Robbo unleashed

[Andrew Walker]

Robbos comments were fine and said in private. The problem is good ol Elliott singin like a canary in the presser. There's the issue.

We don't have a front row seat and audio on every conversation that goes on. If we did, that's when the fun would really start.

Oh Jaxxxx !!!!! Your 1st paragraph my old friend is why snubbing him and giving him nothing more than a filthy look would have been a better response

[Andrew Walker]

And now the whiny bitches in social media land are smashing Robbo saying he's the whinger! I've never heard him praise an opponent as much as he did the Raiders in the presser.

See another reason why he should have just ignored Whitehead and given him nothing more than a filthy look. Nothing good was ever going to come from Robbo saying what he said As hard as it was a bit of self control was in order

[Tennessee Tornado]

Robbos comments were fine and said in private. The problem is good ol Elliott singin like a canary in the presser. There's the issue.

We don't have a front row seat and audio on every conversation that goes on. If we did, that's when the fun would really start.

Totally agree. Was a private conversation and should never have been brought up in a press conference.

It’s pretty reflective of who Whitehead is as a person. He’s learnt from the best in Stuart. Ricky has been long protected by his chums in the media and hopefully he can bring failure to the raiders for many years to come

[HunchoRooster]

Yes and no.

I have no issues with him bringing it into a public forum because Whitehead had done that only a few minutes earlier, didn't leave Trent much choice. Additionally, the tackle itself was putrid and should've resulted in a send off so the criticism is justified.

He probably should've just criticized the tackle in isolation instead of mentioning his history. A) because it's less of a personal attack on Whitehead and his history b) because it wouldn't have opened up the opportunity for people to call him a hypocrite and bring our players disciplinary history into it. Whilst it is completely irrelevant to discuss JWH, etc in this instance, it won't stop the unwashed masses from doing so.

If he had of stuck with criticising the tackle itself and made reference to the fact Cheese will likely be out for months, there would've been less backlash.

[Headless Chook]

I liken it to the Latrell/Manu tackle. Emotions were high at the time and Whitehead should have just contacted Cheese to see if he was ok instead of approaching Robbo. I don't think Robbo was over the top at all. It's not like he called him a weak gutted dog or anything, he just told him the truth.

[Fishwa]

Considering Whitehead raised it first - its fair game.

I don't buy into the reaction being 'Robbo shouldn't say anything because of the records of JWH / Victor / Collins etc'. those guys (especially JWK / Victor) have copped their fair share of criticism from multiple people. and just because they have records, doesn't mean Whiteheads shouldn't be under the same scrutiny.

Its a classic case of trying to deflect the act away from themselves - we ask for consistency - he is a multiple offender - just like our guys - 2 wrongs dont make a right!

[OMR]

Had whitehead not mentioned it in his conference then Robbo wouldn’t have brought it up, but he needed to answer what whitehead had said otherwise he would’ve been painted as the villain .

[Johnny73]

Whitehead thinks this is still 1963 and he can be Frank Machin. I used to jokingly think that a rival coach would use a retiring player to take out a gun from the opposition, Ricky "Riding on Graham Murray's Coattails" Stuart must be a mind reader.

[Bondicigar]

It was refreshing I was starting to think robbo was AI

[caz]

whether or not robbo should have had a go at the apologising whitehead you can't blame him for being angry at what he did to cheese. what is said on the field should stay on the field.
the raiders have the first presser and whitehead has a sook about what robbo said. sure, maybe we''ve got a few players who have bad records but they don't go to pressers and sook.
robbo is asked what happened with whitehead and he gives an honest answer.
whitehead posts on insta about the sin bin for the kick (which is actually pretty funny)

[Jacks Fur Coat]

It was refreshing I was starting to think robbo was AI

Haha good one Cig.

[ism22]

Thoughts on the aftermath?

Comments were justified or not?

The Whitehead comments?

I thought his presser comments were extremely gracious in defeat. Re his non-acceptance of Whitehead's request for forgiveness... so what? IMO Robbo has a right to stand up for Cheese rather than saying 'aaaaaw nah it's all good mate, no dramas!!! I know you're a good bloke and am sure Cheese won't mind rehabbing his ACL as he's tough'. Is that what Whitehead was expecting or what?

[Chook2]

Good on robbo for standing up for his own players well everyone else puts them down
read is a dead beat thinking robbo could have been hit for just telling whitehead he wasn’t happy who the **** would punch someone for that?
and by the way if whitehead did the 7 roosters players around robbo would have stepped in and beaten Elliot anyway

[Qld Chook]

Elliot brought it up first, Robbo was just responding. Non issue imo. You can't throw fuel on the fire and not expect a reaction. Honestly how daft are people.

Robbo also has every right to refuse his attempted apology.

Hip drops are lazy technique that need to be eradicated for this exact reason and repeat offenders should be penalised harshly.

This storyline that Robbo shouldn't have commented because of players like JWH doesnt fly with me either. JWH has copped 7 weeks for two high shots which left the players completely uninjured. It's actually a joke.

I'm sick to death with Robbos generic one liners. It's refreshing to see some passion.

[Qld Chook]

Exactly. If Whitehead didn’t whine like a little baby at the presser about mean Robbo not unreservedly accepting his apology for rubbing out one of our spine for this season and a fair whack of the next, right before finals no less, no one would be talking about it. He tried to get the media to feel sorry for him, Robbo defended himself, that should be the end of it. And sucked in to Whitehead for getting himself rubbed out of the NRL anyway. Yes, it was an accident, but that accident has huge implications for our season. His apology does nothing except him absolving himself of these implications way too easily.

And as far as Radley and JWH goes, I have a genuine question: have either of them ever rubbed anyone out for the season or for the finals by an act of foul play?

Well said. All of it.

JWH has sat on the sidelines for what will be 7 weeks at the most important time of the year for tackles which left the opposing player completely uninjured. Maybe that was also in the back of his mind, knowing how unjust this season has been for us now.