I'm fairly optimistic that Reardon can turn his career around at the Bulls. When he is fit and in form we know he can be a pretty good RL player. I think the Bulls have taken a punt on him, but it may just prove to be a shrewd signing. If he is our final signing for the backs then I think we still lack some quality in this area though.

To the posters labelling him a 'wife beater' IIRC the reports suggested he had forcefully grabbed his Wife by the arm causing some bruising. Not condoning what he allegedly did, but I think labelling him a 'wife beater' suggests something a lot more serious occurred.

I'm willing to give him a 2nd chance and the benefit of the doubt for now. He will be in Bulls colours next year.. so welcome back Stuart, hopefully your 2nd stint will be as successful as your 1st.

Male grabs his missus and causes her a bodily injury = wife beater.

Not that I care though, as this time last season I was vilified for saying that I could not care less what Bird has alledgedly done as long as he did the business on the park.

Seems that there is plenty of two-facedness on here again.

I think the term 'wife beater' somewhat trivialises the issue.

People can make up their own minds but IMO, someone who pleads guilty to assaulting his wife is a wife-beater. What are the opinion of others on this then?

TBH I'm not that bothered about what he's done. Not that I'm condoning it, but what's done is done. He's had his day in court and been handed a punishment. So for me, that's a line drawn under the whole sorry affair and I'd like it if we could all move on and see what Reardon can do for us on the field.

To be fair, with the current squad, i'd take Abu Hamza as long as he was a bit handy with a rugby ball.

Admittedly we may go through a few burst footies though.

Nay, we've got our hookers sorted.

He'd be okay in defence, and we shouldn't have too much trouble beating teams when they have to use up all of their subs early on due to players requiring the blood bin and subsequently keep losing players without being able to replace them.

I am ashamed that we have signed him. We are no longer a club with any morals. No longer a family club. If that is really the best we can do then times really are bad.

So what is appropriate employment for Reardon now? Or should he just sit on the dole for the rest of his life?

Nah, he should be shipped off to some god forsaken place on the other side of the world



Hmmm, remind me, what crime did Sam commit?

A stocky front rower with one eye?

Maybe Hamza could hit Fielden with cheap shots every time he came up against him?

I think this is a bit OTT. The guy has had his day in court and received punishment. He was punished again by been sacked from his club.

Let the guy have another chance to turn it all round.

Does the guy not deserve a 2nd chance in life?

Chances are the offence was committed in the heat of the moment is quite possibly very remorseful. On the scale of seriousness for assault, it was pretty low. If he had be convicted of using his fists then I would share your views.

I appreciate we have some members who have never lost their cool, done something they regret under the influence of alcohol or simply made a very stupid mistake but sometimes a person deserves a chance to make amends and get their life back on track.

I just hope Stuart is now determined to repay the faith shown in him by the club.

On the playing front i reckon a one year deal is a good idea but the morality of it keeps niggling away at me.

I don't hold this against they club as they aren't in any position right now to worry about the morals of it all. The man on the street wouldn't be able to get a contract at a similar level in any other high paid profession but I suppose it has curtailed his career and he will be basically starting from the bottom again. I just hope that if he gets back to his old form he is loyal to the club.

I'm really uneasy about it but I'm going to renew my season ticket. Not sure what that makes me look like.

Play for another club with lower standards? Oh no, there isn't one is there?

Retrain, do something else, I don't know. Why should he expect a lifeline from us? I only hope we are paying absolute peanuts.

I look forward to him coming into school as a goor role model for the children.

Bulls are not flush. It' not surprising we've gone in for Reardon, and Bird before him because they'll likely provide value for money. Trinity employed Leo-Latu, which suggests their standards are at least similar.


I've no doubt that Reardon's bargaining position has been significantly weakened by his conviction. So he'll be on less than he could otherwise expect. But you do realise that you are making an inherent suggestion that some jobs are appropriate for those convicted of violence against women.


Might be an argument for him talking to kids about the impact his decision to use violence has had on his life. And I reckon the kids we're on about, the ones that could do with a role model could do with being reminded that even if you make a bg mistake, do something horrible even, you do have the rest of your life to make up for it. That's not an argument for doing horrible things but it is an argument against giving up on yourself once you've done it.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone?

Well yeah it gives him an opportunity to redeem himself. I can't help feeling uneasy about it but I don't know the lad nor have I been party to the discussions between him and the club.

I hope he is able to make this opportunity worth while for both him and the club both in terms of his on pitch contributions and off it.

So because another club have done it, it makes it ok? Should we not aspire to better?



That was not my point. I can not think of many employers who would employ anyone with a conviction for assault. Mine certainly wouldn't. Of course everyone deserves a second chance, but I don't see this as the community-minded Bulls helping out a poor young man who got lost but as a club scraping the barrel, without a care about how the are perceived.



Yes. Look at me. I had a great career kids. Then I did some bad things, but it didn't matter as I still had a great career. I'm not sure what message that sends out.

What medium-term career do you think would be appropriate for him if not professional rugby league?

Would you agree that depriving an individual of his livelihood is an appropriate additional non-judicial punishment for an offence committed and admitted, where a non-custodial sentence was imposed?

Seems fair enough to me.

Accountancy?

I don't know, but not a job in the public eye in which thousands look up to you as a role model.

I think it would be fair to accept it as a consequence of your actions yes.

That's because you've set up a straw man. He wouldn't tell the kids it didn't matter, primarily because it's not true. It did matter, it did affect his life and he is going to have to work double hard to get back near to where he was before. He (and, more importantly, everyone else involved) would have been better off in a number of ways if he had never have done it, but now it is done and cannot be undone, he can still atone to some extent. Those are two distinct points that I wish every kid understood and acted upon.

This signing shows just how far we've fallen as a club.