His Wests Tigers are on the slide down the NRL ladder, but it was an ugly verbal attack which had skipper Robbie Farah really seething on what was supposed to be a day of celebration at the SCG.
The pomp and ceremony which marked 50 years since St George beat Wests Magpies in one of the most famous grand finals in history was quickly forgotten in the heat of the battle on Sunday, when Farah and St George Illawarra pivot Jamie Soward came together mid-pitch.
The pair exchanged words as they became entangled in some push and shove late in the first half of the Dragons’ 13-12 win, which came on the back of a late Soward field goal.
His late strike would have done little to brighten the outlook of Farah, who appeared in no mood to forgive and forget after the game.
“I’ll leave it on the field,” Farah said.
“I’m not happy about it but I’ll leave it on the field.
“He apologised so I’ll cop it but I don’t want to discuss it.”
Farah had last week been featured in a press article for giving a character reference in court for friend Joseph Harb, who was at the centre of a drug and corruption scandal.
He also told the court he had lent his friend $210,00, though there was no suggestion Farah knew of Harb’s criminal activity or was involved in any wrongdoing himself.
Soward too didn’t wish to elaborate about the subject matter of the sledge, other than to say he made a mistake and had apologised almost immediately.
The Dragons five-eighth is no stranger to being the victim of sledging on the field, but even he admitted that he had over-stepped the mark.
“A lot of stuff gets said, I’m not a person that usually reacts and for me to react is a surprise to myself,” Soward said.
“Once I said it I apologised and moved on from that, I’d like to think Robbie accepted my apology and we move on from that.”
Asked if he had reacted to being sledged, Soward said:
“I cop it every week, I’m usually just not quick enough to continue on with it.
“I’d like to leave it at that.”
The nasty incident failed to hide the fact the Tigers have now lost three in a row and are 13th on the ladder, just one win ahead of a group of teams on two competition points including reigning minor premiers Canterbury who are last on points differential.
The Tigers return following next weekend’s round of representative fixtures to play in-form Brisbane before what is already looming as a crunch round eight encounter against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
It will be part of a tough fortnight for the Bulldogs, who take on Cronulla in Gosford on Sunday week – the Sharks with just two wins from their opening six games.
Ladder-leaders Melbourne are now ten points clear of the Bulldogs, who they beat in last year’s grand final, though Canterbury will no doubt take some heart from the fact they are just two wins outside the top eight.
The Dragons are headed the other way from the Tigers on the back of three straight wins – setting up a monster match-up with the flying Sydney Roosters on Anzac Day when NRL hostilities resume.