South Sydney coach Jason Taylor labeled it a “cheap shot” and one that will see Souths key signing Craig Wing off the field for some time. Wing was flawed by Riley Brown only minutes into the 34-20 win by the Sydney Roosters at the Olympic Stadium tonight.
The return of Craig Wing lasted only 7 minutes before he was targeted by new Roosters recruit Riley Brown, who ironically took over from Wing at Bondi in the hooking position this year.
Jason Taylor was scathing in his criticism of what he saw as a pre-meditated attack. Never one to hold back, Taylor remained adamant that the Roosters plotted to take Craig Wing out in tonights season opener.
“They purposely held him up so the third man in could get him with a shoulder charge to his back,” Taylor said.
“If you watch the replay you can actually see his eyes light up saying to the other bloke ‘I’ve got him, I’m holding him up, get him’.
“There’s a lot been talked about cleaning up the game … he got held up so someone else could smash him.”
“It was a cheap shot.
“I’d imagine that would be something that they train for and they did it well.”
Roosters coach Brad Fittler dismissed Taylors line of thinking, saying “that’s his opinion and he’s entitled to it, but I didn’t think it was a cheap shot”.
Skipper Craig Fitzgibbon added Riley Brown “Was well within his rights to attack Wing, even though it had appeared his momentum had already been stopped.”
“It was a good hard hit and there was intention in it, he saw Wingy’s back open so he probably tried to put a shot on him and he did and it worked,” Fitzgibbon said.
“Fortunately for us it took Craig out of the game because he’s one of their better players and he would have been a handful tonight.”
It leaves the door open for a spicy rematch between the two sides, the Roosters obviously delighted at the fact Wing was escorted from the field and while the hit is deemed legal in the rule book, it’s something thats not seen often and many felt that it wasn’t in the interest of the game.
I have been a Roosters supporter for 20 years. On Friday night, they lost me. I will never attend another Roosters match. Riley Brown is a gutless coward.