More news found here: http://nzhoops.co.nz/henry-set-townsville-move/

A good back up sf for the crocs, seemed to be too good to not be in the NBL, look forward to seeing how he goes.

Exactly what the Crocs needed: a guy who can play both forward positions.

Townsville have won this offseason so far.

Anyone else this it is a questionable signing given his conviction. I mean a community like TVL you would think wouldn't advocate for that kind of behaviour (not saying that by signing him they are saying its ok). Just weird that he didn’t get picked up last season and yet got picked up this season after what he has done. I don’t think any other team would go near him, quite surprising TVL did.

MACDUB...probably best bang for buck as a result of his conviction? Probably on a very tight contract too regarding his behaviour?

Low risk move by Townsville when they have decent Forward stocks already.

I'd be surprised he can get entry to Australia.

From experenice in our business they must declare on the entry card if they have been convicted of a crime and in the case of assualt if it is recent normally entry to australia is declined.

You can appeal this but normally on ground of charater change....that said this is norammly if the conviction is 5-10 years old not recent or still techinally serviing a sentence.

further to the above point can't really beleive teams would want to sign a thug whom pled guilty to all charges! Not really the sort of community role model you would expect the kids to learn from and he is 28 year old so too old to say i was young and made a mistake!

Not really surprised at all. Not to condone his actions, but the precedence says guys have done much worse and gone on to have lucrative sporting careers (see: 50% of the NRL or AFL). You just don't hear about basketball players carrying on like this because a). media scrutiny is much less due to basketball not being popular and b). basketballers are generally less of a bunch of violent drunkards.

I'm sure (i'd hope) the Crocs would have done their due diligence and specifically broached this subject during recruitment.

Has Henry had behavioural issues outside of this incident or is there a pattern of behaviour like this?

Yes, good point Tiger Watcher.

You would think the contract would be conditional on gaining entry in Australia.

You could also see him signed and then be suspended immediately by the Crocs for the first 10 games or something.

MACDUB, I agree - think this is a bad signing and sends the wrong message. I don't care if he's the best available player.

He's been punished by the courts, I think potential employees should respect that unless they have reason to believe he won't fulfil his contract.

Lets see if he can get in the country first.....

Seems like home detention can only be deferred for two months, so Henry will be recalled to the courts.

Kinda weird that the court didn't know that to start with....

Crocs will have to wait and see I guess

Sounds like they may just postpone his sentencing entirely until March

i think it all depends on whether there is a pettern of this sort of behavior or if the incident in question was isolated

Not to condone his actions, but the precedence says guys have done much worse and gone on to have lucrative sporting careers (see: 50% of the NRL or AFL).

The police summaries show that earlier in the night Henry, who was unhappy that his team members were refused entry at various bars, had become abusive.

He was warned by police to behave.

Matters boiled over about 2.30am when they were refused entry to Crowded House by doorman Terry Ngaia.

Henry argued and walked off only to return a few minutes later.

He approached Ngaia, apologised and shook his hand then, without warning, punched Ngaia in the face with a closed fist knocking him to the ground.

A scuffle immediately developed between Henry, the two other basketballers and members of the public.

He was seen to punch an unknown person twice, the summary says.

Henry then went up to another bar staff member Kieren Johansen, punching him in the jaw from behind knocking him unconscious.

Henry turned back to Ngaia who got to his feet only to be knocked down to the ground by Te Rangi.

Henry grabbed the prone Ngaia pulled him toward himself before kicking him in the head.

Ah, forgot Henry was in that incident with Te Rangi.

Is Te Rangi playing for the Breakers??

If he is, why cant Henry play for the Crocs in peoples eyes?? Obviously legal issues such as not being able to enter Australia could be an issue, but if nothing legally stopping him why is it ok for Te Rangi to play NBL but not Henry??

Or are most people of the opinion neither should be playing NBL as a result of this incident.

The Packer incident IMO is very similar.

And look what happened to him. A Year (or was it more?) in prison and his multi-million dollar contract was torn up.

TeRangi is 20, Henry is 28 and was the one who instigated the incident.

After pleading guilty to that incident (As descripted above) there should be no circumstances at which he can enter Australia to even visit let alone work & live in the community.

Regardless of age that sort of unprovoked violence is unacceptable.

You'd think with the massive ante violence campaigns happening in WA/NSW/VIC around this sort of behaviour no NBL team in their right mind would even entertain contracting any of the players involved.

from what ive seen in the AFL & NRL

buddy franklin drunk drove into parked cars

thats a dangerous offense

and Carney once lit a bloke on fire

so assault cant be that harshly criticised?

nz warriors have a guy in there who has served time in jail for murder?

