“Migration must not be used as a union membership drive,” Willox said.
Abul Rizvi, who was deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration between 2005 and 2007, said people would “fall off their chairs” when they heard the proposal, saying he feared it would be viewed entirely through political eyes rather than in terms of policy.
Rizvi said Australia needed to take strong action to avoid falling into levels of exploitation seen in parts of Europe, the US, and the Gulf states, adding no one had tried what was being proposed by the AWU and he believed it would work.
“Unions are not part of the government, and, as a result people aren’t as fearful they will get deported if they complain. Secondly, we know the Fair Work Ombudsman is completely overwhelmed with the complaints they are getting,” Rizvi said.
Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor said the summit would be an important forum to scrutinize a number of ideas and “agree upon the steps required to ensure our [vocational education and training] sector delivers the skills Australian workers and businesses need”.
“Our goal is building a bigger, better-trained and more productive workforce; boosting incomes and living standards; and creating more opportunities for more Australians to get ahead and to realize their aspirations,” O’Connor said.
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Health and aged care have become priority areas in filling the national shortage, with employers calling on the government to temporarily ditch the requirement to advertise locally before recruiting from overseas, but Walton said this must stay.
“It’s in the national interest for Australians to fill Australian jobs,” he said. “If hiring an Australian isn’t possible today, employers should have to make sure it’s possible tomorrow.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently backed a suggestion for the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility Scheme, which places Pacific Islander workers on Australian farms mostly, to be expanded to fill vacancies in aged care homes across the country.
A Labor-led parliamentary inquiry heard of multiple reports of exploitation of migrant workers on Australian farms, and Rizvi said Pacific workers who came to Australia under an expanded scheme risked being exposed to similar vulnerabilities.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.
Broward Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Van Der Eems describes the scene he encountered at the school after the mass shooting as he testifies during the penalty phase trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz, Friday, July 22, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Few Americans outside law enforcement and government ever see the most graphic videos or photos from the nation’s worst mass shootings — in most states, such evidence is only displayed at trial and most such killers die during or immediately after their attacks . They never make it to court.
That has made the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz for his 2018 murder of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School unusual.
As the worst US mass shooting to reach trial, the surveillance videos taken during his attack and the crime scene and autopsy photos that show its horrific aftermath are being seen by jurors on shielded video screens and, after each day’s court session, shown to a small group of journalists. But they are not shown in the gallery, where parents and spouses sit, or to the general public watching on TV.
Some online believe that should change — that to have an informed debate on gun violence, the public should see the carnage mass shooters like Cruz cause, often with high-velocity bullets fired from AR-15 semiautomatic rifles and similar weapons.
Others disagree. They say the public display of such videos and photos would add to the harm the victims’ families already endure and might entice some who are mentally disturbed to commit their own mass shooting. They believe such evidence should remain sealed.
Liz Dunning, a vice president at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, doesn’t believe releasing such videos and photos would have the political impact some think. Polls show that most Americans already support stronger background checks for gun buyers and bans or restrictions on AR-15s and similar weapons, said Dunning, whose mother was murdered by a gunman.
“Public perception is not the issue,” Dunning said. “We should be asking more of the powerful.”
Since most of the worst US mass shooters were killed by themselves or police during or immediately after their attack, it is rare for anyone outside government to see such surveillance videos or police and autopsy photos. The public didn’t see such evidence after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, Orlando in 2016, Sandy Hook in 2012, Virginia Tech in 2007 and others.
Medical Examiner Dr. Wendolyn Sneed describes the wounds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims as she testifies in the penalty phase of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz’s trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Monday, July 25 (Photo: Carline Jean, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
But Cruz, 23, fled after his shooting and was arrested an hour later. He pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of his first-degree murder-his trial is only to determine if he is sentenced to death or life without parole. The videos and photos are part of the prosecution’s case.
Since the trial began July 18, everyone in the courtroom and watching on TV has seen and heard heartbreaking testimony from teachers and students who saw others die. They have heard the gunshots and screams as jurors watched cellphone videos.
