NRL world turns on Billy Slater over State of Origin comment

Herald Sun

18-06-2025

Billy Slater has issued a public apology over his controversial press conference comments on Tuesday.
The Queensland coach has been facing a backlash after his 'dark' decision to bring up the suicide of former Cowboys and Queensland coach Paul Green while responding to being called a 'grub' by former NSW rival Aaron Woods.
The 41-year-old caused uproar in his final press conference ahead of Wednesday night's do-or-die State of Origin Game 2 in Perth.
Slater has now stood in front of TV cameras again as the Queensland camp called a snap media appearance at the team's hotel.
Slater read out a prepared statement.
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'Yesterday I wrongly made the link between Paul Green's death and the stress and pressures of coaching, which wasn't accurate,' he said.
'Nor was it appropriate.'
He said he had spoken to Green's wife Amanda.
'I feel terrible about what I said and I spoke to Amanda Green this morning and apologised for any hurt that it may have caused her and her family.
'I just want to say this, Paul had CTE. It's a different disease to what I was referring to . Once again I'm deeply and genuinely sorry. Thank you.'
The Storm icon's public appearance in front of fans in Perth on Tuesday had been 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 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.'
Former NRL star Beau Ryan, who is also Woods' co-host, was also critical of Slater.
'It took a dark turn yesterday. From where I'm standing, Billy was waving the white flag,' he said.
'It looked like he's had a week to reply, you've called him a grub - I don't know if grub means something different in Queensland - he was a grubby player and all that.
'It's festered out of proportion and it's been the only thing people have been talking about before the game, which isn't right.'
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 journalist Alicia 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.'
Rugby league journalists staggered by Slater reply
Slater's comments were discussed on Fox League's NRL 360 on Tuesday night, with panellists Paul Crawley and Dean Ritchie both questioning whether Slater had crossed a line by mentioning Green's name.
They also queried whether the 'grub' comment was strong enough to push Slater to make his remarks.
The Courier-Mail had a front-page headline of 'Smash this Blues grub' in reference to NSW enforcer Spencer Leniu prior to this year's Game 1.
Journalist Peter Badel, who put the Woods question to Slater at the press conference, was asked about it all on the Fox League show.
'It was quite amazing,' he said. 'To be honest I expected him to dead bat the question as he tends to do.
'The response … I don't think any of us expected it. It was pretty dramatic, it was pretty cutting, it was a withering attack on Aaron Woods.
'He inferred that he was two-faced, suggested it was degrading and as a commentator he should consider his position moving forward.
'Then the bombshell moment, he didn't mention Paul Green personally but did mention Queensland's last coach.
'If he had his time again, maybe he doesn't mention Paul Green's name.'
Back in 2021 Green lost his opening two matches in charge of Queensland, 50-6 and 26-0, before winning Game 3 20-18 during a series impacted by Covid.
The former Queensland and NRL halfback then took his own life aged 49 in August the following year.
Originally published as Billy Slater apologises for 'disgraceful' comment after fierce backlash