Mild Rover wrote:Hull KR have 3 choices IMO:
1. Say the punishment set by the court is sufficient and he should not be punished twice for the same crime.
2. Suspend him for a period to show their thorough diapproval.
3. Sack him.
The last seems unlikely - he has been in the 17 regularly, while the case has been ongoing. There is no real risk to the club in keeping him, as if he makes another mistake he'll be a guest of Her Majesty and we can try to find a replacement then - swapping the certainty of a problem now for the possibility of one down the road isn't a risk.
There are ethical arguments for and against a suspension. The rugby arguments (you have to be realistic about these things) are mostly against - especially going into the hectic Easter period with one 3/4 already out for 3 months. He's lucky not to be going to prison and maybe lucky he's not a prop.
Agree with this, although perhaps a fine might be added to the list.
As far as sacking him is concerned, he would probably find himself picked up very quickly by either Salford or perhaps another club struggling a bit like Bradford. It would only really be the RFL who could revoke his registration to stop him playing.
With regard to the sentencing, I suppose we have to remember that the prisons are full, and people are getting off with community sentences. A couple of years ago there was a case on TV of a repeat shoplifter (ok thats not as serious) where the judge said he couldn't put him behind bars because there was no room even though he wanted to. This guy then when on tv to talk about it. He had a pretty memorable face (a bit like a cat-weasel). Two days later I'm in John Lewis's and I saw him and thought I know that guy from somewhere. Next thing his stuffing perfume into his pockets. Told security and the nabbed him. Not sure what happened to him after that.
Sentencing is both punishment and risk. I suppose with the publicity of this and the risk it poses to Cockayne's career, then he would not be considered a public risk as the chances of him re-offending are slim (plus he would go straight to jail not passing go if he did.