Joey Leulia Out for Two Weeks

[Hangonaminute]

Can't his wife drive a car?

I'm sorry but if the reason why he left the bubble was because his wife is "struggling" with the covid restrictions in Sydney and he had to be a driver, it's not good enough.

It's not an emergency as far as I'm concerned
She could have driven herself, or had other arrangements made to get them to Canberra.

If you're commited to a team you don't do this, especially after you just returned from being a goose and getting yourself suspended.

Imo Joey has robbed us this year, we haven't got anywhere near our money's worth out of him, in fact he owes the club, and now he's off taxi driving.

I would like more details before I condemn him.

"If the reason why he left the bubble was because his wife is "struggling" with the covid restrictions"

Did you miss that part?

 

[TheDaBoss]

Can't his wife drive a car?

I'm sorry but if the reason why he left the bubble was because his wife is "struggling" with the covid restrictions in Sydney and he had to be a driver, it's not good enough.

It's not an emergency as far as I'm concerned
She could have driven herself, or had other arrangements made to get them to Canberra.

If you're commited to a team you don't do this, especially after you just returned from being a goose and getting yourself suspended.

Imo Joey has robbed us this year, we haven't got anywhere near our money's worth out of him, in fact he owes the club, and now he's off taxi driving.

I would like more details before I condemn him.

Same, but I don't think we are going to get much especially if it's private

 

[ElleryHanley]

If he has serious family issues to deal with, the club really doesn't have any option but to grin and bear it. Stuff like this happens and the 2 week quarantine is also something the club can't do much about. Shame too because at his best he's a very good centre. Talau back to the centres?

The official club statement is incredibly blunt IF the issues are legit and were approved.

There is nothing along the lines of "Wests Tigers support Joey in this difficult time. Family comes first. He has the full support of everyone at the club".

Instead...they produced this:

**Wests Tigers have today confirmed that centre Joey Leilua has returned to Canberra due to personal family reasons.

Having voluntarily left the club’s bubble, Leilua will be placed in a temporary COVID hold as per NRL guidelines.

Wests Tigers have informed the Project Apollo Group and will await further advice after consideration of all circumstances.**

It tends to suggest there is more to it IMO. Otherwise, they really should release a sec statement with a bit more empathy.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

it reads like he didnt get permission first from the club before leaving

 

[cochise]

Can't his wife drive a car?

I'm sorry but if the reason why he left the bubble was because his wife is "struggling" with the covid restrictions in Sydney and he had to be a driver, it's not good enough.

It's not an emergency as far as I'm concerned
She could have driven herself, or had other arrangements made to get them to Canberra.

If you're commited to a team you don't do this, especially after you just returned from being a goose and getting yourself suspended.

Imo Joey has robbed us this year, we haven't got anywhere near our money's worth out of him, in fact he owes the club, and now he's off taxi driving.

I would like more details before I condemn him.

"If the reason why he left the bubble was because his wife is "struggling" with the covid restrictions"

Did you miss that part?

No, but I wouldn't condemn in just based off that as well. No one here knows his personal situation, so I would be reluctant to criticise him or his family.

 

[ElleryHanley]

it reads like he didnt get permission first from the club before leaving

Indeed...that is exactly how it reads.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

no premission that is pretty ordinary

 

[Tiger_Steve]

So we all slam the telecrap journos for baseless stories but we post a whole heap of unsubstantiated reasons for breaking protocols and follow up with tigers being unhappy.
🤔

 

[Harvey]

I assume that all these players voluntarily leaving the bubble or being suspended due to their stupidity are not being anything more than jobkeeper for their period of self isolation?

 

[Curaeus]

it reads like he didnt get permission first from the club before leaving

Indeed...that is exactly how it reads.

Does raise these kinds of questions for sure. Guess we have to wait for the next club statement on this. Odds on to be one!

 

[ElleryHanley]

If Michael Chaamas is right...and he generally is on Tigers stuff (gets fed directly)...then it is basically:

Joey's wife and kids have not settled in Sydney

They wanted to go back to Canberra to be with family

Joey thus drove them back...
Club 'told' rather than approved.

Joey now out two weeks.

I don't want to judge, but a lot of people are having to make sacrifices at the moment. I know a nurse who can't see her partner at all and she is not getting remotely close to 600 grand.

