Racial prejudice at the selection table

“I am saddened by what I have witnessed and experienced and could never have imagined that the management of our game could have fallen to this level.

“It is for these reasons that I inform you of my intentions to withdraw from any future involvement in representative Rubgy League in the South West Division.”

Following Wharton’s official letter of resignation the three Indigenous players in question were surprisingly given further consideration by selectors and have since represented at that level. But true to his form Wharton has not returned to selecting or coaching representative teams despite offers to coach at a higher representative level in country Queensland.

Just to give those non-league readers an idea on how good Nathan Merritt is - he scored the most tries in the National Rugby League season last year from a team that received the wooden spoon (last placed team). That feat would normally be considered impossible but then again Nathan Merritt isn’t any run-of-the-mill footballer - he’s a try scoring wizard.

Still not good enough in the eyes of the selectors.

It reminds me of a great Indigenous boxer in Brisbane in the late 1970s, Dave Sarago, who complained about not making an international boxing team even though he beat the non-Indigenous boxer who was selected ahead of him in his division. After much public protest a fight night was organised in Redcliffe to prove once and for all who was the best fighter. Surprise - surprise! Sarago won the fight but still didn’t get selected. The excuse offered by selectors sitting ringside that night was “… the win wasn’t convincing enough and therefore we’re sticking with our original selection”.

How can you beat that?

Souths co-owner and Hollywood A-listed actor Russell Crowe also expressed surprise that Merritt had been overlooked.

"Who is the winger who can contain Nathan Merritt? The answer is nobody in the NRL," Crowe told The Daily Telegraph. "If you don't choose Nathan in your rep sides, you're not serious about the potentials of our game."

Of course every other journalist in radio and television jumped on the story and milked the race issue for all its worth. It’s a pity they don’t jump on positive Indigneous news stories - but then again they don’t receive the rating numbers executives crave.

The predictable line and approach to all the subsequent news stories on the Merritt racial bias claim revolved around pitting famous Indigenous rugby league players - Ricky Walford, Laurie Daley, Craig Salvatori and others - against Merritt and his supporters including Anthony Mundine and Ronnie Gibbs.

Many in the Indigenous community would call those in the pro-administration camp in the Merritt case “turn coats” and “coconuts” - but I’m more inclined to label them as misguided because most would be indebted to the NRL or still be on the payroll as development officers or radio and TV commentators on rugby league.