Cameron Smith Scandal Analysis

#RiseForCameron

National Rugby League has often been divided over controversial topics regarding players, and other scandals including drugs and abuse. Most recently, the latest affair has been the Alex McKinnon and Cameron Smith scandal. Former Newcastle Knights player, Alex McKinnon, was spear tackled during a game against Melbourne Storm, which left him fully paralysed. One year after the tragedy, Alex spoke out to 60 Minutes, speaking about his progress, however mainly focusing on Melbourne Storm’s skipper, Cameron Smith. The common perception is that channel 9 has constructed Cameron Smith to be evil and this analytical essay will explain this idea with multiple forms of text. Producer’s motives and the effect on the audiences will

Rugby League is a sport that expects viciousness in each play. Although this demand has shaped the game, it has also developed a need for harder, stronger hits. With this idea, fans and players alike, encourage this behaviour, and often forget about the consequences of illegal plays. The tackle that changed Alex’s life was not allowed, and left Storm Prop Jordan McLean suspended from the game. McKinnon states that his anger isn’t directed to the whole storm team, or even to McLean, however it has all been dumped onto Cam Smith. “I don’t think anybody has that intention. Nobody would come out onto the field and think ‘I want to break someone’s neck’. You just wouldn’t do that (speaking about if McLean intended on injuring Alex).” Later on in the interview, footage of what was spoken between the referee and Smith aired. Smith said that if Alex didn’t duck his head, the situation could’ve been averted. McKinnon took offense to this, taking it that he had brought the situation on

After the interview, news companies and magazines addressed the issue. Matthew Johns spoke about the issue on The Footy Show. “I think it was a real shame that the focus afterwards turned to Cameron Smith,” he said. “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I find him a class act on the field and I find him a class act off it. That’s of little consequence to Alex McKinnon and his dad Scott and his mum Kate who have gone through hell. Greg Alexander also said “For 60 Minutes to portray Cameron Smith as the villain in the Alex McKinnon story I thought was unfair and unbalanced.” “They had every opportunity to go to the Melbourne Storm and seek a comment from them or get a comment from Cameron Smith but decided not to do that because that didn’t suit their story.” 60 Minutes also failed to broadcast the times where the whole Storm team arrived at the hospital to see Alex, three times. “Look, Cameron Smith wasn’t in the tackle. And watching that back in hindsight and what Cameron Smith said, look I’m sure Cameron Smith would be thinking ‘I wish I did it a bit differently’ but not there and then,” Greg continues. “After the tackle, nobody knew the severity of Alex’s tackle and 60 Minutes didn’t help the situation at all by making Cam Smith to be the ‘bad