But when graphic videos and photos are presented, those are not shown. Usually, they only hear medical examiners and police officers give emotionless descriptions of what the jury is seeing.
Then at the end of each day, a group of reporters reviews the photos and videos, but are only allowed to write descriptions. That was a compromise as some parents feared photos of their dead children would be posted online and wanted no media access.
Miami media attorney Thomas Julin said in Florida before the internet, any photos or other evidence presented at trial could be seen and copied by anyone. Newspapers didn’t print the most thick photos, so no one cared.
But in the mid-1990s as the internet boomed, Danny Rolling faced a death penalty trial for the serial murders of four University of Florida students and a community college student. The victims’ families argued that the publication of crime scene photos would cause them emotional harm. The judge ruled that anyone could view the photos, but no one could copy them. Such compromises have since become standard in Florida’s high-profile murder trials.
The surveillance video of the Stoneman Douglas shooting is silent. It shows Cruz moving methodically from floor-to-floor in a three-story classroom building, shooting down hallways and into classrooms. Victims fall. Cruz often stops and shoots them again before moving on.
The crime scene photos show the dead where they fell, sometimes on top of or next to each other, often in contorted shapes. Blood and sometimes brain matter are splattered on floors and walls.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is led into the courtroom during the penalty phase of his trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Monday, July 25. (Photo: Carline Jean, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via P.A.)
The autopsy photos show the damage Cruz and his bullets did. Some victims have massive head wounds. One student had his elbow blown off, another had her shoulder blown open. Another of her had most of her forearm of her ripped away.
Yet, despite their grossness, Columbia University journalism professor Bruce Shapiro says most autopsy and crime scene photos wouldn’t have a lasting public impact because they don’t have context.
The photos and videos that have a strong effect on public opinion tell a story, said Shapiro, who runs the university’s think tank on how journalists should cover violence.
The photos of Emmett Till’s battered body lying in its coffin after the Black teenager was tortured and killed by Mississippi white supremacists in 1955. Mary Ann Vecchio screaming over Kent State student Jeffrey Miller’s body after he was shot by National Guard troops in 1970. Vietnamese child Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked after being burned by a napalm bomb in 1972. The video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until he’s dead in 2020.
“They work not just because they are graphic, but because they are powerful, stirring images,” Shapiro said.
And even if the graphic photos and videos were released, most major newspapers, wire services and television stations would be hesitant to use them. Their editors weigh whether the public benefit of seeing an image outweighs any prurient interest — and they usually pass.
That would leave most for only the most salacious websites. They would also become fodder for potential mass shooters, who frequently research past killers. cross did; testimony showed he spent the seven months before his attack making hundreds of computer searches about committing massacres.
“The images of the carnage will become part of their dark fantasy life,” Shapiro said.
Australians are known for their love of technology and as early adopters, we look to tech to new tech to provide efficiencies and perhaps nowhere is more representative than in farming. Aussie farmers have run to agritech innovations to improve farming efficiencies, crop yields and reduce costs wherever possible.
DataFarming is a Queensland-based company that creates digital solutions across the country and the globe. With around 40% of Australian grain farms (28,000) using their Digital-Agronomist platform.
Agri-intelligence uses machine learning to derive real-time insights into agricultural production across the landscape. Their satellite imagery is updated every five days means farmers and agronomists can monitor their crops and pastures from above in near real-time. The fidelity of these images, allows farmers to drill down to a 70-centimeter by 70-centimeter resolution.
To continue driving this success, DataFarming has launched its Series A $5 million capital raise on the growAG. platform to support the development of its product suite and scale globally. Learn more about this investment opportunity here.
We’ve got a few products, including the cloud-based Digital Agronomist, which delivers satellite images to farmers every five days to help manage the variability they’re dealing with, whether it’s assessing crop yield in field or over time, or making decisions about fertilizer use.