 

[hammertime]

If Michael Chaamas is right...and he generally is on Tigers stuff (gets fed directly)...then it is basically:

Joey's wife and kids have not settled in Sydney

They wanted to go back to Canberra to be with family

Joey thus drove them back...
Club 'told' rather than approved.

Joey now out two weeks.

I don't want to judge, but a lot of people are having to make sacrifices at the moment. I know a nurse who can't see her partner at all and she is not getting remotely close to 600 grand.

I'll reserve proper judgement when it comes out. But yes, if this is true and he just drove his family, then I'm surprised his wife wouldn't have thought about the life she leads because of his wage. It could easily cover a private car.

 

[avocadoontoast]

If Michael Chaamas is right...and he generally is on Tigers stuff (gets fed directly)...then it is basically:

Joey's wife and kids have not settled in Sydney

They wanted to go back to Canberra to be with family

Joey thus drove them back...
Club 'told' rather than approved.

Joey now out two weeks.

I don't want to judge, but a lot of people are having to make sacrifices at the moment. I know a nurse who can't see her partner at all and she is not getting remotely close to 600 grand.

If that is true, it is poor form.

 

[tigerap]

Wish we didn't sign him...why are all our high priced recruits "duds"....sigh

 

[Deleted member 3518]

If Michael Chaamas is right...and he generally is on Tigers stuff (gets fed directly)...then it is basically:

Joey's wife and kids have not settled in Sydney

They wanted to go back to Canberra to be with family

Joey thus drove them back...
Club 'told' rather than approved.

Joey now out two weeks.

I don't want to judge, but a lot of people are having to make sacrifices at the moment. I know a nurse who can't see her partner at all and she is not getting remotely close to 600 grand.

just because she is coping doesn’t mean that Joey is, or even has to cope . Also who knows the internal workings of his family structure , and how he feels about his family and wife .
It’s like using a guy , who has done 5 tours of the Middle East and doesn’t have any PTSD , criticising a cop for seeing 1 18 year old dead in a car accident , “because it’s only one” . They’re both equally as valid as each other and neither should be diminished or put on a pedestal .

 

[ElleryHanley]

If Michael Chaamas is right...and he generally is on Tigers stuff (gets fed directly)...then it is basically:

Joey's wife and kids have not settled in Sydney

They wanted to go back to Canberra to be with family

Joey thus drove them back...
Club 'told' rather than approved.

Joey now out two weeks.

I don't want to judge, but a lot of people are having to make sacrifices at the moment. I know a nurse who can't see her partner at all and she is not getting remotely close to 600 grand.

just because she is coping doesn’t mean that Joey is, or even has to cope . Also who knows the internal workings of his family structure , and how he feels about his family and wife .
It’s like using a guy , who has done 5 tours of the Middle East and doesn’t have any PTSD , criticising a cop for seeing 1 18 year old dead in a car accident , “because it’s only one” . They’re both equally as valid as each other and neither should be diminished or put on a pedestal .

I agree, but I also think salary and jobs allow people to stretch things a bit. I.e. he is on 600 and a few weeks pay won't be missed / club will beg him to come back.

On a working man's wage, most people could not simply drop everything and nick off for two weeks.

BJ is in a privileged position where this won't cost him his job. All I am saying is that, were he in a more vulnerable / lower paying job he (and a lot of sportspeople) likely would think twice about this stuff and be a little stronger emotionally.

 

[JC99]

If he told the club prior to doing it then so be it that’s fine. What kind of club would we be if we denied him the right to look after his family? Sounds like the club knew about it before he left, it’s not exactly something you can fully plan out.

 

[Geo]

Hope everything is OK with his family..

 

[ElleryHanley]

If he told the club prior to doing it then so be it that’s fine. What kind of club would we be if we denied him the right to look after his family? Sounds like the club knew about it before he left, it’s not exactly something you can fully plan out.

Let's hope all that is true.

The official club statement is incredibly terse though.

 

[hobbo1]

If he told the club prior to doing it then so be it that’s fine. What kind of club would we be if we denied him the right to look after his family? Sounds like the club knew about it before he left, it’s not exactly something you can fully plan out.

Melbourne told Addo Carr to suck it up when he started whinging about going back to Sydney last year ..
Joey has been a trash purchase so far ..
I’d even prefer Momirovski and the loose change !