Rabbitohs enforcer Sam Burgess regrets tirade at Robbie Farah
SAM Burgess conceded he was “frustrated” and shouldn’t have launched a verbal tirade at Robbie Farah after putting a hit on his ex-teammate. FULL TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT WAS SAID
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SOUTH Sydney star Sam Burgess said he launched a verbal tirade at Robbie Farah after putting a hit on his former teammate because he feared it would count against him in the eyes of the NRL judiciary if the Wests Tigers hooker stayed down.
Farah was left prone on the ground last weekend after copping a bellringer from Burgess, which infuriated the South Sydney champion.
Teammates just a month earlier, Burgess repeatedly called Farah a cat as he tried to goad him to stand up.
In an explosive on-field outburst, television microphones caught Burgess saying: “It was on the shoulder, it was on the shoulder.
“Get up you cat. Get up you cat. You weak c***.”
Burgess then alleged Farah was “milking it”.
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Burgess, because of his dubious judiciary record, was desperate for Farah to play on with one Wests Tigers player yelling: “He’s got carryover points.”
Speaking at Fox League’s launch of this week’s Retro Round, Burgess conceded he was “frustrated” and shouldn’t have used his old-school approach.
“I don’t think it looks pretty,” he said.
“I’m probably not proud of the way it looks in terms of what I said. At the time it was how I felt.
“If you mic’d up everything on the field you’d be surprised what’s said out there. There’s things said on the field, they’re not personal things, it’s just that I’m competing, he’s competing, we’re playing a physical game.
“I probably shouldn’t swear like that as we’re aware of the microphones on the referees. I’m not reaching out to him but I will speak to him at some point as obviously we’re playing them again [round 25] in five or six weeks so I’ll speak to him before that.
“Look at James Graham and me when we play against each other — we’re the best of mates.”
Burgess back-tracked when asked whether he still felt Farah was a “cat”.
“No, he’s a tiger, certainly not,” Burgess said.
“I’m trying to goad him to get off the floor. I want him to get up because I know from previous history at the judiciary, that counts in the judiciary.
“I think Robbie thought I got him up near his mouth but that was from the other player, Junior [Tatola] in the tackle who collided with him afterwards. I think it looked spectacular at the time and that’s why he made a bit of a deal out of it.
“It was just a tackle in my opinion. Then it was put on report. I know they are scrutinised in today’s game — any head knock or head contact and you could be on the sidelines. I didn’t think he was injured at the time.”
Burgess was stunned the incident had attracted considerable media attention.
“I should ring him now after this interview as I feel like everyone is talking about it,” Burgess said.
“I didn’t realise how big it was.
“So there was frustration there. We were down on the scoreboard at the time. It seemed to change the momentum of the game in what I felt was a call against us.”
Farah and Burgess spoke after the game in the Souths’ dressing sheds. It doesn’t appear there is any long-term animosity between the pair. But Burgess conceded some players milked penalties. “There’s a certain element of it in the game, yes,” he said.
WHAT WAS SAID ON THE FIELD
Sam Burgess: “It was on the shoulder, it was on the shoulder. (To Robbie Farah) Get up you cat. Get up you cat. You weak c***.”
Ref: “Sam.”
Burgess (to ref): “Hey, it was on the shoulder, mate. He’s milking it.”
Ref: “Sam.”
Benji Marshall (to Burgess): “It would’ve hurt, it would’ve hurt.”
Ref: “Benji.”
Marshall (to Burgess): “You’re carrying on a bit.”
Ref: “Thanks, Benji.”
Marshall: “Nah, he’s carrying on a bit.”
REPLAYS …
Tigers player: “He’s got carryover points.”
Ref: “It’s on report.”
Burgess: “Head knock? Head knock?” (pointing to get Farah off the pitch)