‘It makes me sick’: Phil Gould blasts the NRL ahead of Billy Slater shoulder charge verdict
PHIL Gould has fired a broadside at the NRL ahead of Billy Slater’s Tuesday night at the judiciary for “rubbing out its champions”.
Gould told 100% Footyin a fiery debate with Sharks captain Paul Gallen that Slater should escape a ban over a shoulder charge that would rub him out of the 2018 grand final.
The crux of his argument was the ‘sense of occasion rule’ that Gould famously champions — that the game would be poorer without the Storm champion in his final ever match.
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“Sport is about its champions,” Gould said. “No game rubs its champions out more than the NRL – It makes me sick.
“I’ve seen that happen half a dozen times this year and no one’s been charged, not even penalised.”
The Panthers supremo claimed the penalty awarded against Slater gave the Sharks a fair enough advantage and should be taken into account on Tuesday evening.
“Cronulla got their advantage,” he said.
Gallen refuted: “We didn’t get an advantage. If it had been dealt with better on the field we wouldn’t be in this mess.
“He’s got to miss a game.”
Follow live coverage of the Slater judiciary hearing on foxsports.com.au.
