Hard & Fast: Shaun Kenny-Dowall Free To Play Footy
Shaun Kenny-Dowall has been found not guilty of all charges laid against him by his former girlfriend.
The Roosters outside back had been caught up in this drama since just before the NRL finals and the serious nature of the accusations obviously had many people on edge. However it appears that these accusations weren't based on too much fact.
This now frees up Kenny-Dowall to go about his business with the Roosters after he brushed off these charges last season to put a few impressive displays on the board.
Kenny-Dowall will be a key figure in the Roosters' backline, especially now that the Roosters have lost plenty of experience. Michael Jennings left for Parramatta while Mitchell Pearce is currently sorting his life out, which means the Roosters will head into the 2016 NRL season with a young halves pairing (Jackson Hastings and Jayden Nikorima) and a young but exciting group of outside backs.
Expect Kenny-Dowall to slot in either at centre or on the wing as he plays both positions very well. I've got Kenny-Dowall starting at centre but we'll have to wait for our first Team List Tuesday to get that heads up.
Another young kiwi Joseph Manu is in the mix for a centre/wing spot while Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell and Brendon Elliott are all in contention to fill centre/fullback/wing spots with Daniel Tupou locked in on one wing.
While we can't brush off such accusations laid agaisnt a male sportsman, it seems as though Kenny-Dowall was never really in any danger of being convicted. This is great for Kenny-Dowall who can now focus on his footy and more importantly for the Roosters as they desperately need Kenny-Dowall fit and firing.