Todd Carney
Personal information
Nickname	Todd Carnage
Born	2 June 1986 (1986-06-02) (age 23)
	Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Position	Halfback, Five-eighth
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2004–2008	Canberra Raiders	71	29	70	6	262
2010–	Sydney Roosters	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	71	29	70	6	262
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2008	Country Origin	1	1	1	0	6
Source: Rugby League Project and Yesterday's Hero

Todd Carney (born 2 June 1986 in Goulburn, New South Wales) is an Australian rugby league footballer whose promising career has been curtailed by chronic off-field misdemeanours. He spent four seasons in the NRL with the Canberra Raiders before his contract was terminated. He usually plays at five-eighth or halfback.

Contents 1 Career 2 Controversy 2.1 2006 2.2 2007 2.3 2008 2.4 2009 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Career

Carney made his debut for the Raiders at the age of 17 after two years in Jersey Flegg (including a championship in 2003). After making a handful of appearances in 2004 he was named the club's rookie of the year. Canberra signed Jason Smith who helped shape his game. Despite only playing 11 games with a single try, Carney was rewarded with a starting position in the Junior Kangaroos annual fixture against Papua New Guinea, where he tallied a record 20 points.

2006 was Carney's breakthrough year where he cemented his position in first grade, scoring 12 tries in 18 games. Alongside Adam Mogg, he was the Raiders' leading try-scorer for 2006. His long range kicking also became a feature of his game, forcing numerous 40-20s. Carney won three games in extra time off 40 metre drop goals as Canberra finished in the Top 8. He was again selected in the Junior Kangaroos squad, but this time as captain.

After being thrust into the position of five-eighth in 2007, Carney earned three Man of the Match awards from seven games. However his City-Country selection chances were laid to rest when he got into hot water over a high speed pursuit incident. He was the Raiders' top try-scorer for the 2007 season.Carney began modelling his game on Jonathan Thurston before the 2008 season in a bid to play representative football.^[1] Carney's 2008 pre-season was eventful as he became the subject of a three way battle between Canberra, Manly and Penrith. Eventually he re-signed with the Raiders until 2010 with an option for 2 further years.^[2]

Carney joined the Sydney Roosters for 2010 after his season long ban from the NRL expired.

On the 23rd of December 2009, Sydney Newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' exclusively revealed that Todd Carney purchased a Boxing Bag.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] 2006

Carney was charged with drink driving and reckless driving after an incident in Ballanya Avenue, Goulburn, on 16 December 2006, and had his license suspended for five years.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2007

Just before 6pm on 18 May 2007, Carney re-offended. Despite being disqualified from driving, Carney drove a ute belonging to teammate Steve Irwin. Police began to pursue the vehicle after noticing the wheels of the ute momentarily lose traction as it went around a corner. Despite the police car having its sirens sounding and lights flashing, Carney refused to stop his speeding vehicle, leading police on a high-speed chase through the back streets of the Canberra suburb of Bruce. After turning into a dead-end street, Carney stopped the car and fled the scene on foot, leaving his mate Steve Irwin in the passenger seat. Irwin told police Carney was the driver. Police went to Carney's house, but he was not there. The next morning, Carney turned himself in.

On Tuesday, 12 June 2007, Carney appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court, pleading guilty to the charges of failing to stop when directed by police, negligent driving and driving while disqualified.^[3] He escaped jail, but the Court placed Carney on a 12-month good behaviour order, banned him from driving until 2012,^[4] and sentenced him to 200 hours of community service.^[5] The Magistrate warned Carney that if he commits another offence he would "undoubtedly go to jail."^[3] Controversially, the Raiders club sacked Irwin (who was not charged with any offences) over the incident but retained Carney.^[6]

[edit] 2008

On 20 July 2008, it was alleged Carney urinated on a man at a Canberra nightclub, who had to undertake intensive counseling as well as a long shower to overcome the trauma of the incident .^[7] Carney was suspended from participating in league matches and training while the allegations were investigated. The complaint was withdrawn two days later but Carney remained suspended for the round 21 match against the Gold Coast Titans.^[8]

The nightclub allegations sparked renewed interest in Carney's 2007 negligent driving charges when Steve Irwin claimed that Carney was intoxicated whilst driving at the time of the 2007 incident but he had been pressured by the club to remain quiet in an attempt to avoid a jail sentence for Carney.^[9]

The incident led to the club imposing an ultimatum on Carney which included a five point plan, whereby Carney would have to stand down from training and matches for the rest of the season; go on an alcohol ban until the end of 2012; undergo counselling; complete a community service program; and pay a $20,000 fine.

The NRL threatened to de-register his contract for two years if Carney didn't accept this plan in order to protect the Raiders from losing him to another club.^[10]

Carney asked for a variation of the plan where he could avoid points one and two. This was unacceptable to the club board. On 7 August, 2008, the Canberra club sacked Carney and terminated his $400,000 a season contract. Carney was de-registered by the NRL and will not be eligible to compete in the competition until 2010.^[11][12]

[edit] 2009

Carney attempted to follow ex-Dragon's coach Nathan Brown to Huddersfield on a one year deal, but was unable to obtain a visa in late 2008 due to the drink driving offences.^[13][14] Carney applied to the NRL in an effort to play for an Australian club in the 2009 season but in January the NRL stated that they would not accept registration of a contract for Todd Carney for this season.^[14]

In February 2009, Carney went on a property damaging rampage in Goulburn, jumping on a car bonnet and damaging the entrance to a Fone Zone store. He received a 12-month suspended jail sentence, and was ordered to undertake alcohol counselling.^[15]

In March, 2009, the Canberra Raiders agreed to release Carney to play for the Atherton Roosters in the Cairns competition, in Far North Queensland.^[16]

Carney was assaulted by four men in Atherton at 3 am on Sunday, 10 May 2009.^[17]

Next year Todd Carney will join NRL Club the Sydney Roosters.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Canberra Raiders profile
• NRL profile