Tele: Rogers filthy over axing

[Red Rabbit]

By Dean Ritchie | April 30, 2008 12:00am


IRATE Souths five-eighth Ben Rogers has lashed out at his dumping from first grade for failing a breath test - saying he feels like he's in the army.

As cracks continued to appear in the winless Rabbitohs camp, Rogers admitted yesterday to being "angry, disappointed and unimpressed" with coach Jason Taylor's decision to dump four players and strip the co-captaincy from David Kidwell.

"What, are we in the army?" Rogers asked. "If I'd gotten into trouble, got kicked out of a pub or started a fight, then I'd put my hand up and say I was in the wrong.

"That would be fair enough. But I wasn't drunk. I'm not real impressed and Souths know I'm not happy."

Souths fans also vented their frustration on the club's website and in calls to The Daily Telegraph - many believing the axings were extreme.

Rogers, Eddie Paea, Jaiman Lowe and Fetuli Talanoa have all been dropped for Saturday night's match against North Queensland after failing breath tests last Saturday.

Meanwhile, South Sydney general Russell Crowe is not worried about his beloved Bunnies' dismal start to the season.

As the cracks within the club widened to a gaping chasm yesterday Crowe sent a message of optimism from Hollywood.

The Daily Telegraph emailed Crowe asking for a comment on the Rabbitohs' drama-filled start to the year.

Crowe emailed back: "Nice to hear from you. Not the best start to a season I'll give you that, but we will get better as the season unfolds."

Coach Jason Taylor could soon have a mutiny on his hands, with a number of players privately questioning why co-captain David Kidwell - one of five players who breached the alcohol ban while in Brisbane at the weekend - is the only one from the group who is free to play this weekend.

Kidwell lost his co-captaincy role over the incident, but did not suffer the indignity of being dumped.

Souths fans vented their frustrations on the club's website yesterday and in calls to The Daily Telegraph, with many believing the penalty was extreme given the trouble Souths are in.

Rogers, who added creativity to Souths' attack last weekend, is one player who believed Kidwell's punishment was harsh even though he remained in first grade.

"I find it hard to say I'm disappointed without getting angry," he said.

"They took the captaincy off David Kidwell over this. I find it hard to fathom.

"He (Kidwell) wasn't with us. He was having a few beers with his family. Why can't we have a beer? That's what I'm upset about."

Eddie Paea, Jaiman Lowe and Fetuli Talanoa have all been dropped for Saturday night's match against the Cowboys after failing breath tests last Saturday.

Rogers misses the chance to play this weekend with feeder club Norths having a bye.

Explaining his drinking in Brisbane, Rogers said: "I was with Jaiman Lowe's family having a few beers at a pub. His cousins were there with his mum and his aunty."

[SteveD123]

Rogers admitted yesterday to being "angry, disappointed and unimpressed" with coach Jason Taylor's decision to dump four players and strip the co-captaincy from David Kidwell.

Ben Rogers......quite frankly who gives a flying fu*k whay you think. You are a Grossly Overpaid Underachiever and if you and your 'buddies' dont like it then piss off.

[BBKing777]

Poor didums Rodgers, you had booze in your blood stream and you broke a rule YOU players decided to enforce :mad0228:

No wonder we cant win a game with a whinger like this in the side, atleast J lowe took it on the chin.

[Jnasssicklebo]

Go back to Penrith, and take the other 2006 dead wood with you

[MARSVOLTA]

I would not be impressed with the rule being in place but once it's there don't start whinging to the media. With a bit luck this bitch will have a clause in his contract allowing him to be sacked for crying to the papers and we can say goodbye to the dud.

[Brianj]

After his brain snap tossing a bomb over the deadball line instead of catching it and poor kicking, defence and poor attack options one would have hoped he would have been dropped anyway.

With all these decisions JT didn't have to base his decision on a booze ban anyway, why all the bad publicity. All of the decisions could simply have been based on player perfornmance :confused:

[tedbaker]

he is useless- for every good thing he does on the field he does 10 stupid things...and then he is dumb enough to make comments like the above. we need to rid our club of whinging reserve grader level fooballers such as him j.lowe, j. smith etc...out of our top squad of 25.

[eddie rabbit]

Maybe a strech in Reggies will help him pull his finger out and play as a NRL player should.

[Blackbunny]

Lucky for the Bears they have the bye this week. Fancy even a reggies side having Smyth and Buck as their halves pairing. Hopefully someone in a senior position at the club has the foresight and the balls to show this underachiever the door.

[Daniel78]

Rogers is a dog and I've no time left for him. He would have needed a miracle to get his spot back anyway in my view, after his efforts in that game. I am convinved he is a selfish player. Acting on his own looking for personal glory through attempted pieces of brilliance that rarely, if ever, come off. That effort in goal was deplorable and I'd like to know what Merritt said to him. I hope it was something along the lines of 'if you're too scared to catch the thing then get the %$&% of the way and let someone else do it'.

At any rate, I don't mind him holding the opinion that he has. I don't agree with him - I think if they had a problem with the rule they should have said something before the night and gained an exemption rather than say they woulnd't be drinking and then blow over, but that's another matter. I have a massive problem with this crying to the media about it. Nothing is more destabilising. If he had a gripe he should have voiced that to those whom it concerned.

That is disgraceful and it is not what South Sydney is about if you ask me. I hope someone lays that out for him in no uncertain terms.

[Harley]

Go back to Penrith, and take the other 2006 dead wood with you

Wasn't he & two other lower grade players punted from the Panthers?

Right or wrong re-the drinking fiasco, I still think he should hauled over the coals big time for speaking to a news paper about it. :sniper: