Whatever way it's stated, Zac Guildford is a troubled man. I'm not convinced he thinks he has a problem, though. He says he is sorry, and that he has a "problem" but does he believe it or has he been coached to say this in order to appease those baying for his blood?
Does he truly believe that the good times he has on the booze, the laughs he gets from his mates, and the crazy things he does when drunk are ultimately causing him setbacks in his life and career?
Many 20-something-year-olds would tell any well-meaning sticky beak where to park their words if they were told to leave their "mates" behind next time they went to a party.
What kind of mates does Zac have? It sounds like Guildford and Israel Dagg are like the comic duo of any team they're a part of. In that case, included in Zac's mate repertoire must be the "funny, hilarious Zac".
Unfortunately, this mate is closely related to the "abusive, aggressive Zac" and the "no boundaries Zac". Good luck trying to get rid of all those clingy mates in one easy sweep.
The NZRU management think they're helping by protecting him from the aggressive media attention and demands for public apologies. But what are they teaching him by lying to the media, and ushering him out of Rarotonga like a celebrity who deserves special treatment?
It has taught him that as an All Black he can expect his henchmen and spin doctors (Gilbert Enoka and Wayne Smith) to bail him out even in his own time.
None of us are angels, and because drinking is a problematic aspect of New Zealand culture, it is not about expecting Zac to be saintly and beyond reproach.
But I wish they'd let him feel the full consequences of his actions, especially after two or three warnings have been issued already. He needed to front in Rarotonga, guided by his mentors, that facing up to the consequences does not mean disappearing in the middle of the night.
I was in Queenstown when Norm Hewitt hit rock bottom and earlier that night he was talking gibberish and chewing on a glass as if it was made of candy. I wasn't surprised to hear the next day that he'd smashed through someone's room thinking it was his own.
Norm's tearful admission and apology on television appeared more genuine to me than Zac's run-of-the-mill statements on his return to New Zealand.
Has he had time to take it all in and realise the full extent of what happened? Does he think he can control his outbursts if he tries hard enough?
Zac appears to have an excessive personality which is what makes him a great rugby player, a larrikin, but also a ticking time bomb on the turps.
The media and rugby support staff can point out his character flaws, remind him of the downside of drinking to excess, and reprimand and support him as much as they like, but if he doesn't think his behaviour while intoxicated is an issue, they're wasting their time.
He will keep pushing the boundaries until something gives, and it is his job and that of those around him to find what triggers this behaviour and what will motivate him to change.
Mike Tindall used the Rugby World Cup as an excuse to have another stag do and was fined 25,000 ($NZ51,400) for disgracing the Royal Family and lying to team management.
Guildford used a stag do as an excuse to behave as a drunken rugby player and the jury is still out on what punishment he'll receive.
If the cloak-and-dagger antics in Rarotonga are anything to go by, his punishment will all be behind closed doors and we'll have to wait and see if "Zac be nimble, Zac be quick, Zac finally gives his `drunken mates' the flick".
