Mike Phillips on the booze again

First topic message reminder :

Mike Phillips, scrum-half for Bayonne and Wales, faces action for being 'drunk' during a training session

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips in trouble with club Bayonne following his alleged drunkeness during a video analysis session

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Whocares. I'm glad you are online.
How is Oyonnax correctly pronounced? My limited knowledge of French says it ends with the 'acks' sound at the end - just as in Dax.

Sorry for hijacking the post.

That's true Portnoy although local people dont promounce the X at the end ( as in Bordeaux or many small cities in the alps for instance) Oyo-nah should be the correct pronounciation then.

Phillips threatening legal action

Mike Phillips, who was told by Bayonne officials his contract, which is in its final year, will be terminated this week, is preparing to take legal action against the club according to the Daily Telegraph.

http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-2013-14/rugby/story/203893.html

Bayonne chief calls it treason
http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-2013-14/rugby/story/203971.html

Its like a soap opera.

TJ wrote:Phillips threatening legal action

Mike Phillips, who was told by Bayonne officials his contract, which is in its final year, will be terminated this week, is preparing to take legal action against the club according to the Daily Telegraph.

http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-2013-14/rugby/story/203893.html

Bayonne chief calls it treason
http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-2013-14/rugby/story/203971.html

Its like a soap opera.

 

7 months left on his contract. and he wants to try to sue. does he realise that even if he got to court, Bayonne would be able to make public every indiscretion that they are aware of in building their case for dismissal for gross misconduct? hardly likely to be helpful for opening doors for MP going forwards.

And it does look like Bayonne have followed the required french employment law processes so far. i hope MP hasnt been paying too much attention to the articles by friends of his claiming Bayonne are doing this solely to reduce their wage bill.

Bayonne are doing this solely to reduce their wage bill.

Mike, as your trusted advisor and drinking pal for many years................ I say SUE them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Disclaimer:  I or none of my associates have in the past or do now drink with Mike Phillips or any of his associates.

LOL

I'm led to believe MP was verbally warned about misconduct after the first instance, and then repeated the offence some time down the line. So unless there is something we haven't been told there is no case for Bayonne to answer.

you mean when he was suspended for 1 match last season? that kind of verbal warning?  

quins, are you employed? If so, you would know that breaches of contract/misconduct usually come with a verbal warning so the organisation can cover their ass should they choose to terminate the offender's contract for repeating an offence.

he got suspended. thats a lot more than a verbal warning. its at least a verbal warning, and a suspension, and it most likely came with a written warning too.

i am an employer Saint.

a hearing would have been required prior to that suspension, for example, according to french employment law.

are you related to MP? i seriously cant see any other reason for your posts. not even his PR spokesman is that one-eyed.

I'm confused. Aren't you two agreeing with each other? Bayonne have no case to answer?

quinsforever wrote:he got suspended. thats a lot more than a verbal warning. its at least a verbal warning, and a suspension, and it most likely came with a written warning too.

i am an employer Saint.

So it is without a doubt he was warned, and repeated the offence (which I said), so unless something else is written into the contract there won't be a case for Bayonne to answer, which I also just said, in reply to somebody posting the news that MP is considering legal action. Not sure why you would go on edge again over me saying that. I can only assume you're still attention seeking. You won't be getting any attention this evening I'm afraid, I'm a bit busy, so I won't be replying even though I pretty much know what your next post will be.

haha. looks like we are!

i misread his original post. apols saint. tipped me over the edge.

According to reports this morning he is going to sue.  Plonker. I guess he is hoping to get some money out of them

[quote="Scrumpy"]Get off his back, I expect most of us have turned up to work or played a game drunk.[/quote]
Please dont class us all as being as stupid as Phillips.

This is all about Money imo, they want to save some and getting rid of Phillips saves them a large sum of cash, they saw their chance and took it.

So where will Phillips end up?

Scrumpy wrote:This is all about Money imo, they want to save some and getting rid of Phillips saves them a large sum of cash, they saw their chance and took it.

It might be but it does take quite a high level of stupidity on the part of MP, given the circumstances, to give them a chance. He is at least mostly responsible for the situation.

We have no idea where he might go. I dont know what teams are suffering any kind of scrum half injury crisis. But wherever he goes he'll be carrying a 'damaged goods' label for some time.

I would expect the WRU will find a place for him as presumably gatland still wants him in the international set up but I would expect it would be on a game by game basis for not much money

But should the WRU be able to foist him on a region regardless of whether they need or want him?

Win or Lose, we're on the booze.

Always said phillsy represented the working man and this confirms it!

I'd have him at the blues, just to see that swagger/stagger at the arms park! Come home Mike

It's overdone........... if someone said Leinster picked him up in the morning, I wouldn't be shocked, or downhearted or worry about Mike going awol all over Dublin on the weekends.

The tut-tutting is way over-cooked here, guys. In a good side with real intentions, a side he could get his teeth into and not be bored, Mike would still be an asset.

i do remember on the first couple of pages on this thread someone saying he would fit right in at Leinster and his drinking wouldnt be a problem for them.

will have to take your word for it. i have always said its going to be very interesting to see which club does take him on after this.

SecretFly wrote:It's overdone........... if someone said Leinster picked him up in the morning, I wouldn't be shocked, or downhearted or worry about Mike going awol all over Dublin on the weekends.

The tut-tutting is way over-cooked here, guys.  In a good side with real intentions, a side he could get his teeth into and not be bored, Mike would still be an asset.

It is overdone. At the end of the day there is solid evidence of MP being an idiot and a lot less evidence of an alcohol issue.

