There has been intense debate over Maroons coach Billy Slater’s emotional response to Aaron Woods’ infamous “grub” sledge after he alluded to the late Queensland coach Paul Green.
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer >
In an emotional outpouring on the eve of Origin II Slater said, “Although I might be able to handle it, the next person mightn’t be. Maybe our last coach didn’t,” (in reference to the late Paul Green).
Paul Crawley commended Slater for voicing his concerns with the impact of Woods’ comments on mental health, but questioned if Green needed to be involved in the conversation.
STATE OF ORIGIN II: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AND START TIME
‘I think this was premeditated’ | 05:44
“It was raw, it was real, I just wonder if Billy may have overstepped the mark bringing Paul Green into it,” Crawley said on NRL 360.
“I wonder if there were any conversations prior to that with Paul’s family. You would hope so because I just thought that was unneccesary.
“What was said to Billy, he is more than entitled to react to Aaron Woods‘ comments, but that’s what I took out of it.”
MORE ORIGIN NEWS
‘NOT TALKING IN PUB’: Slater’s emotional ‘grub’ reply as late NRL coach referenced
TEAMS RD 16: Souths’ injury crisis solution; key Knights return as Origin stars return
SLATER: Storm insiders, forgotten Freddy lesson behind stunning Origin slide
Gorden Tallis believes Slater has given the rugby league community and the media a reminder of the responsibility that comes with having a platform to speak.
“I think it is a reality check for all of us,” Tallis said.
“I think we sit here and you forget sometimes. It is an emotional game, we are rusted on.
“We have passionate fans and everyone has got their own say and their own platform.
“I think it fine for Billy to fire back at Aaron Woods and sometimes you don’t know and I’ve been in that situation where it doesn’t hurt you as much as it hurts the people around you.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie believes while Woods’ comments could have been offensive to Slater, he believes the context in which they were said are important to remember as well.
“The Paul Green situation is incredibly sad obviously,” Ritchie said.
Should the word ‘grub’ be banned? | 06:45
Turbo’s centre switch divides panel | 01:50
“But I think what Woodsy said was in jest. It is a comment we look back on now which has perhaps gone wrong.
“I don’t know whether Billy needed to bring Paul Green’s death into a press conference, talking about a comment, grub.
“I don’t think grub deserved Billy’s reaction. I’m picking my words carefully here because it is a very sensitive issue.”
Former Blues five-eighth Braith Anasta understood where Slater was coming from, but also stood up for Woods in a delicate situation.
“It is a sensitive one and watching it I can see both sides a little bit here,” Anasta said.
“I can understand what Billy is saying. It does impact people and it is something that the new generation and the old generation and all of us have got to be wary of and how it impacts other people.
History standing ahead of Daley | 02:23
Is trash talk in Origin dead?! | 03:15
“My Dad committed suicide when I was 15 and I have a program for men and I am big on mental health and I am big on looking after men and making sure that they talk and they get their emotions out and they look after themselves and each other. That is one of my passion projects in life.
“But I also know Aaron Woods very well and I don’t think Woodsy called him a grub in terms of a grub of a human being. He was talking about the way he played.
“So I think that’s a big difference. I can understand it impacting Billy and his family because it is not nice being called a grub and I don’t condone it.
“But I also have to stick up for Woodsy. I don’t think he was trying to attack him as a human being and Woodsy may regret this, but there are two sides and we just have to be careful with this.”
Young straight in for Knights on return | 01:45
Crawley believes Slater has a past as a player that can’t be ignored, but conceded it could be something he could take to heart given he is no longer on the field and is a respected coach in the game.
“There is obvious respect because Billy spoke about Woodsy going up to him and introducing him to his son and there is an obvious respect there and Billy can’t deny that,” Crawley said.
“We can’t ignore it that as a player Billy did push the boundaries. He was known at one point as a Blues supporter and a person in the media as teflon Bill because he went out there and nothing stuck to him.
“He pushed the boundaries and what Woodsy was doing was commenting on Billy’s past as a player, not as a person.
“But I can also understand how Billy takes that to heart.”
King says NSW ‘ready for’ improved QLD | 05:59
Last week Woods was critical of Queensland’s decision not to select Daly Cherry-Evans.
“It’s so funny because you watch these blokes up north and they say we don’t get Origin and they use this pick and stick mentality. Well Billy you’ve just turned on your skipper,” he said on Triple M.
“I want to see the real Billy Slater come out — the grub that we know of. This is a bloke who kicked John Skandalis in the head and got a six-week suspension. Everyone wants to go ‘oh he’s such a nice bloke’.
“You’ve won your first two series’ as coach, you lost last series, you picked a side that we all thought NSW would win 13-plus — lucky NSW didn’t play well.
“If you lose this second series, does that mean you’re going to get sacked? Because Kevvie Walters got sacked after two series losses and he only coached four.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Billy Slater. I watched his body language in the press conference (after game one) and he not a man that is confident in what he’s doing at the moment.”
