NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler had a blunt piece of advice for Curtis Scott after he was dumped by the Raiders for an off-field incident, while eighth Immortal Andrew Johns predicted what his next move could be.
The Raiders abruptly sacked Scott just two years into his four-year contract after the 23-year-old was charged with assault for an alleged fight at a Canberra nightclub earlier this year, which led to him receiving a three-game ban and $15,000 fine from the NRL. Scott intends to fight the charge in court.
Scott had not played for the Raiders since Round 12, and the club decided to end his contract before the charges were heard by the court. Scott admitted to media that he had joined Alcoholics Anonymous to attempt to put his career back on track, but he expressed disappointment in the way the club handled the controversy.
Johns said the best option for Scott now may be to seek opportunities overseas to escape the NRL pressure-cooker.
“I think the best thing for Curtis might be to go overseas and play in the Super League,” Johns told Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and The Eighth.
“He’s too good a player not to be playing. He just needs to sort himself out, which he’ll do I hope and just mature a bit. But it’s a tough one because you know he’s going through some dramas mentally.”
Fittler rubbished Scott’s criticism of the Raiders upon his unceremonious exit from the club, and instead said Scott’s alcohol issues should prompt him to follow the advice of the Bulldogs’ billionaire pub-owner sponsor Arthur Laundy, who told Adam Elliott this week to quit drinking amid another scandal.
“It’s impossible to blame the Raiders for what they’ve done with Curtis,” Fittler said.
“There’s still a responsibility of the player to add value to your team and especially if you’re on good dollars like he was. I think everyone wishes him the best to get himself sorted but he might want to listen to Arthur Laundy as well – get off the drink.”
Fittler suggested the problems which have followed Canberra this season including Scott’s complaints, could be a result of failing to achieve their potential.
“They made a grand final, made a preliminary final and with that comes pressure to win a grand final, and with that pressure some people don’t handle it,” Fittler said.
Johns defended the Raiders’ handling of Scott’s departure too.
“I think the Raiders did have grounds to release him,” he said.
“It’s hard to talk about because Curtis had let it be known he was having some mental health dramas, but once again it’s the connection between mental health, and handling that and alcohol and self-medicating. And it seems that when he does have plenty to drink then there’s fights and some aggression coming out.
“I find him a really good young fella. Obviously there’s been dramas with things that have happened to him younger in life.”
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