Yea fair enough if they have moved on, pity he got involved in that incident, he is a good player and on basketball terms NBL quality for sure imo, but understandable if he isnt picked up by a NBL team after that serious incident.

Will be interested to see what the Breakers do with Te Rangi.

They may punish TeRangi by moving him to back up SG

When didn buddy Franklin get charged for being drunk and smashing into parked cars? Pretty sure he wasn't drunk and it was just an accident.

NRL - Are a sport riddled with old boys club metality and even there own adminstation is trying to clean it up as pressure from the sponsors/corprates is starting to have an effect, esp as there is a alternative to sponsor now (A-League & AFL)

911, It used to be for all states except the fine state of South Australia!


I would be surprised if Townsville has signed him without looking at the fine points, such as availability......

Providing Leon Henry hasn't done anything stupid like be found lurking the streets of New Zealand at 2 am "going for smokes", then a smart lawyer should be able to argue to the courts to get the home detention conditions altered for work purposes.

As far as entry to Australia, check out these websites:

https://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/17nz.htm
https://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/travel-documents/new-zealand.htm

It would seem that Leon Henry could potentially be a "behaviour concern non-citizen (BCNC)", however, "Circumstances where a person may be assessed as a BCNC include, but are not limited to, when the person has been: convicted of one or more crimes that have resulted in sentences of imprisonment that add up to at least one year"

The argument is whether home detention is deemed to be imprisonment, which may be a mute point if it is only 4 months, and therefore less than one year. Unless he has shared a cell with Jake Heke at Paremoremo Prison for other offences, then he may be OK to play for Townsville providing he is granted permission to leave the land of the long white cloud.

I believe he has an otherwise clean record..

That being the case, he would stand a good chance if the deal was done properly with due consideration.


Otherwise, may I suggest hexiling him for the term of his natural life.

Ty McKee was dumped after a drink driving charge by the Hawks, a community owned team.

Clean record and has represented his country at the highest level in his chosen sport
so its not like hes a bludger
one off incident

I've played some pick up games against him and he was by all accounts a decent person, not sure what he was up to that evening.

Henry has already paid his two victims a total of $4000 reparations.

He admits that after being denied entry to the bar, he went to shake a bouncer's hand, before throwing a punch at his face out of nowhere.

He then knocked another staff member unconscious

His younger teammates, Shea Ili and Reuben Te Rangi, joined in.

Ili has been sentenced to four months community detention and has been ordered to pay $1250 reparations.

Te Rangi will be sentenced on September 10.

All three have engaged in a restorative justice conference, which has been described as a huge success.

Crowded House bar manager, Max O'Leary, said his view of the players changed after meeting with them, even though their behaviour was despicable.

He said they were paying the price for their actions, being stood down from the Southland Sharks and not being considered for the Tall Blacks world cup squad.

He was shocked Southland Sharks management did not have touring policies in place before the incident, and did not do anything to prevent heavily intoxicated players from going out on the town.

This is a position in which he is a role model and doing school clinics, etc. Leave that spot for a better role model and leave Henry to work in another field.

Disagree Isaac, just because he made a big mistake doesn't mean he can't have a positive impact on kids.

paul, didn't say that wasn't the case, just that there are countless people fighting for their NBL chance, and not just fighting someone that wouldn't let them into a bar. I think they're likely to make better role models.

I don't think either of us has done enough research to know what kind of role model Leon Henry is, but I stand by my belief that punishments should be handled by the legal system.

"Your a JOKE MYSTRO they are Guilty must be punished and not be allowed to play again."

you're

It was noted in court that he had consumed 36 standard drinks, he acted out of character and plead guilty, at no stage did he apply for a discharge without conviction or try get out of any punishment or escape liability for his actions.
He had a previously clean record.

The victims were initially after heavy punishments and sanctions against the three offenders but after meeting Henry, Ili & TeRangi at a restorative justice meeting recently they have released statements in support of the players.

Previously clean record does not equal perfectly stellar past, if you know what I mean.... Not the greatest reputation.

reputations are open to creative interpretation and no one is ever perfect.

To much talking shit that's all the media is judge a person's behavior from one incident (thug) what a joke obviously this person is perfect for calling a name the doesn't fit an athlete..

36 drinks #LEGEND

Crocs haven't offered Henry a contract: Veronica Eggleton on Twitter:

.@TsvCrocs have also clarified they have NOT offered Leon Henry a contract, despite his declaration in a NZ court last week. @7LocalNewsTSV