This helps identify what’s causing production variability factors – and we’ve built tools like variable rate application to fix those problems. Almost every producer has an agronomist, but the ability for the agronomists to service more fields can be challenging. Technology can certainly assist agronomists and farmers to do a more thorough and faster job of checking crops.
We have taken a consultancy business, which is high value, high cost and high touch point and we’ve turned that around completely into a light touch point, mass market and low price point digital platform.
We are placing valuable, easy-to-use farm data into the hands of every agronomist and producer.
DataFarming Managing Director, Tim Neale
DataFarming cofounders, husband and wife, Tim and Peta Neale.
A transgender cheerleader in the United States was kicked out of a cheerleading camp after she allegedly attacked a teammate who made a transphobic remark.
Last week Averie Chanel Medlock, 25, was expelled from Ranger College cheerleading camp in Texas after she was alleged to have choked a 17-year-old female teammate, identified only as Karleigh.
The girl and other cheerleaders reportedly locked themselves inside a room to hide from an angry Ms Medlock.
Police were called to the scene and Ms Medlock was booted from the camp.
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Ms Medlock took to Facebook to explain the incident and said she “stood up” for herself.
“Well guys I’m officially retired as a cheerleader as of last night at 5:30am. A girl on the team was being very disrespectful and told me I am a MAN with a PENIS and that [guys] should not be on the team,” she wrote.
“I stood up for myself and she called her mom and dad because she was scared because I [stood] up for myself.
“Her father said, ‘She still has testosterone and a penis and I will kill anyone who comes after my daughter.’”
Karleigh’s father Mike Jones was also called to the scene by his daughter, and denied attacking Ms Medlock’s gender or race.
“I ask you what you would have done when receiving a phone call at 1am in the morning from your daughter stating they had locked themselves in the room with other girls,” he wrote on Facebook.
“At no time did I ever say anything about your race or your gender.”
He has begun pushing for police to release body camera and CCTV footage of the incident.
Ranger College said in a statement that the school will investigate the incident.
“Ranger College takes all allegations of this nature seriously and is committed to providing a learning environment free from discrimination,” the school said.
The incident comes as debate continues to rage about transgender participation in female athletics, most recently in the case of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.
Ms Thomas competed for the school’s male swim team between 2017 and 2020, but transitioned to compete with females for the 2021 season.
She became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division 1 national championship in 2022, and has since been at the center of debate around transgender participation in sports.
The controversy has led to 18 US states passing legislation that bans or limits transgender participation to the athlete’s birth sex.
A Townsville teenager has beaten thousands of international dancers to take up a position at one of the world’s most prestigious ballet academies.
Zai Calliste, 17, has been accepted into the English National Ballet School, following in the footsteps of his dancer mother.
“Everything I had been working hard for sort of just came into fruition and it was the most amazing feeling and I felt so proud,” Zai says.
The application process began in December 2021 via video, with the teenager later invited to London for the final round of intense and “nerve-wracking” auditions.
Zai Calliste in London auditioning for the English National Ballet School.(Supplied: Nikki Robinson)
As a male dancer of Caribbean heritage, achieving his dream has had its challenges — especially in a regional city.
“There are many things that come with being a male dancer and a male dancer of culture. [It] hasn’t always been the easiest,” Zai says.
His mother, Nikki Robinson, is also no stranger to the world stage, with a dance career spanning over 21 years.
Ms Robinson was the key reason behind her son entering the dance studio 11 years ago.
“I knew he had a bit of a performance bug and, even way back when he was little, he had a really endearing quality that he was able to communicate to the audience,” she says.
“It’s been really wonderful to watch him bloom and progress and, of course, I’m super proud of how he’s adapted to everything he’s faced over the years dancing.”
In Sydney, Zai Calliste gained further experience through classes offered by the Sydney Dance Company.(Supplied: Nikki Robinson)
Zai started dancing at the age of six when he was sitting in one of his mother’s ballet classes.
“I decided I wanted to try it and she said she would give me a week and after that if I still wanted to do it, she would get me sorted,” he says.
“I lasted the week and I’ve been dancing ever since.”
