2022 keeps getting better for the Broncos.

The Brisbane Broncos have added a nomination for The Fronwlow Medal to their successful 2022 season after covering up a player’s misdemeanour.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while NRL star Jarryd Hayne is the most recent recipient.

The proud club sits inside the top 8 for the first time in many years and has now received the highest honour in Australian sport, a nomination for the most prestigious award in the land.

The club lied to the media about the reason Selwyn Cobbo missed a training session and have since been heavily criticised for protecting their star winger. Apparently the club told reporters that Cobbo missed training for personal reasons and that he had returned to his home town of Cherbourg. It was later revealed, however, that Cobbo was attending court after being charged with multiple driving offences. The rookie was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $700 with no conviction recorded

The Broncos are now able to send a few representatives to the awards night for The Fronwlow Medal and hall of fame later this year, and are expected to send former Fronwlow nominees Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer and Justin Hodges, as well as Cobbo.

Image: NuNa

Huge honour for youngster Selwyn Cobbo.

NRL rookie Selwyn Cobbo is the youngest player ever to be nominated for The Fronwlow Medal at just 19 years of age, after being charged with multiple driving offences.

Cobbo was recently charged with driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle while on a suspended licence. He was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for six months.

His club, the Brisbane Broncos, also came under fire for failing to admit to the offence. Instead, they told the media that Cobbo missed a training session for personal reasons, when in fact he was in court answering to the charges.

Cobbo narrowly edged out Bronson Xerri as the youngest Frownlow nominee. Xerri also played NRL before testing positive to performance enhancing drugs, and was just a few months older than Cobbo when he entered the Frownlow family.

While Cobbo won’t be able to drive to the awards night for The Frownlow Medal later this year, he is over 18 and allowed to partake in any of the activities offered at the wildest party of the year.

Image: Getty Images

Joel Romelo nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.

Former NRL player Joel Romelo has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame following a series of offences which saw him in and out of jail since 2016. Romelo pleaded guilty to horrific domestic violence charges and was found guilty of drug and traffic offences.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. Kiwi international Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while Jarryd Hayne is the most recent recipient.

The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame honours former players and players who received media attention in previous seasons, for similarly scandalous behaviour, and its inductees include Ben Cousins and Julian O’Neill.

Romelo courted controversy as early as 2007. He was sacked by the Cronulla Sharks for disciplinary reasons and signed with the Penrith Panthers. He was then sacked by the Panthers in 2010 for a drink driving offence, and later complained to the press that he had to catch public transport to training.

The former Bulldogs and Storm player went to prison for offences such as drug possession and trafficking, driving dangerously while unregistered, unlicensed and uninsured, and with meth in his system.

In 2016, he was charged for his role in a meth dealing ring in Darwin. Following an anonymous tip off, Romelo was found with 14g of methamphetamine in his vehicle, and another 2g in his home, alongside $10,000 in cash. He was found to be in breach of bail and was remanded in custody.

A year later, the former hooker was jailed form two years and disqualified from driving as a result of the driving and drug offences. He clearly did not rehabilitate while behind bars, and in 2019 he was jailed for three years for two high speed car chases and domestic violence.

Romelo eventually pleaded guilty to attacking his ex-girlfriend. The court heard that he broke her eye socket during a violent attack, and ripped chunks from her hair, as well as punching and choking her until she almost lost consciousness, because she refused to give him the passcode to her phone.

Romelo joins a long list of Frownlow nominees who have spent time in prison and he may have to watch the awards ceremony for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame on a caged TV in a crowded common room.

Image: NuNa

An open letter to Jordan de Goey.

Dear Jordan,

We are listening. Everyone at The Frownlow Medal is acutely aware of your unquenchable desire to win the most prestigious award in Australian sport. Your concerted efforts since 2017 are admirable and your perseverance is what makes you a wonderful role model to young Australians.

Never give up. Never lose hope. The Frownlow Medal is within your reach.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

Jordan, we were there when you earned your first nomination in 2017, and we recognise your latest efforts, which have earned you three nominations in 2021 alone. We followed your exploits when you were recently fined $2075 for road offences including speeding while driving as a P-plater and sending text messages while stopped at traffic lights. When you were caught driving a black Maserati GranCabrio at 93km/h in an 80km/h zone last year, without displaying your P Plates.

Everyone at the Frownlow family, and many members of the public, understand that many professional footballers are just oversized teenagers, and that forgetting to display your P Plates is an honest mistake, and that you were just dropping off the expensive sports car to someone else.

