By Jeff Wall, Crikey rugby league writer

Who could defend the indefensible? A retired player, of course.
So it
came
as
little surprise that in today’s Brisbane Courier-Mail, Gorden Tallis has used his column to mount a pathetic
“defence”
of
John
Hopoate’s sickening hit on Keith Galloway. He writes: “But I
honesty
don’t
think Hopoate went in with his
elbow cocked to take Galloway out”

Tonight, rugby league has the chance to get it right,
to
rectify
too
much
tolerance for Hopoate in the past, and to send a
clear signal
to
every
rugby
league player in the game. He should be suspended for at least 15
weeks,
Manly
should tear up
his
contract, and then the NRL should deregister
him
permanently.

He has had too many “second chances”. Enough is enough.

CRIKEY: Jeff Wall’s full column is on the website here.