Now that he has secured his spot in the school, Zai has his sights set on joining the world-renowned English National Ballet Company.
Dance teacher and co-director of the Ann Roberts School of Dancing Jane Pirani says there continues to be a stigma around male dancers, despite their talents.
“I’ve lost quite a few boys [from the dance school] because they were being ostracized at school or out in the community for [dancing],” she says.
Ms Pirani says for many young male creatives, dance is a safe place to express themselves.
Growing up in Townsville, Zai was a frequent performer in regional dancing competitions.(Supplied: Nikki Robinson)
The English National Ballet School has been operating since 1988 and is held in high regard as a feeder academy into the company.
“The English National Ballet Company is now in alignment with the likes of the Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet,” Ms Pirani says.
Zai is due to move to London later this year.
“This is the stepping stone now, where it is make or break and he will have the opportunity to be offered a contract with [the English National Ballet] or audition for other companies,” Ms Pirani says.
She says it is incredibly rare for a regional dancer to make it on an international stage but believes once Zai secures his first job, he is going to be huge.
“Townsville is behind him; it’s been his dream from a little boy, and he really deserves everything he gets because he is a natural performer and that’s something you cannot teach people,” she says.
CHICAGO — At least 44 people were shot, four fatally in weekend shootings across the city, Chicago police said.
Early Saturday, a 31-year-old man was standing near a sidewalk in the 1800-block of North Milwauee Avenue when someone in a vehicle approached him and opened fire around 1:40 am, Chicago police said. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Just half an hour earlier, another man, 31, was fatally shot while stopped at a red light in Gresham on the Far South Side. The man was a passenger in the car in the 2000-block of West 87th Street when two people in a black Sedan drove by and fired at least 40 shots about 1:10 am, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. A woman, 25, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the same hospital. She was listed in critical condition, police said. Another man, 22, was shot multiple times in the torso and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.
A man was fatally shot Saturday morning on the Bishop Ford Freeway near 130th Street, according to Illinois State Police. State troopers responded to the shooting about 11:40 am and found a person with gunshot wounds, state police said. The man was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead, officials said. Police say shell casings were recovered from the road. No one was in custody. The northbound lanes of Interstate 94 were shut down for several hours as police investigated.
A 16-year-old boy was killed and a man was wounded in a shooting early Sunday in Brighton Park. They were stopped at a red light about 2 am in the 4700-block of South Kedzie Avenue when someone opened fire, police said. They continued driving until they crashed into a tree in the 4600 block of South Kedzie Avenue. The 16-year-old boy was shot in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The man, 19, suffered a graze wound to the head and was transported in good condition to Saint Anthony Hospital.
Sunday morning, a male was found shot to death Sunday morning in Chicago Lawn on the Southwest Side. The male was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 5:55 am in the 6900-block of South Talman Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Friday night, a 13-year-old boy was shot after he and at least three others tried to break into a parked vehicle in Hyde Park on the South Side, police said. The boy was among “four to five” men who were trying to breach a parked car in the 1100-block of East 52nd Street around 8 pm when the vehicle’s owner, a 34-year-old woman, confronted the group and shot the boy in the neck, police said. The boy was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition.
Five people were killed and at least 60 others were wounded by gunfire across Chicago last weekend.
ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire – Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2022.)
Woolworths has announced major changes to its national trading hours and the way it operates its deli, seafood and meat departments.
The supermarket giant has confirmed to 7NEWS.com.au that store opening and closing hours will be adjusted to make them more consistent across Australia.
Learn more about the major Woolworths changes in the video above
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This means selected stores will open an hour later or close an hour earlier to align with stores in other states (see full details below).
In addition to this, Woolworths has shortened the trading hours of its fresh service counters.
From August 1, the supermarket’s deli, meat and seafood department will close at either 7pm or 8pm – regardless of the store’s trading hours (see full details below).
Woolworths has confirmed that opening and closing hours will be adjusted to make them more uniform across Australia. Credit: Getty
A Woolworths spokesperson said that changes were made after careful consideration.
