Timana Tahu

Timana Tahu accused of race abuse against youth James Hooper From: The Daily Telegraph October 07, 2010 12:00AM Alleged racial slur ...


TIMANA Tahu, the man at the centre of the NSW Origin racism row, has been accused of racially vilifying a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy at a Koori Knockout league tournament.
Northern United coach Chris Binge claims his son Caleb had reported that Tahu called him a "black c ... " at the weekend.

The Parramatta Eels last night engaged the services of a lawyer to act on Tahu's behalf after the allegations came to light. The solicitor told The Daily Telegraph Tahu had "repeatedly and strenuously" denied the claims.

Tahu alleges he himself was the victim of verbal abuse during the tournament in Woy Woy.

Mr Binge, Northern United sponsor John Bryce, captain Willie Hammond and vice-captain Alwyn Roberts have all gone on the record to state that Tahu made the remark. Mr Bryce, who runs Meridian Health Family Medical Centre in Lismore, said: "It happened. I heard it. The young guys hold this guy in fairly high esteem and to hear him use the words was just unbelievable.


"To have him stand up on national TV not that long ago and belittle someone else for using the same terminology is just hypocritical."

Tahu tipped the NSW State of Origin camp upside down ahead of the series-deciding Origin II match in June when he quit the Blues camp on the NSW North Coast.

The protest developed into a hardline political stance from the Parramatta centre, who was angered after Blues assistant coach Andrew Johns referred to Queensland centre Greg Inglis as a "black c ... ".

At the time, Tahu said a line needed to be drawn in the sand in relation to racism in rugby league.

Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne yesterday spoke to Tahu, Mr Binge and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda.

"I spoke to Timana, who's denied the allegation. However, I've also spoken to the father of the young boy in question and I'll be speaking to Mick Gooda to seek his counsel on how best to handle the situation," Osborne said.

"I intend to have Mick Gooda speak to Timana. We're happy to work with the Binge family."

Mr Gooda is the man who handled the Tahu-Johns race row and mediated the pair to eventually come together to attempt to find a resolution.

Binge is a talented 16-year-old who has been on a Broncos scholarship for the past two seasons and is set to make his Toyota Cup debut for Brisbane next year.

"Like Timana said at the time of the Origin camp, there's a line and you don't cross it," Mr Binge Sr said.

"Well, what, you don't cross it if it's black on white but it's OK to cross if you're black on black?

"At the end of the day, regardless of colour or the situation, it's not on.

"My young bloke used to look up to Tahu. This isn't sour grapes [or] a witch hunt, we're genuinely shocked."

In a separate incident against United, Tahu was also accused of lashing out with a kick and was later sin-binned for five minutes for a swinging arm against Mungindi.

Club officials and supporters stormed the field in protest before Tahu was sin-binned.

Northern United captain Willie Hammond also claimed he heard the racial slur.

"After all the stuff that went on with him and Joey it's pretty sad for him to come out and say stuff like that," Hammond, 33, said