We were there, following closely, when you had an indecent assault charge withdrawn by police prosecutors earlier in 2021.

Also, many teenagers have their licences suspended, and claim they have no idea it had been suspended. After all, they’re just teenagers. It’s also understandable that you would make exactly the same mistake while riding a motorcycle.

Your hard work in 2018 is also acknowledged. We followed your story when you were caught drink-driving while on your P plates, and there’s nothing wrong with being stuck on your P plates throughout your adult life. We supported you through that suspension, and through the suspension when you lied about how you hurt your hand in 2017. You claimed your dog hurt your hand, made your coach lie about the story to the media, and then conceded that it happened while you were partying and fighting at a St Kilda nightclub.

All teenagers tell little white lies.

Jordan, it’s fine. Everyone blames their dog for something, just like school children blame their dog for eating their homework. We’re with you, we support you, and we applaud the AFL and the Magpies for offering you support and wellbeing every time you earn yet another nomination for The Frownlow Medal.

Jordan, in closing, we would also like to stress, in the strongest possible terms, that your efforts have not been wasted. You have never won the medal, despite being in the running in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021, but you must understand the extremely high calibre of nominees and medallists. The standard is particularly high this year, as one of the leading candidates is in prison for sexual assault. Yes, it’s difficult, but don’t give up. You have the talent, the attitude, the mindset and the credentials to one day be The Frownlow Medallist.

Jordan, you know there are no guarantees in sport. You are, however, still in a great position to one day win The Frownlow Medal. Keep up the good work.

The Frownlow Family

Image: NuNa

Jordan de Goey nominated for The Frownlow Medal – again.

AFL player Jordan De Goey has collected his fourth nomination for The Frownlow Medal after facing court recently for driving offences.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

The Collingwood star was in familiar surroundings when he faced a judge, via video link, to answer charges related to a string of driving offences in 2019. De Goey is accused of driving while suspended and using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of a stationary but not parked vehicle in Melbourne.

This is now De Goey’s fourth nomination for Frownlow honours. He was nominated in 2017, 2018 and 2020, for offences such as blaming his dog for a hand injury which was actually sustained at a nightclub, and forcing his coach to repeat the lie to the media. He has also been charged with drink driving and has been hit with fines and suspensions. In addition, he is still the subject of an investigation into an alleged assault of a woman as far back as 2015.

De Goey just can’t keep himself away from trouble, and clearly can’t keep himself away from the after party for the Frownlow awards nigh to be held later this year.

Image: NuNa

Paulini drives Wes Naiqama to Frownlow nomination.

Pop singer Paulini Curuenavuli has offered to drive former NRL player Wes Naiqama to the awards ceremony for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame later this year.

Naiqama finds it difficult to secure a driver’s licence these days after serving four months periodic detention in 2007 for a fourth conviction of driving while disqualified. Paulini kindly offered to carry her ex-boyfriend to the ceremony so that he can face the music over other controversial off-field behaviour.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015 and NRL player Ben Barba is the most recent recipient.

Naiqama was also involved in an incident in a pub in Newcastle while playing for the Knights. The police investigation saw him stood down by the Knights.

Paulini would prefer the Frownlow judges to consider Naiqama’s nomination in light of the strong suspicion of domestic violence against him while they were dating. This suspicion is believed to be the underlying theme in Paulini’s song ‘Scarless’.

Paulini herself, meanwhile, was involved in a minor drama when it was discovered that she had attempted to bribe a Roads and Maritime Services employee in order to secure an unrestricted driver’s licence.

Should Naiqama decline Paulini’s offer, he could always catch a ride with one of the many ex-footballers and Frownlow nominees who have been recognised for speeding, drink driving, texting and crashing while behind the wheel.

Image:Nuna

Locked up Liam nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.

Former AFL player Liam Jurrah has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame following assault and driving offences which have seen him jailed numerous times since he retired from football.

The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015 and code-swapper Karmichael Hunt is the most recent recipient.

The former Melbourne Demons star quit AFL in 2012 and in 2013 was charged with the first offence of drink driving and involvement in a car chase with police. He failed to attend the court hearing for this charge and was banned from driving for two years.

In the same year he was charged with four counts of aggravated assault and after pleading guilty to one charge of assault was jailed for six months.

Just a year later the boy from Yuendumu was charged with aggravated assault of a woman and with threatening her with a knife and a tyre iron, for which he was sentenced to nine months in jail.

Jurrah’s post-football life was apparently back on track until 2017 when he was again before the court after allegations of violence.

Image:Nuna