The 'Deadset Legends' on Jack v Roberts

The following is a transcript from Sydney radio's Triple M, "Deadset Legends" sports show.On 13/2/99,Saturday morning,the respected panelists shared their views on the Jack's decision to take the case to the courts,and their beliefs on the issue of legal action against happenings on the football field.

                                  Russell Barwick : Regular host of the "Deadset Legends",Triple M employee
                                  Debbie Spillane : Former Sydney Kings P.R Officer,Canterbury R.L. P.R Officer,ABC Sport host
                                  Greg Matthews : Former cricketer,represented Australia and N.S.W.
                                  Ray Warren : Channel 9 League Caller and R.L.W. Columnist

Warren: I was there and it was Garry Jack making a second tackle for memory,a late tackle on Matthew Ridge,
Ridge took exception,and then all hell broke loose. Manly players came in from all over the place and 2 of them managed to hold Garry Jack,hold his arms....and Ian Roberts absolutely bashed him.
It was similar to Gordon Tallis belting that Englishman in that World Cup Challenge...
Spillane:But Terry?Terry O'Conner?
Warren:That was his name yeh
Spillane:But Terry O'Conner said his wife hit harder than Gordon Tallis
Warren:Absolutely your quite right.But I,I dont think you can say that what happens on the field should stay on the field,and just make a generalising statement like that because you go back to the Boyd-Brohman thing.You go back to the Bugden thing with Rogers. There are some incidents that people take very,very seriously and there has to be a channel to take it to.Such as the law court.Thats what Garry Jack has done,but I've gotta say that if it goes in his favour, the ramifactions are going to be heard rumbling right through body contact sports down to park football and park whatever,for many years to come.
Matthews:And so it should be.Its so uncool,I mean like in a dog-eat-dog world out there and the changing face of sport which merely mirrors society your gonna go alo....
Spillane:Gee,Garry Jack had a changing face let me tell ya!
Matthews:Absolutely
Warren:Oh yeh,he was unrecognisable
Matthews:And we're not getting into that we're getting more into the issue.It's not cool for people to take cheap shots and,y'know I keep hearing in the Grand Final 70-71 I think it was,Manly Souths,when a certain player asked who was the best player in the Souths side?Kick it over his head,he ran back to get the ball,he didn't get up off the ground!
And dare I say the Pearl,the Black Pearl,the Balmain Grand Final I think,88 v Canterbury,I dont want to name the
player cause he's a cool guy but...golly
Spillane:Go on everyone says it was Terry Lamb
Matthews:Whoohh,that just seemed so....meditated
Barwick:It was Baa wasn't it?
Spillane:It was Baa,yeh.But he still claims he did nothing illegal,and I'm on his side.
Matthews:Parallelled round the throat!
Warren:The intriguing thing with this case though is,why has it taken so long to be regurgitated?And I'm led to believe that it has something to do with the Matthew Ridge book,where there was a business deal between Jack and Roberts that went sadly wrong.And Ridge has regurgitated that subject in his book.But why has it taken so long,since 1991...
Spillane:Well,well,I mean,that's just the law system isn't it?8 years?That'd be reasonable wouldn't it?It'd take 8 years for that sort of thing to go through the court system.
Warren:Oh I doubt that.I doubt that.
Spillane:I would've thought so
Warren:I couldn't imagine it would take 8 years to get....
Spillane:But I mean the rumour always was that it was something that Garry Jack had said to Ian Roberts,on the field.
I mean thats the one I've heard a million times.
Matthews:But sticks and stones will break my bones Debbie.
Barwick:Ian Robert's punches will hurt me though