'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should': Fox Sports presenter Yvonne Sampson slams the Bulldogs players allegedly involved in a teenage school sex scandal
- Jayden Okunbor met a teenager during a visit to her school in Port Macquarie
- Corey Harawira-Naera met a girl at her after school job during the same team trip
- The Bulldogs duo were stood down over the alleged schoolgirl sex scandal
- Fox Sports presenter Yvonne Sampson slammed pair and said it's a 'moral issue'
Fox Sports presenter Yvonne Sampson has slammed the Bulldogs players at the centre of an alleged schoolgirl sex scandal.
Teammates Jayden Okunbor, 23, and Corey Harawira-Naera, 24, were stood down after they brought teenagers back to the club's hotel in Port Macquarie, NSW and allegedly had sex with them.
Okunbor met the schoolgirl while on a promotional visit to Newman Senior Technical College ahead of a trial game with Canberra. His teammate, Harawira-Naera, invited another girl back to the hotel after meeting her while she was working in her casual job.
The teens who went to the Bulldogs' hotel were not underage and there is no criminal investigation into the matter. There is no suggestion Okunbor or Harawira-Naera did anything illegal.
Fox Sports presenter Yvonne Sampson has slammed the Bulldogs players at the centre of a schoolgirl sex scandal
But Sampson has declared the incident as it's 'a moral issue' and the legality shouldn't matter.
'They let themselves down, it's hugely disappointing,' she said on The Big Breakfast.
'A lot of people have said the girls were of consensual age, and it's not a police matter.
'But you have got to say it's a moral issue. You can't be going into schools and having a predatory nature.
'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.'
Sampson said the Bulldogs players should have known better based on their role in the community as sportspeople.
Jayden Okunbor, 23, was stood down and is likely to be sacked from the club and deregistered from the game for allegedly having sex with a schoolgirl during an away trip
Corey Harawira-Naera, 24,invited another girl back to the hotel after meeting her while she was working in her casual job
'Often these are people at risk, they're doing it tough and who idolise sports and they need a bit of a lift,' she said.
'That's what sports people are invited to come in and do, and that's the contact that is a privilege of being an elite sports person.
'Never should you take advantage of that access. It's an abuse of power.'
On Thursday, the league's leading gender adviser Dr Catharine Lumby defended Okunbor and Harawira-Naera, claiming they have 'done nothing criminal as far as we know'.
'This is not a sex scandal, this is a workplace conduct issue... women over the age of consent are allowed to have sex, and plenty of them do,' she told The Daily Telegraph.
'And I don't like the word sex scandal because it implies that these young women, like, it was all inappropriate.
Pictured: A Snapchat picture Okunbor allegedly sent to the girl he met while on a promotional team visit to her school in Port Macquarie
One picture of Okunbor's bare chest and neck read: 'show tits tho'
Canterbury Bulldogs star Jayden Okunbor allegedly asked the teen for naked photos on Snapchat
'I have huge concerns for these young women. They can make their own decisions and they have a future and let's leave them out of this.'
Family restaurant chain Rashays tore up a $2 million sponsorship agreement when the scandal broke.
MPA - the company that sponsored coach Dean Pay and his staff - also terminated its deal.
The building contracting services company announced the decision before Thursday night's Bulldogs game against the Parramatta Eels.
'MPA were recently notified by Canterbury Bulldogs management of the off-field allegations relating to two Bulldogs players,' MPA said in a statement.
'As a result, MPA terminated our sponsorship agreement with the Canterbury Bulldogs on Wednesday, which was a high performance partnership with the coaching team.
'We are disappointed that circumstances have required this action, however it is imperative that the values we strive for are reflected in the organisations we choose to align with.'
Pictured: Corey Harawira-Naera, who has been stood down from the Bulldogs
NRL star Jayden Okunbor exchanged flirty messages with a schoolgirl before taking her to the team hotel, after they met at her school hours earlier
A photo the teenage girl took with Bulldogs players during their promotional visit to her school
It comes amid fresh allegations that Okunbor asked the teenager to send him naked pictures of herself during February's away trip.
Snapchat screenshots show a bare-chested Okunbor asking the girl for nudes, with the caption: 'Show tits tho'.
Another photo showed his face with the caption 'Dat ass Ahahah.'
A third screenshot showed the winger's face with the caption 'Oh word. I f**k with that,' with heart eye emojis.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg Todd Greenberg has warned the board is ready to send a message in the form of a severe punishment if the allegations are proven.
An angry Greenberg said the incident was 'completely unacceptable' and would 'not be tolerated'.
'Part of being a first grade player is being a role model. Respect for women is a fundamental aspect of our training courses from rookies to elite players,' he said.
Okunbor asked one of the girls 'what are we doing tonight?' in an Instagram message after meeting her at a visit to her school that day
Okunbor and Harawira-Naera (pictured) have been provisionally stood down by the NRL and club, and will not train or play with the team until the investigation is complete
'That's why we took immediate action in provisionally suspending both players allegedly involved in the matters under investigation.
'Rest assured, if these breaches are sustained the players will face significant sanctions which will both meet community expectation, and send a message to every single player in our game.'
The timing of the incident has no doubt frustrated the NRL. Greenberg's comments came less than 24 hours before the beginning of the season.
The Canterbury board is set to meet with Hill and Pay on Friday, as Okunbor and Harawira-Naera's futures at the club remain hanging in the balance.
The two have already been provisionally stood down by the NRL and club, and will not train or play with the team until the investigation is complete after being handed a breach notice.
While the teens who went to the Bulldogs' hotel were not underage and there is no criminal investigation into the matter, the revelations have led to widespread outrage. Pictured: Jayden Okunbor
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