“We’ve made a change to the trading hours of our fresh service counters nationwide, due to a shift in customer shopping behaviour. This includes our meat, seafood and deli counters,” the spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au.
“Customers can still purchase similar products, such as chicken breast fillets and salmon, within our packed Fresh Convenience range located in-store.
“We’ve also moved to standardize our overall operating hours so we can offer a consistent customer experience across our store network.
“Select stores across the country will open one hour later or close one hour earlier to align with other stores and better match customer shopping patterns.
“We’ll closely monitor customer and team member feedback over the next few months.”
Woolworths seafood counters will now close at 7pm. Credit: Supplied
New fresh service trading hours
From August 1, Woolworths deli, seafood and meat counters will have the following trading hours:
The fresh service deli will trade from 7am to 8pm (7 days).
The seafood and meat counters will trade from 9:30am to 7pm (weekdays) and 9am to 7pm (weekends).
7NEWS.com.au understands that only a handful of stores will operate longer fresh service counter hours as there’s still high customer demand in those stores.
In-store signage has been placed at the fresh service counters and at the front of stores to inform customers of the altered trading hours.
It’s understood the new initiative was trialled in a handful of NSW stores in May 2022.
New store trading hours
Woolworths has announced the following changes to trading hours.
Select stores across Australia will open one hour later or close one hour earlier to align with other stores across the Woolworths network.
7NEWS.com.au understands that the change means that if your local store typically opens at 6am, it will now open at 7am. And instead of closing at 10pm, it will now close at 9pm.
The change means that if a customer travels from state to state, trading hours will be roughly the same across the country.
Customers are encouraged to head here to see how the trading hours of their local Woolworths store have been affected by the change.
At the front of each Woolworths, signage will notify customers of the store’s new trading hours.
Woolworths deli counters will now close at 7pm. Credit: Dallas Kilponen/Woolworths
News of the change to Woolworths deli, meat and seafood trading hours has already attracted mixed reviews on social media.
One Woolies customer criticized the decision, saying all of the supermarket’s services should be available during opening hours.
“If Woolworths proceeds to limit services within their stores from 7pm onwards, we will no longer be using their services,” said the Adelaide-based customer.
“Shoppers need to remember that Woolworths openly asked and endorsed extended grocery store trading hours for 9pm.
“Now that they have these they don’t want to provide you with that service.”
Mixed reviews
He added: “As someone who works irregular hours, I typically do my shopping after 8pm at night – and now I can no longer get access to the service deli.”
But many other Facebook users felt it was a good move for Woolworths employees.
“It makes absolutely no sense to keep the deli open until the store closes given how long it takes to clean,” said one.
Added suggested “they have made this decision because the sales in the last hour just aren’t there”.
“They are running a business not a public service.”
Discovering cool new technology is an exciting prospect! Each month we take a look at some of the latest tech products available from JB Hi-Fi.
Que: Nikon Z 30 Mirrorless Camera with 16-50mm VR Lens
Why: A decent quality camera nowadays not only offers brilliant still photography features, but stunning video quality as well – and the Nikon Z 30 is a prime example. A one-stop content creation powerhouse, it’s the lightest and most compact Z series camera to date, making it perfect for taking with you everywhere. It includes dual microphones for top notch sound, but naturally the visual features are key to the experience, and the Z 30 packs a wallop. For starters, the sensor is 14 times bigger than those in most phones, delivering a huge improvement in video quality at up to 4K, and making image noise a thing of the past when shooting at night. Special eye and pet detection helps you nab those hard to catch moments perfectly, plus there are 20 real-time filters that can eliminate the need for post-processing – just do it in-camera! Wi-Fi connectivity, a pop-out, fully-adjustable touch sensitive LCD monitor and customizable buttons help to seal the deal.
Quien: If you’re a content creator on a budget, but looking for the best results for your buck, this really is a must-play-with powerhouse camera.
