Melbourne Storm’s Billy Slater will play in this weekend’s 2018 NRL grand final against the Sydney Roosters.
In opposition territory, the public has mixed opinions on the judiciary decision clearing the star fullback of a shoulder charge. Surprisingly most people who spoke to Hatch on the streets of Sydney agreed with the decision.
Many NRL fans have taken to social media to say Slater should not have been cleared to play in the grand final, even though it will be his last game in the league.
Storm supporters have argued the shoulder charge was not intentional.
Billy Slater has been found not guilty of a grade one shoulder-charge and will play in the #NRLGF. https://t.co/R5OkjbEalf#NRL pic.twitter.com/sZqK3XeTm3
— NRL (@NRL) September 25, 2018
Oh well… feel for the next bloke who shoulder charges and gets 4-6 weeks as the NRL cracks down to ‘protect the players’. But Billy gets his fairytale finish in an #NRLGF kids…. take note.
— The NRL Tweet (@NRLTweet) September 25, 2018
My advice to Michelle Guthrie is to hire Billy Slater’s lawyer.#youknowitmakessense #theirNRL
— Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) September 26, 2018
‘’Above the law.”
Outraged fans accuse NRL of favouritism over Billy Slater judiciary verdicthttps://t.co/eD3c1OLTcg #NRL pic.twitter.com/E35M3GaWBj
— Sporting News Australia (@sportingnewsau) September 25, 2018
It was on Tuesday night that the NRL judiciary cleared Slater of a grade-one shoulder charge, which allows him to participate in his last game before he retires at the end of the season.
Video and story by Zoe Delaney Grech and Kate Buxton: Feature image from Mathew F’s Flikr account