But... If you were an employer and a prospective employee turns up who was fired from their last job for gross misconduct you'd think bloody hard about hiring them.

But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

All this terribly earnest Human Resources/employment contract/gross misconduct stuff is both sad and tiresome. Is this what rugby has become? The sporting equivalent of an accounts department of a regional call centre?

I think it's nice to see a rugby player respecting some old school attitudes and prioritising enjoyment over admin.

He wasn't drunk at a game or a training session - he was giving a 'video analysis' session the level of attention it probably deserved.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

Absolutely. I have always had a great deal of respect for his ability to change games. He is a great rugby player. Its just that that doesnt stop him from being an idiot too

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

What club honours has he got?

Come on, Scrumpy, you can't expect him to have won much when he's mainly played for Welsh regions.

I guess he has a couple of Rabo titles, the problem I see with Phillips is that he is a big game player more suited to international rugby than doing the day to day stuff with a club.

Good player for someone, dare I say it the way Bath are playing he might fit in well.

Apart from starting legal actions, does anyone have any ideas what Thirsty Mike is going to do next?

Will he join the London Irish Player Twelve Steps Rehabilitation Programme?

Casartelli wrote:All this terribly earnest Human Resources/employment contract/gross misconduct stuff is both sad and tiresome.  Is this what rugby has become?  The sporting equivalent of an accounts department of a regional call centre?

I think it's nice to see a rugby player respecting some old school attitudes and prioritising enjoyment over admin.  

He wasn't drunk at a game or a training session - he was giving a 'video analysis' session the level of attention it probably deserved.

That's the stuff...now we're talking, Casartelli! Life has become a disinfected PC jungle of sections, subsections and conformist human-programming.

"He wasn't drunk at a game or a training session - he was giving a 'video analysis' session the level of attention it probably deserved."
 
I guess there is only so many video analysis sessions you can sit through and be shown how many steps you're taking before passing the ball!

Casartelli wrote:He wasn't drunk at a game or a training session - he was giving a 'video analysis' session the level of attention it probably deserved.

Not quite true. There was physical training in the afternoon. The two other players involved were deemed fit to train (suggesting Phillips wasn't).

I am quite surprised that he's been sacked though.

Scrumpy wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

What club honours has he got?

That's like asking someone with a PhD what GCSE results they got!

Griff wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

What club honours has he got?

That's like asking someone with a PhD what GCSE results they got!

 

He wasn't drunk...he was just a very naughty boy.

Griff wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

What club honours has he got?

That's like asking someone with a PhD what GCSE results they got!

PhD as allegory for Mike Phillips...that's a good one. LOL.    

Griff wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:But you'd also have to acknowledge that he has a hell of a CV.

What club honours has he got?

That's like asking someone with a PhD what GCSE results they got!

Speaking from experience having a PhD means you should be very good at the complicated stuff in the precise area of research - but you can still be rubbish at the basic stuff and everything else.

Philips the next to sign for London Irish then? Or will he use the Ai's as a 'shop window' to the HEC clubs to encourage them to sign him as 'injury cover'?

lighten up chaps...PhD implies a certain amount of intellectual wattage, whatever the subject. MP has perhaps displayed less than that amount, even if he does well at SH for a flanker

Comfort wrote:Will he use the Ai's as a 'shop window' to the HEC clubs to encourage them to sign him as 'injury cover'?

I'm worried that Phillips will take too much on himself for Wales in the AIs. I can see him trying to make breaks all the time when it isn't on. If I was Heyneke Meyer*, I'd be telling the Springbok forwards not to buy any dummies from him.



* - I'm not Heyneke Meyer.

Well, it seems after I departed that posters, regardless of nationality seem to be raising points that I raised days ago. Wonder why that is, might it have something to do with The Saint always being in the correct ball court?  

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Comfort wrote:Will he use the Ai's as a 'shop window' to the HEC clubs to encourage them to sign him as 'injury cover'?

I'm worried that Phillips will take too much on himself for Wales in the AIs. I can see him trying to make breaks all the time when it isn't on. If I was Heyneke Meyer*, I'd be telling the Springbok forwards not to buy any dummies from him.



* - I'm not Heyneke Meyer.

I think he tried to do that too much against Australia to & they were ready for him like I suspect most teams will be nowadays.
I'm not saying it isn't useful as it drags in defenders but there is a turnover risk & frustration for the backs not getting ball.

The Saint in court??? Now, why doesn't that surprise me!

quinsforever wrote:lighten up chaps...PhD implies a certain amount of intellectual wattage, whatever the subject. MP has perhaps displayed less than that amount, even if he does well at SH for a flanker

Can be - can also be about dodging getting a real job (I have a maths PhD by the way and am now in a real job - only took 20 years....)

Exactly Trev, he can take too much on himself as it is, but now he'll want to prove a point and might do it even more. I think we shouldn't play him.

lostinwales wrote:

quinsforever wrote:lighten up chaps...PhD implies a certain amount of intellectual wattage, whatever the subject. MP has perhaps displayed less than that amount, even if he does well at SH for a flanker

Can be - can also be about dodging getting a real job (I have a maths PhD by the way and am now in a real job - only took 20 years....)

ha, i'm in the opposite position. had very real jobs for 20 years and now thinking about doing a PhD in a very obscure bit of economic theory!

Trev is correct. If Gatland wants a direct replacement to Phillips he should select Gareth Davies from the Scarlets (surprise surprise who got on the scoresheet when he came back into the team on the weekend), Rhodri was playing well enough to merit selection though.