Following Darrell Griffin's sacking by Championship side Featherstone Rovers on Sunday for making three unauthorised appearances for Rugby Union side Morley RFC without Featherstone's written permission, screenshots of alleged exchanges between Rovers' boss John Duffy and Griffin himself have appeared on social media giant, Twitter.
In an attempt to snap to the defence of his brother Darrell, Hull FC three-quarter Josh, has posted two screenshots of alleged exchanges between head coach Duffy and his brother Darrell. These screenshots seem to claim that Duffy had allowed Griffin to turn out for the Rugby Union side.
I would say that’s permission don’t you ? I’m not going to let people say darrells done something wrong or that he didn’t have permission. He’s been nothing but a model professional for last 20 years and it hurts our family to see his name dragged under like this. pic.twitter.com/EbuqnibDAn
— Josh Griffin (@joshogriffo) January 7, 2018
Darrell himself had this to say on the matter:
Words from my brother for anyone who’s had their opinions on the subject. pic.twitter.com/Z5xkufdD3p
— Josh Griffin (@joshogriffo) January 7, 2018
The 36-year-old, former Wakefield, Huddersfield, Leeds and Salford player, was suspended in December pending an internal investigation for gross misconduct. The forward joined Featherstone in 2016 and signed an extension in August 2017 which made it clear that he must not play Rugby Union.
This was an agreement which Rovers' General Manager Davide Longo was keen to stress when the news broke of Griffin's dismissal for "a serious breach of gross misconduct" on Sunday evening. The club also highlighted that playing for a Rugby Union side without written permission from Rovers’ chairman or chief executive, as per Clause 13 of the Rugby Football League (RFL) players’ contract, was an act of serious insubordination and an example of gross misconduct.
General Manager Davide Longo highlighted that a Rugby League player’s contract is designed to protect both the player and the club and that any contravention of the contract from either party, cannot be taken likely. Longo went on to add that permission to play another contact sport whilst at the club must be given in writing by either a Chief Executive or a Chairman - permission which Longo emphasised Griffin did not seek and which would not have been given either.
In a final crushing blow, the General Manager reiterated that when Griffin agreed on a new contract in August 2017, the club made it quite clear that he was not to play Rugby Union, a condition which was actually added to his written contract.
Griffin appealed against the verdict at a hearing on January 5, but the club's decision was upheld.
It is not the first time that Rugby League and Rugby Union have come head-to-head in a dispute over contracts, with the high-profile Denny Solomona saga only settled in early 2017. And, with that debacle sorted before it became a court matter, there are likely going to be even more flashpoints between the two codes in the near future, flashpoints which - if both codes go far enough - could provide a ruling that may change the game forever - as the Bosman ruling did in football.
In the past few days this story has divided Rugby League fans; some, like Griffin and his brother, believe that the forward is innocent and that if he had the approval of his coach - which Griffin alleged he did have - then he was effectively given the green light to play and keep himself fit. Others, meanwhile, see a contract as concrete and that Griffin was in clear violation of his.
The former opinion, however, has no legal grounding whatsoever. With Griffin agreeing not to play the other code - which was an agreement made solid with the contract he signed in August of last year - Featherstone Rovers were perhaps well within their rights to take this action. The justification for their dismissal is perhaps enhanced even further when considering that to play another sport the player needs written permission from a CEO or Chairman - as referenced earlier - not a head coach, something which Griffin failed to obtain.
All in all, it is a very controversial subject amongst the Rugby League fraternity at the moment and one which could have a tremendous impact on the legal side of the game. Just how Josh Griffin's actions - the posting of the screenshots on Twitter - will affect his brother Darrell, or Duffy in the near future does however, remain a mystery. But, what surely can be said is that this will not be the end of the matter. Featherstone Rovers are yet to comment on the alleged conversations.
