He wanted to say it, but couldn’t quite get the words out.
Souths enforcer Sam Burgess was asked how he felt about being targeted by young Canberra forwards Hudson Young and Corey Horsburgh during the Rabbitohs’ narrow win last round, knowing the kids were safe from physical retribution.
“I’d like to…,” Burgess started, before checking his words.
“I’ll leave it there.”
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Former rep forward Willie Mason labelled the treatment dished out to Burgess as ‘disrespectful’, accusing the Raiders forwards of hiding behind the NRL’s ‘one punch and you’re off’ rule.
He tweeted: “I wonder if some of these Canberra youngsters would be pushing and shoving Sam Burgess if they could get a punch in the face. Doubt it. Total disrespect.”
That brought a savage response from former NRL prop and current Raiders assistant coach Brett White.
Disrespectful??? Are you kidding @mase21 a couple of young bucks standing up to an old bull. They’ll be disrespectful to forwards club if they didn’t stand up to him. https://t.co/t6CJB5WzWc
— Brett White (@Brettwhite82) May 19, 2019
Back to you, Sam.
“What can you do? Everyone can tackle, everyone can run at each other and that’s as tough as it gets anymore,” Burgess continued.
“It’s good (to watch) but there’s not much you can do.
“The game’s changed from five years ago. It used to be a bit more…I don’t know…the game’s changed.”
Asked it was difficult for a player like him to deal out retribution and stay within the rules, Burgess replied: “That’s the tricky part, yeah.
“But it was good fun out there. I quite enjoyed it.
“I was a young bloke once and I remember doing that as well.
“Good on them. I don’t mind it.”