Woke up this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I wrote this. Thinking about sending it to rleague.com:
Billy Slater – The guy who doesn’t mean to be dirty, but is.
Upfront I will declare my bias as a Canterbury supporter, however, I caveat that fact with this article being evidence based.
I admire Billy Slater, I think he is the best fullback in Australia, a fantastic role-model and an incredible athlete. Like everyone else on this planet, Billy Slater has faults. One of these faults is that sometimes Billy Slater does dirty things on the football field.
I draw attention to the first incident from memory, the 2008 NRL Grand Final. That day, Billy employed an alarming tactic of charging in feet-first, Bruce Lee style into opposition players attempting to ground the ball. It was a terribly dangerous tactic, so much so that the NRL introduced a rule before the 2009 NRL season outlawing the practice.
In the 2012 Grand Final, when it was too late to affect a try-saving tackle, Billy Slater dropped his knees into Sam Perrett whilst he was in the act of scoring. This action sparked the melee in which James Graham inexplicably bit Slater’s ear, for which he was adequately punished.
In round 2 of the 2013 NRL season in the Cowboys vs Storm game in Townsville, Slater sprinted out wide with a shoulder charge to wipe-out Antonio Winterstein with an illegal shoulder charge, for which he was charged.
In round 3 of the 2013 NRL season in the Storm vs Bulldogs game in Melbourne, Slater was penalised for extending his leg and striking David Klemmer in the face with his foot. The incident was deemed as foul play and put on report.
You would expect an esteemed coach such as Craig Bellamy to defend his player’s integrity and question the ruling. However, the incredible suggestion by him and Storm captain Cameron Smith that Klemmer was at fault for being within the vicinity of Slater and striking distance is ludicrous and what seems a deliberate ploy to save Slater from suspension.
All this being the case, I still have the utmost respect for Billy Slater as a NRL player and person. What I object to is this purported myth that he is of infallible character that never engages in poor conduct.
