The visits by players and NRL community development officers were widely welcomed as they discussed the ideals of respect and looking out for each other on and off the field. 

It is a fantastic message to be promoting and certainly an important one. 

Players of all sporting codes whether it be NRL, AFL, the A-League, tennis or whatever it is one chooses to follow all have a duty to behave themselves. 

They are in the public eye and it is the young students and players they were speaking to this week that idolise and worship them whether they like it or not. 

Some “famous” players across all different kinds of sport don’t like this kind of attention and perhaps don’t believe they need to act a certain way both publicly and privately. 

However, they do, which is why having the Cronulla Sharks players out and about in the region was a good thing. 

Young and impressionable minds were eagerly lapping up every word that had to say, so if they are spreading a good message, it can only be positive. 

At the same time, it is all well and good to be spreading the message of respecting each other on and off the field or whatever it is you do in life, but it is another thing to put this into practice. 

There’s no doubt all clubs get out and do this sort of work, it’s expected of the players. 

Hopefully it is something they too are taking and learning from. 

Too often the news headlines are screaming about another NRL or AFL bad boy that has landed themselves in trouble whether it be for bad behaviour while out on the grog, testing positive to drugs or even assaulting a woman. 

True or not, these sorts of news headlines are damaging. 

What can’t happen is for young men (and women) to grow up thinking this sort of behaviour is appropriate and it most definitely is not. It’s not something to aspire to. 

Hopefully these young children will sit back and remember the time the NRL called through town with a good message to promote and their lives in accordance. 

That’s the idea behind these visits, but it’s something all professional and non-professional player needs to put into practice. That also includes the every day average Joe. It’s a universal message for all.