.

As someone who's spent 20 years at the coal face of this stuff, decriminalisation isn't the answer. I appreciate that most people who think so are well meaning. But the idea that legalising something is going to reduce the impact of drugs is fanciful.

Cigarettes are in a completely different category to alcohol and other drugs. While all substances do some harm to the user, cigarette smokers tend not to bash, maim or kill innocent citizens after excessive use.

Just as alcohol and cigarette taxes barely (if indeed they do) cover the costs to society of their use and abuse, there's no reason to think that any taxes collected from legally selling cocaine, heroin, ice etc would cover the enourmous cost to society from their increased availability and use. Not to mention the fact that legalising their use and sale would put us in breach of a number of UN conventions and agreements.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

@Scrubber2050, this is not just a Reds/Queenslander issue.

There are many in Australian Rugby who have morally invested in the success of Khunt.

As much as many in other franchises will be reticent to publicly acknowledge, a strong Reds = a strong Wallabies.

If there is any substance to the alleged charges and they are proven, this will be a massive kick in the gonads for the Australian Rugby family who have emotionally invested in Khunt.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think if you legalised things like cocaine, and provided a clean government-run source, the use of other drugs would drop dramatically. Not to mention criminal activity around drugs is effectively removed.

As far as regulations and legal issues go: Tasmania is the biggest producer of poppy for legal opiates in the world.

 

[Slim 293]

@Scrubber2050, this is not just a Reds/Queenslander issue.

There are many in Australian Rugby who have morally invested in the success of Khunt.

As much as many in other franchises will be reticent to publicly acknowledge, a strong Reds = a strong Wallabies.

If there is any substance to the alleged charges and they are proven, this will be a massive kick in the gonads for the Australian Rugby family who have emotionally invested in Khunt.

The ARU have also given him a very generous top up based solely on his profile...............

There's some money that (in hindsight) would've been better spent..............

 

[Tomikin]

it's a hell of a drug

He was alway's called Special K.. Maybe it wasn't cos of the skill.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=special+k

 

[Keiran]

Personally I have a problem with the archaic approach our country takes to drug laws in that you have a bloke who has a successful career and is a role model and someone that seemingly contributes positively to our community, but his life is destroyed because of some minor recreational drug use. I realise that's a much bigger debate for another day but that's at the heart of my views.

Just as concerning is the way Hunt has been targeted by the CCC merely because of his high-profile. The CCC were presumably using their powers to investigate actual serious trafficking and when they discovered through questioning that well known footballers may have been buying drugs they decided to charge the footballers merely because it makes the CCC look relevant. I guarantee the CCC wouldn't be pushing minor charges against Joe Schmo. It's all politics.

On which planet is this just recreational? Let's increase junior participation by the ARU increasing fees for someone who in no way endorses the code of conduct. This wasn't Joe Plod finding him with a recreational supply.

 

[Quick Hands]

I think if you legalised things like cocaine, and provided a clean government-run source, the use of other drugs would drop dramatically. Not to mention criminal activity around drugs is effectively removed.

As far as regulations and legal issues go: Tasmania is the biggest producer of poppy for legal opiates in the world.

People who abuse heroin and other substances would still commit crime. Very hard to hold down a job when you're high on drugs for half the day and semi-comatose for the rest of it and/or having hallucinagenic episodes.

Sound great in theory, but...only in theory.

 

[Sandpit Fan]

The ARU have also given him a very generous top up based solely on his profile.....

There's some money that (in hindsight) would've been better spent......

Got some kind of souce for that claim Slim?

From all I understand, the ARU didn't contribute a cent towards Hunt, it's all QRU money.

 

[boyo]

Probably a good thing it all blows up now. What is disappointing is the betrayal, I really believed in him. There has been so much talk about K being such a good leader and athlete. I wonder how much of that is true and how much is him being an accomplished junkie and liar. Ps, much of what I said I should have probably said allegedly along with it.

Freudian slip?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I think if you legalised things like cocaine, and provided a clean government-run source, the use of other drugs would drop dramatically. Not to mention criminal activity around drugs is effectively removed.

As far as regulations and legal issues go: Tasmania is the biggest producer of poppy for legal opiates in the world.

Those inclined to do so would find something else illegal to use to get their thrills.

I acknowledge that the lot of most sex workers and their clients has improved significantly since decriminalisation of prostitution, but has decriminalisation halted the proliferation of illegal brothels, street hookers and the abuse of sex workers operating outside the law?

 

[AnthemX1]

I haven't read the preceding comments and don't intend to however I would have thought that his career is effectivley over due to a "report" of an admission to "personal use", therefore an admission to taking a banned substance.

I could be wrong but the ARU comes under the umbrella of WADA and the QRU comes under the umbrella of the ARU. Cocaine is on the banned substance list produced by WADA, therefore he can expect a 2 year ban similar to what athletes and cyclists (any athlete for that matter) would expect for taking a banned substanced. I could be wrong but that how it has been explained to me throughout my sporting career.

Am I missing something?

 

[boyo]

Apparently this is a snap shot of RG addressing the Reds post game last week. He was rambling on, something about "first you get the possession, then you gain the territory, then you win the set piece, then you get the try". Or something

Another Freudian slip?

 

[boyo]

don't come monday

Phrasing.

 

[JFT]

“In terms of the culture of going out and enjoying yourself after every game, that does not happen whereas in rugby league, because the physical demands are a lot lighter compared to AFL, you could find boys out enjoying themselves."
“I certainly did when I was younger because I knew that the next week it would not affect me.”

http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/...and-nrl-cultures/story-fndpt9s1-1227045087963

These comments can be seen in a slightly different light now.

 

[liquor box]

I'd say it's highly likely that he's guilty. Cops aren't charging somebody so high profile until they're 100% on their evidence.

Absolute idiot.

Most issues where people are "innocent" are due to technical issues, not because they did not do it.

Police generally have sufficient evidence before charging anyone, no matter who they are. This is because police avoid court as much as possible due to the paperwork involved.

If you ever speak to a police officer in QLD ask then if they try to avoid "full briefs of evidence"?