NRL world turns on Billy Slater over State of Origin comment

News.com.au

6 hours ago

Rugby league commentators have labelled Billy Slater's response to former NSW rival Aaron Woods a 'disgrace'.
The Queensland coach on Tuesday caused uproar in his final press conference before Wednesday night's do-or-die State of Origin Game 2 in Perth.
The Storm icon's public appearance in front of fans in Perth was dominated by his response to a personal sledge fired by Woods last week.
The former NSW forward called Slater a 'grub' while also criticising the premiership-winning fullback for his decision to axe former captain Daly Cherry-Evans after the Maroons were blown off the park in the series opener.
The former Wests Tigers captain was heavily criticised by some Queensland figures, including Broncos icon Gorden Tallis, for his public swipe at Slater.
But there has been a dramatic twist in the public relations battle since Slater's response in Perth.
Slater was visibly emotional when he made reference to former Cowboys and Queensland coach Paul Green, who tragically took his own life in 2022 — one year before Slater took the job.
The 41-year-old scolded Woods by suggesting the comments were in poor taste, considering the potential impact such comments can have on people's mental health.
Woods, who retired at the end of the 2024 NRL season, on Wednesday morning responded by calling Slater's comments about Green 'completely unnecessary'.
'It's a hard position he's in at the moment,' Woods said on Triple M.
'He's lost game one of the series up in Queensland.
'He's coming off a losing series which was a decider in Queensland as well.
'So he's under a lot of pressure.
'But one in particular comment that he did make. I just thought Billy went a little bit over the boundary. I just think it was completely unnecessary for the situation.'
Slater has been facing a backlash since his press conference with commentators going public with criticism of the coach.
Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said on his SEN Breakfast show Slater had missed the mark.
'I think Billy was out of order referencing the late Paul Green. He went too far,' he said.
'Deal with your own response but don't bring others into it. That was beyond talking about Origin.
'Maybe Billy regrets that but the way he delivered it, it wasn't off the cuff.'
Newcastle icon Matthew Johns was visibly staggered when first hearing Slater's comments.
SEN has shared a video on X showing Johns' jaw dropped when audio from Slater's press conference was played.
'Whether it's in banter, theatre, whatever it is - if you do say something about someone, and it is personal, then you hand them immediately a right of reply,' Johns told SEN 1170.
'Billy's used that right of reply and he's certainly taken a long handle to it. I have no doubt that Woodsy's building up the theatre.
'When he said, first of all, Billy's a grub, I sort of thought - it's a bit of fun - and then I thought this is sort of starting to get into the personal area.
'In his heart of hearts, Woodsy just meant it purely as banter but it hasn't been taken that way and when you say something like that - then you run the risk of that.'
Johns is one of many to suggest Slater had a pre-prepared answer knowing he was going to be asked about Woods during the public appearance.
'He's certainly taken the long handle to it,' Johns said.
'I did laugh when Pete (journalist Pete Badel) asked him the question and he (Slater) said, 'Do you really want me to answer that?'
'He had a very well thought out answer.'
Slater's stance has clearly irked others in the game with fans quick to point out times he caused offence with his comments.
The legendary fullback was in 2010 forced to admit he 'overstepped the mark' by taunting Newcastle's Cory Paterson over his battle with depression
It was reported at the time Slater told Paterson during a skirmish on the field: 'Go and have a cry in your room'.
Paterson had the previous year taken a step away from the game to manage his mental health.
Slater finished his career as one of the greatest players of the modern era, but his stature in the game has somewhat been diminished by his record of being cited for 10 offences by the NRL Match Review during the course of his 319 games.
He was suspended for a total of 13 matches.
That behaviour has been questioned again in light of Slater's apparent offence to the term 'grub'.
Aussie sport commentator Alcia Newton posted on X the term 'grub' means 'nothing'.
'And Slater was a grub in his playing days which is what Woods was talking about in the first place,' she wrote.
'It's just weird to bring Green's name up in what's been a very boring Origin series so far. Wasn't required but desperate times.'
She went on to post: 'Feel for Paul Green's family, absolutely no need to bring his name into it. Slater running out of answers if that's how he wants to fire up Queensland.
'Was OK for Blues player to be labelled a grub three weeks ago… the hypocrites in rugba league are astonishing.'
Veteran Australian sport journalist Bernie Cohen wrote: 'Billy Slater may be a legend to some people in rugby league but imo bringing up Paul Green at today's presser was a bloody disgrace'.
One NRL fan posted: 'Billy Slater is not only a grub, he's a hypocritical grub of the highest order to also bring Paul Green into it'.
Another fan suggested: 'Billy Slater exploiting Paul Green's passing to claim some lame moral high ground over a contrived #origin sledge is quite frankly pathetic and probably highlights the reason why he was called a grub during his playing days'.
Slater earlier called Woods' position in the media into question.
'When you hold a position in the media or in our game, I feel that's a privilege and with that privilege comes a responsibility,' the Channel 9 commentator began.
'I sit in that position most weeks and you amplify your voice to millions of people. You're not talking to your mates in the pub.
'Now, I know Aaron Woods. I actually ran into him about three or four weeks ago at a footy game and he didn't voice that opinion then.
'He actually brought his son over and introduced him to me.
'And I get the attention in our game. I get that. Our game creates attention, but there's a responsibility with that attention, all right?
'When you degrade someone personally in a derogatory manner, you probably don't deserve one of those privileged positions that you're all in, that we're all in.'
The press conference was held in a public, outdoor forum and Slater's comments received some applause from the crowd.
But the 41-year-old wasn't finished and gave some insights into his emotional response when he referenced former Maroons coach Green, who held the position for one year before Slater and tragically took his own life in 2022.
'I'm not done yet,' Slater continued.
'You don't know what people are going through and although I might be able to handle it, the next person mightn't be.
'Maybe our last coach (Green) didn't.
'I believe the character of a person is judged more on what they say about people and how they treat people than what an individual says to create attention about someone.
'There's your answer.'