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Winger's wanger in live exposé | NEWS.com.au
Winger's wanger in live exposé
By Dean Ritchie
October 10, 2007 12:20am
*Manly winger's genitals exposed on TV
*RLPA wants changeroom vision banned
*Robertson "unaware of camera"
MANLY winger Michael Robertson last night told of his acute "embarrassment" after inadvertently exposing himself on Fox Sports while a teammate was being interviewed in the dressing room.
The scandal has led to the sacking of a Fox Sports employee and could eventually lead to sweeping changes to media access to NRL dressing rooms.
An angry Manly camp last night called on the Rugby League Professionals Association to intervene - calling for all television cameras to be banned from dressing rooms until 45 minutes after fulltime.
Worldwide exposure for winger
The vision, shot when Fox Sports interviewed Manly's Steve Menzies after the grand final loss to Melbourne, ended up on internet broadcast site, YouTube.
While Menzies is interviewed by a journalist after the NRL decider on September 30, Robertson can clearly be seen in the background swirling his genitalia.
Fox Sports believes Robertson was unaware of the camera being nearby and has apologised to Manly.
The broadcaster screened the interview before spotting the offensive vision and taking it off air.
Fox Sports employee gets sack
But a Fox Sports employee then emailed the footage to a friend, who sent it on to YouTube. That employee has since been sacked.
Robertson denied he knew the camera was on him, saying: "I'm highly embarrassed for myself, the club and my family.
"Somewhere along the way, a player's privacy has to be respected.
"I would have thought the fact that it wasn't a live interview would have ensured the broadcaster involved would have ensured I wasn't filmed in a compromising position.
"There has to be a period where the dressing room is a player's sanctuary.
"There is no way the skylarking was meant for the cameras."
Call for player privacy
Sea Eagles chief executive Grant Mayer said players must have dressing room privacy.
"Michael was clearly unaware the camera was on him and surely there must be responsibility from the broadcaster - as well as the player - to maintain some sort of privacy," Mayer said.
"Obviously cameras in dressing rooms are part of our game, but surely players should be able to shower and change without it being broadcast internationally.
"One option is to make the cameras wait 45 minutes before they are allowed in.
Another option is having an interview area away from the showers and dressing rooms. Michael is embarrassed."
Fox Sports director of specialist channels, Soames Treffry, said his company was disappointed the interview had been aired.
NRL director of media and communications John Brady said Robertson had "no knowledge" of being filmed.
"There has to be an element of shared responsibility around dressing room access," Brady said.
"The players have to be aware of this, as do the TV crews."
VIDEO
Winger's wanger in live exposé
By Dean Ritchie
October 10, 2007 12:20am
*Manly winger's genitals exposed on TV
*RLPA wants changeroom vision banned
*Robertson "unaware of camera"
MANLY winger Michael Robertson last night told of his acute "embarrassment" after inadvertently exposing himself on Fox Sports while a teammate was being interviewed in the dressing room.
The scandal has led to the sacking of a Fox Sports employee and could eventually lead to sweeping changes to media access to NRL dressing rooms.
An angry Manly camp last night called on the Rugby League Professionals Association to intervene - calling for all television cameras to be banned from dressing rooms until 45 minutes after fulltime.
Worldwide exposure for winger
The vision, shot when Fox Sports interviewed Manly's Steve Menzies after the grand final loss to Melbourne, ended up on internet broadcast site, YouTube.
While Menzies is interviewed by a journalist after the NRL decider on September 30, Robertson can clearly be seen in the background swirling his genitalia.
Fox Sports believes Robertson was unaware of the camera being nearby and has apologised to Manly.
The broadcaster screened the interview before spotting the offensive vision and taking it off air.
Fox Sports employee gets sack
But a Fox Sports employee then emailed the footage to a friend, who sent it on to YouTube. That employee has since been sacked.
Robertson denied he knew the camera was on him, saying: "I'm highly embarrassed for myself, the club and my family.
"Somewhere along the way, a player's privacy has to be respected.
"I would have thought the fact that it wasn't a live interview would have ensured the broadcaster involved would have ensured I wasn't filmed in a compromising position.
"There has to be a period where the dressing room is a player's sanctuary.
"There is no way the skylarking was meant for the cameras."
Call for player privacy
Sea Eagles chief executive Grant Mayer said players must have dressing room privacy.
"Michael was clearly unaware the camera was on him and surely there must be responsibility from the broadcaster - as well as the player - to maintain some sort of privacy," Mayer said.
"Obviously cameras in dressing rooms are part of our game, but surely players should be able to shower and change without it being broadcast internationally.
"One option is to make the cameras wait 45 minutes before they are allowed in.
Another option is having an interview area away from the showers and dressing rooms. Michael is embarrassed."
Fox Sports director of specialist channels, Soames Treffry, said his company was disappointed the interview had been aired.
NRL director of media and communications John Brady said Robertson had "no knowledge" of being filmed.
"There has to be an element of shared responsibility around dressing room access," Brady said.
"The players have to be aware of this, as do the TV crews."
VIDEO
