It would be fair to call Leon Pryce an enigma. The world is at his feet, in terms of his ability on the rugby field, but the guy is a complete moron off it.
Ok, complete may be a tad harsh on him. However, he clearly has failed to learn from the mistakes of glassing Salford coach Eddie McGuinness in 2002.
Back then, he was young, he pleaded self defence, but was found guilty of Unlawful Wounding and sentenced to 120 hours community service. For a man like Leon, who kids look up to, this should have been a lesson learnt, in possibly the most humiliating public manner.
Since coming to Saints, he has been impressive. He and Sean Long have guided Saints to a period of unrivalled dominance (Grand Final chokes aside) and when they combined for Great Britain, they gave the Aussies a hiding in their own backyard. As a rugby player, he grew. It seemed as a person, he may have redeemed for his youthful errors.
So when Leon stepped into a car with Stuart Reardon to visit the latter's former partner, and "gain entry to their house unlawfully," the last six years worth of redemption disappeared.
What went on that night, no one knows bar the four people in the house. It is probably best that way. Or is it?
In a world of 24/7 news and message boards, everything gets blown out of proportion. A simple shove in the chest (which I am not saying isn't assault) suddenly becomes someone's head rolling through a glass cabinet as punches and blows come from all sides.
See. It is just that easy. And then you have the massive issue of everyone having something to say, in a very public place about it. Suddenly, everyone is moralising, stating who should do what and just how terrible it is for the world. It is almost like reading the letters pages of the Daily Mail. You sometimes expect Helen Lovejoy to run in screaming "won't somebody please think of the children?"
But what of the players? In a sport, ever trying to press itself as a family sport, what when they go wrong? Ok, going out and ending up outside Dali Bar with your face down a grid throwing up your wages is one thing, some would say they have earned that. But do we think about the players, where they come from, and how they are prone to these lapses?
No matter how much we try to portray RL as a family game, it is a gritty Northern game, born of men who wanted to work hard and play harder. When you get a game like Rugby League played in deprived towns clinging to the last remains of industry, you get the lower end of the brain squad playing. The lads who would probably end up getting sixteen and wondering what to do with life but for an ability to run a ball at another man better than their peers.
Yes, generalising is the name of the game here, but it needs to be said. Bad lads will be bad, no matter how you train them. Sean Long was a bad lad, while not doing anything strictly wrong.
Pryce has been punished, again, by a court of law, and STILL the rugby league community insist on knowing better. They have hauled their way so far onto their high horse; to jump off would cause their spines to snap on impact.
On top of this, Saints have sat down with Leon, discussed the matter and slapped his wrist. The reason for being so apparently calm about it? Leon had the courage to be a man, and admit his mistake to the club straight away. I spoke with a club official the day before it broke; getting pretty much the whole story, a story that hasn't changed. Leon knew instantly there was a world of bother about to crash around him, and he handled it in the best way.
But Leon's harshest critics will remain the fans, of Saints and the sport. Even amongst Saints' fans, chants and ditties have sprung up about the incident. They take the situation into light, but they should (if Saints’ fans would sing these days) serve as a reminder to Leon that your mistakes are not easily forgotten.
On top of that, the threat of the prison showers has been hammered to Leon for weeks. Leon, typically, responded by brilliant performances on the field. His game at Leeds in the Challenge Cup being one of note.
Leon is no saint. In fact, he will go down (sic) for Saints for his wonderful transformation from frustrated youngster to star stand-off. For the rest of rugby league, probably his off the field antics.
Either way, there are fewer players who could spark debate like Leon.