Buy now at JB Hi-Fi
Que: Breville the Barista Express Impress Manual Coffee Machine
Why: If you’re a serious coffee connoisseur then you’ll need a little convincing that you need to go with a top shelf coffee machine. This latest wonder from Breville delivers where it counts, with a huge range of the features that you need for that perfect cuppa. Utilizing their “4 Keys Formula’, these machines are designed to use the perfect dose of freshly ground beans, ensure precise temperature control, maintain optimal water pressure and finally create true frothy microfoam milk that’s absolutely essential for latte art – just like professional café machines deliver. Armed with the Barista Express Impress you’ll have all the necessary tools to concoct your optimal blend, from intelligent dosing via its integrated conical burr grinder (complete with 25 grind settings, through to a professional style 54mm stainless steel portafilter to deliver full flavor with both dual and single wall filters.Full bodied coffee just how you like it – mmm!
Quien: How could anybody who really loves their coffee pass up the chance to put this beauty in pride of place in their kitchen?
Buy now at JB Hi-Fi
Que: LG CineBeam HU715Q 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Projector
Why: Projector technology has come a long way since the days of noisy old clunkers that required a massive space in order to deliver a decent screen size. LG are masters of the short throw projector, with their technology allowing placement of the CineBeam HU715Q a mere 31.7cm from the projection surface for a huge 120-inch screen. You can forget the fuzzies, too, as the CineBeam delivers crisp vision right up to 4K resolution, using its 8.3 mega pixel laser technology, and all with a superb contrast ratio, including HDR support, and top-notch color accuracy. It’s also a peach to set up, with an inbuilt ambient sensor that automatically recognizes the lighting conditions and adjusts the brightness mode accordingly, while adaptive contrast gives more depth to your image by adaptively adjusting the laser output. Running webOS 6.0 and connected to Wi-Fi there’s a world of popular streaming options at your fingertips, too.
Quien: Anyone who’s after the full cinema-at-home experience is sure to marvel at the picture quality that the CineBeam HU715Q achieves.
Buy now at JB Hi-Fi
Que: Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2
Why: If you love the impromptu nature of instant photo prints, but are already carrying a camera around in your phone, Fujifilm have the perfect solution – their Instax Mini Link 2 portable printer. Easily connected to your mobile by the wonders of Bluetooth, it delivers the ability to print out photos right there in the moment – and with a whole lot of personalisation, too. One of the coolest new features of the Mini Link 2 app and its focus on getting creative is an AR drawing mode. It responds in real time to the printer’s movements, allowing the addition of all sorts of fun graphics such as bubbles, petals, neon, spray paint or even glitter to your shot before printing. Or, you can draw onscreen with a finger. Plus, each print only takes 15 seconds, then around 90 more to develop, or you can share your enhanced images straight to your socials. As long as you’re armed with enough photo paper you can print around 100 memories from a single charge.
Quien: If being social is your thing, what better way is there to spread the love than by printing out and sharing memorable moments instantly?
The NRL’s match review committee has offered a rare explanation for the decision to not charge Melbourne prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona for a suspect act on an opponent.
There’s been outcry since the Storm behemoth appeared to drive his elbow and forearm into the face of Warriors hooker Wayde Egan in Auckland on Friday night.
Egan lay injured on the ground for several minutes as a result of the incident, and left the field clutching his jaw.
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Several of his teeth were busted as a result of Asofa-Solomona’s act, but on Saturday the MRC charge sheet did not feature the incident, despite it being penalized and reported at the time.
Making the decision more confusing was the fact Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was charged and fined for a similar incident on Manly debutant Zac Fulton on Thursday night.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona was reported for an ugly move on Wayde Egan in the Storm-Warriors clash. (FoxLeague)
NRL legend Andrew Johns called the decision not to charge Asofa-Solomona “laughable”.
“To me, that’s four months’ suspension,” Johns said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on9Now
“Honestly? Nothing for that, or a fine? There was nothing but intent to hurt (Egan). That’s what it was.”
On Monday, MRC manager Luke Patten released a short video explaining how his five-person committee reached the decision that the Asofa-Solomona action was unworthy of a charge.
