South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt says NRL superstar Greg Inglis only dives to score tries.
Merritt and the Rabbitohs have leapt to Inglis’s defence after the champion fullback was dubbed Dally M diver of the year for earning Souths a timely penalty in Friday night’s vital win over Manly.
Coach Michael Maguire was furious at the suggestion Inglis would feign injury to milk a penalty, but the incident has nevertheless placed the spotlight on players staying down in a bid to pressure referees with matches on the line.
“He’s definitely not a diver. He can dive when he scores, that’s about it,” Merritt said on Tuesday.
“It’s definitely not in the Souths culture. I know that.”
To a man, Merritt’s teammates agree, with forward Ben Lowe saying Inglis didn’t need to use gamesmanship.
“It’s not the way we play our footy around here,” Lowe said.
“He’s had trouble with his knee and obviously he might have bumped it on the weekend, and he obviously copped a bit of a high shot there.
“He’s definitely not a diver. He plays football at the elite level. He plays his footy tough.”
Lowe, though, admitted that, come the crunch, “a penalty can change a game”.
“I’m not sure if boys are laying down on purpose or whatever but it definitely helps if you get a penalty,” he said.
“But I don’t think anyone in the NRL’s out there to lay down. It’s a tough sport, a tough game.
“Sometimes the knocks mightn’t look as big on the big screen but, when you’re out there, they definitely don’t miss you.”
Prop Roy Asotasi also insisted it wasn’t in the Rabbitohs’ culture to stay down.
“Part of our style is to play it fast and not to have any stoppages,” he said.
“I don’t think GI would have tried to dive or milk anything.”
Souths’ return to the winners’ circle, after two straight defeats threatened their position in the top two, coincided with Inglis’s comeback from a month out with a knee injury.
“He definitely adds a lot,” Asotasi said.
“You’ve just got to see what he’s done for Australia and for Queensland.
“He definitely adds that X-factor or spark to the team and he’s been doing that for Souths for the last few years, ever since Maguire took over and he made that switch to fullback.
“We took a lot of confidence knowing that GI’s out there.”
Inglis’s teammate Jeff Lima has also come under fire for his leg-twisting tackle on Manly back-rower Anthony Watmough.
Lima on Tuesday accepted a one-match ban, ruling him from Friday’s clash with Canterbury, but greats believe he should have copped a lengthier suspension.
Asotasi said although the league had dealt with the incident, he expected coach Maguire to also have a quiet word with Lima as the finals approach.
“Come the business end, you’ve got to be make sure you’re clean in all areas of the game,” he said.
“Because we need to have the best players out on the field.”
Shag On A Rock
Guest
You probably think that Crowe is a good actor.
mushi
Guest
Now we just need a few more Manly ones
DMW
Guest
I stand by my original comment.
eagleJack
Guest
For somebody so intelligent you picked a stupid time to start supporting them. Now my maths is pretty poor, I have to take my shoes off to count past 10, but that is over 40 years following a side without seeing them win a grand final. No wonder you are so angry.
rabbits72
Guest
why don't u reply to the statement instead of asking stupid questions. 72 refers to when I started to follow them. now has any one of u got the intelligence to respond.to make it easier,turn up the heater in your room,that will increase your IQ. between the 4 of of you,you have all somehow managed to bypass the statement.why is that? tell you what,why don't the 4 of you do a phone conference and see if you can reply with an intelligent answer instead of all of you sounding like a bunch of ####wits.
des right hand
Guest
+1
Shag On A Rock
Guest
We've found a Souffs fan who can read and write! Barely, obviously, but still a surprise.
Nappa
Guest
@Rabbits72 agreed, couldn't of said it better myself.
DMW
Guest
His sig merely commemorates the start of the delusion.
eagleJack
Guest
72? I thought your last premiership was in 71?
rabbits72
Guest
go u manly supporters....your teams inefficiency is highlighted by your constant whinging.u have a Neanderthal for a coach that is an embarresment everytime he opens his mouth because he cant put two words together without tripping.for a north shore side,u don't have a well educated leader..why don't u watch the incident in slow motion and workout if its a dive,and then watch the souths manly semifinal replay few years back that involved the matt orford incident .what a bunch of grubby hypocrites.
soapit
Guest
you could make a rule that if he stays down and doesnt play the ball (or hand it over to someone else to) and no penalty can be found then he has to be subbed as an injury and uses up an interchange
Carlos
Guest
HES NO DIVER...HES A SPEEDBOAT DRIVER !!!!!
soapit
Guest
yep only real solution and no real need to leave it out. if they do something illegal cite them afterwards (like it has been for most of the games history)
maximillian
Guest
I agree but its not the players fault IMO, its the process that allows the video ref to review the incident midgame that forces players to stay down & try to milk a penalty. Get rid of this process & let the match reviewer retrospectively charge players with high shots that are missed. Then we will only see player staying down that have legitimate injuries.
eagleJack
Guest
Watmough took a dive????? "Souths won get over it" So at the conclusion of every w/end all talk of the games must cease? This has nothing to do with the actual game per se. It is about the feigning of injury that is creeping into the game which must be looked at
eagleJack
Guest
The fact Inglis earned his team a penalty was ridiculous but then to put it on report was an embarrassment to the game.
Nappa
Guest
Watkough took a dive as well, ran the ball next at of six. Souths won get over it. Toovey had a sook and was punished. Good coach he is.
maximillian
Guest
how can you say he was clearly acting. Horo copped him around the collar so maybe he stayed down with an injury & not necessarily for a high shot? You start heading into dangerous territory when you try to prove if a player is acting or not.
planko
Guest
Only one problem rossco he missed him..... So GI is full of it no doubt... GI does not care about Souths. If he did he would not have played on injured in the SOO.