1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: All Black and Crusaders player Severy Reese was named yesterday 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: as the sports star who admitted to a charge of 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: wilful damage driving a car into a garage at a 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: Cup day party in christ Church. He was granted a 5 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: discharge without conviction. It is the second time he's been 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: discharged with that conviction. The last time was in twenty 7 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: eighteen he admitted to a charge of common assault on 8 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: his then partner. Tony Johnson is the rugby commentator with 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: US this morning. Tony, good morning morning. Right, do you 10 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: see a problem here? He's sorry, he's contrived. He said 11 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: he's stopped drinking. He's been to court. That process is over. 12 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: Story end. 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: No, not really. You know it's up to him now. 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: As you say, two ribbons alcohol related, the first far 15 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 2: more serious. He has expressed contrition and a desire to 16 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 2: stay away from alcohol to sort himself out, and you 17 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: had to stay true to that. Now it's already costing 18 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: one lucrative job overseas another repeat, and you can't imagine 19 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: it's going to exactly have a positive impact on his 20 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: prospects of future employment in the game. I suppose that 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: the thing is with sports people or anyone in the 22 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 2: in you know, the public eye. You have to be 23 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: careful that they don't get tried twice, you know, once 24 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 2: in the courts, once in the court of public opinion. 25 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: Do we have too much Do we put too much 26 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: emphasis on them being perfect? I mean, they're all flawed 27 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: humans like the rest of us, are they not. 28 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a really good question because often, you know, 29 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: people talk about the need to be a good role model. 30 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: To me, that's up to the individual. I mean, don't 31 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 2: get me wrong. Being well paid to play sport as 32 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 2: a privilege, and with that privilege comes the responsibility of 33 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 2: projecting yourself and your sport in a positive light, or 34 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 2: at least not to bring the sport of disrepute. And twice. Now, 35 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: I guess he's fallen below that line. But then I 36 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: suppose you look at it in the broader context. Our 37 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: courts are full of young people. A lot of them 38 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: are there because the people who should unconditionally be their 39 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: role model, their parents have failed them badly. So why 40 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: should it really fall on sports people to show them 41 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 2: the way. I don't think that's the case yourself, that 42 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: that should come down to sports. But in a way, 43 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: Sibbe Reese has now put himself in a position where 44 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: he has no choice but to become a otherwise as 45 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 2: a risk, his career could be finished. 46 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely, and he's took a step in the right 47 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: direction I think in doing exactly that after the discharge 48 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: with that conviction at court yesterday, Tony, thank you very 49 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: much for being on the show. Great to have you 50 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: on as always. Tony Johnson, rugby commentator with us just 51 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: gone twenty three minutes after five. I do think that 52 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: all black sports stars in general are not perfect people, 53 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: and often we look at them and think that they 54 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: should be. I think they should be good at their job, 55 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: which is playing rugby or playing netball or whatever it is. 56 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: And can you not look up to a flawed character? 57 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,399 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously if so long as you're not still 58 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: driving around drunk. You know, if you have admitted to 59 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: what you've done, if you are remorseful, if you're trying 60 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: to fix the issue, you should be given a second chance. 61 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: And you can still look up to flawed people, can 62 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: you not? 63 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 64 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or 65 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.