“We identified that there was an extra player – (Felise) Kaufusi – contributing to the force of the tackle, so two big men on a smaller man,” Patten said.
Roosters enforcer penalized for dirty act
“We identified that Nelson creates space so there is no crusher and no force applied to Egan’s neck. There was a couple of other things we had to clear – first the head slam; we see there was clear separation from Nelson’s right arm as player Egan gets thrown to the ground.Nelson has a good grip with his left arm but there is clear separation, whereas in a head slam you would see that arm isolate the head and really slam it into the ground, so we cleared that.
“Secondly was the dangerous contact aspect… in one of the back angles you can see Nelson gets a grip under Egan’s left arm, and we believe Nelson’s right arm was diagonal from that grip, across his chest.
“There might be possibly minor contact at the end of the tackle with Nelson’s forearm to the neck and chin area, but that was a minor contact. It was a forceful tackle which unfortunately results in Egan’s head going into the ground.”
NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley was at pains to reiterate the MRC acts independently from the governing body, and so the finger can’t be pointed at his department.
Gould tees off on Finucane suspension
But Annesley was pressed by journalists on a supposed disconnect between the game-day match officials, the MRC, and the NRL judiciary – which is again an independent body.
The Asofa-Solomona controversy comes a week after Cronulla forward Dale Finucane was banned for two games for an accidental head clash, which injured the ear of Penrith center Stephen Crichton.
Annesley was asked why Finucane was penalized for failing to show a “duty of care”, while Asofa-Solomona is unpunished for an act that badly damaged a player’s face.
“They saw it as a very physical tackle, but a lot of tackles in our game are very physical,” he said of the Asofa-Solomona incident.
He was also asked to explain how the Asofa-Solomona incident was different from the Waerea-Hargreaves one.
“A very different type of video evidence that was available to clarify that incident. It depends on the circumstances, it depends on the clarity of vision that is available,” Annesley said.
Finucane banned for head clash
“The number of camera angles is very similar in every game. It’s more about the clarity… sometimes things get captured better, it’s more open, you don’t have as many players around (the incident).”
On the suggestion of a disconnect specifically, Annesley said the system was designed so player penalties could be handled independently from the NRL itself.
“What we are trying to have is a system devoid of administrative intervention, and is effectively – to put it in legal terms… it’s allowing players natural justice,” he said.
“My staff could probably look at it and say, ‘oh that doesn’t look too good, let’s charge that’, but that’s the administration doing it, it’s not independent, it doesn’t have the benefit of former players and former referees … all having their own perspective.
“No one at the NRL expects everyone is going to agree (with their decisions), just as not everyone will agree with what happens on the field… but it’s the process that is important, it’s the independence of it, it’s allowing natural justice to take place.”
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Uniform controversies that have rocked sport around the world
Senior staff from a melbourne aged care home will be made to give evidence about the deaths of 50 residents after a failed Supreme Court battle.
St Basil’s Home for the Aged chairman Kon Kontis and director of nursing Vicky Kos have both refused to give evidence at an inquest on grounds of self-incrimination.
They went to Victoria’s Supreme Court to stop State Coroner John Cain forcing them to give evidence at the inquest into the deaths of residents during a 2020 outbreak.
St Basil’s Home for the Aged chairman Kon Kontis. (APA)
They lost their case in a decision handed down by Justice Stephen O’Meara on Monday.
Their barrister Ian Hill QC had argued that WorkSafe was using the inquest as a “dress rehearsal” for criminal proceedings against the pair.
Cain had ruled that the pair must give evidence, but offered the protection that nothing they said could be used against them in a criminal case.
Director of nursing at St Basil’s Vicky Kos. (APA)
Hill argued Cain could be perceived to have formed an alliance with family members of residents who died, including several who were vocal about their desire for Kontis and Kos to give evidence.
But to suggest the experienced judge could be perceived as having formed an alliance with family members was “ludicrous”, according to government barrister Edwina Brown.
