Australian rugby league player Joel Monaghan was forced out of the NRL after being photographed in a compromising position with a dog, and even on the other side of the world, there is no getting away from his bizarre indiscretion.
Monaghan has joined English Super League sde Warrington for the upcoming season and his new teammates are in no hurry to let him live down his infamous act that included simulating oral sex with a teammate’s dog.
Firstly there was barking during Monaghan’s interviews at the club’s pre-season media day and then the helpful suggestion to play ‘Who let the dogs out?’
Monaghan, however, appreciates a joke as much as the next person and fortunately for him, just over two months after his humiliating episode, he is seeing the funny side of it all.
“I know it is going to happen so I have got my head around that,” he said.
“I didn’t turn the internet on or read a paper for about two months, but obviously I’m going to expect a few jokes.
“If they’re real good ones, I’ll have a chuckle.”
He is still highly embarrassed about the incident but if there is any lingering bitterness, it is not evident.
Monaghan said support from the likes of Todd Carney and Andrew Johns, who have both suffered very public falls from grace, had meant a lot to him during his darker days.
“It was probably the worst month of my life,” he said.
“Toddy (Carney) is probably one of my best mates, Joey (Johns) was ringing me every day, just to see how I was and I was getting a lot of support.
“It made me realise I must have done something right in the 10 years of playing to have such support.
