It’s clear the Raiders have been tuning into the action-packed Ashes collection with the Canberra gamers paying homage to the Australian cricket staff with a hilarious strive celebration.
Raiders winger Jordan Rapana opened the scoring in his facet’s conflict towards the Dragons, however the larger spotlight got here moments later.
Rapana imitated a bowler with teammate and Englishman Elliott Whitehead taking part in the function of a batter.
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Much just like the controversial stumping of England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s final week, Whitehead ducked Rapana’s supply and left his ‘crease’.
Hooker Zac Woodford then did his greatest Alex Carey impression and threw it again on the cornerpost, working his captain out.
While the light-hearted celebration was clearly a joke, controversial TV host Piers Morgan didn’t see the enjoyable facet of it.
Morgan took intention at Whitehead, who was born and raised within the English county of Yorkshire, questioning if he was in reality Australian.
“Just found out the batsman in this shameful spirit-of-the-game mocking stunt is not only English, but a Yorkshireman,” Morgan tweeted.
“What on earth are you doing Elliott Whitehead? Are you a closet Australian?”
Woolford responded to the tweet by writing: “Why wouldn’t he want to be? Greatest country on earth”.
Elsewhere, the rugby league world erupted at Morgan’s response, slamming the outspoken Englishmen.
Whitehead has since responded to the criticism, revealing the celebration took place after a light-hearted guess inside the Raiders squad.
Because England wlost the primary sport of the Ashes collection after Bairstow’s controversial wicket, Whitehead was compelled to participate within the hilarious post-try antics.
“I had a few bets with a few of the boys over the Ashes. And after Jonny was out last week, they said if we (England) end up losing the Test, let’s do that for our celebration,” Whitehead mentioned to The Mirror.
“It was all for a good cause in (ex-St Helens coach) Daniel Anderson who obviously has had an accident and is now paralysed.
“Try celebrations in the NRL this month are raising money for causes like that and that celebration gave five grand to him and his family. So it was just a bit of fun and something for a good cause.
“The boys all got around it — and it went down pretty well as I see Piers Morgan wasn’t too happy about it. At least he knows who I am now!
“I don’t really know Jonny. But there was nothing in it. It was just a bit of fun to help raise some money.”
The motive for the celebration is because of Sportsbet’s annual marketing campaign Try July, the place the playing firm donates $5000 for every strive celebration over the course of the month.
“Oh the stumping and the Pom is out,” Dan Ginnane mentioned on Fox League.
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“Sportsbet, and I can say this with authority, that’s worth more than $5000.”
This yr’s funds shall be donated in direction of the restoration efforts of Nathan Stapleton and Daniel Anderson.
Stapleton is a former NRL participant who misplaced feeling under the neck after a rustic rugby league match in New South Wales.
Anderson was a coach for the Warriors and Eels between 2001 and 2010. He was concerned in a physique browsing accident on December 31, 2022.
It appeared as if Sportsbet agreed with the feedback of Ginnane, with Yvonne Sampson revealing in the course of the halftime present that the bookmaker will donate $10,000 for the celebration, double the standard quantity.
The second swiftly went viral on-line, whereas it was even proven throughout Sky Sports’ protection of the Ashes by England nice Michael Atherton.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
