NRL furore erupts as Roosters’ Victor Radley accused of headbutt

Sydney Roosters lock Victor Radley has received a miracle verdict after a dramatic melee sparked accusations of a headbutt.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Victor Radley of the Roosters is placed on report and sent to the sin-bin by Referee Adam Gee during the round eight NRL match between Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons at Allianz Stadium on April 25, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley has ignited a heated clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons with an alleged headbutt sparking a furious drama.

After 16 minutes with the Dragons leading 12-0, St George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax was penalised after a strip attempt went wrong and he slammed Roosters winger Corey Allen to the turf.

The ball came out but Allen grabbed for his head.

Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Radley took exception to the incident pushing Lomax before the rest of the players got involved.

Fox Sports commentator Shane Flanagan said the initial contact was “fair”.

“He slams him to the ground, the only doubt about is doesn’t his head contact the ground,” he said. “His head doesn’t contact the ground so it’s fair play.”

Andrew Voss agreed but as the commentators watched the replay, it looked as though they identified a headbutt from Radley on the Dragons Blake Lawrie.

“Hang on a second, there’s a little more to look at in that video,” Voss said.

On field, Ben Hunt was protesting with the referee.

“That’s a send off,” the mic heard.

The moment in question. Photo: FOX SPORTS

The Lomax slam that sparked it. Photo: Fox Sports

But referee Peter Gough had had enough, shutting down the arguments.

“How are you not seeing that? What are they looking at in there?” Hunt said when the moment was shown on the big screen.

As Hunt continued to protest, Gough said: “Enough. As captain, enough.”

Hunt: “I know I’m captain, I’m allowed to talk to you …”

“Not the way you’re doing it at the moment,” Gough said as he sent Hunt away.

Radley was then called out of the line and put on report but not sin binned.

“Penalty’s standing for what happened in the tackle with Zac Lomax,” Gough said. “You’re leading with the head in the scuffle, it’s on report.”

“Leading with the head as opposed to a headbutt?” Voss questioned. “Well, Victor, he should go out an buy a lotto ticket. There looked like there was a chair with his name on it in the sin bin. He’s dodged a bullet there.”

But if the NRL was going to give the decision the pub test, social media believed it deserved a harsher punishment.

ben Hunt was sent away. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images

Sports reporter at The Platform NZ Lachlan Waugh tweeted: “Ummmmm that’s a deadset headbutt from Victor Radley there, that’s a binning at least?!? Surely?!?”

The Daily Telegraph’s Jamie Pandaram wrote: “Victor Radley. Blatant headbutt. Absolute send-off offence. Not even a sin-bin. That is a disgraceful decision. Great message for the NRL to send that you can slam your head into an opponent and stay on the field.”

I am flabbergasted. Staggered. Shocked. Speechless. Aghast. Astounded. Astonished. Counfounded.

How on earth did Victor Radley not get at least binned for a blatant headbutt? That is ridiculous from the Bunker #NRL#NRLDragonsRoosters

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) May 19, 2023

WOW... Radley NOT in bin.. yet

— The Mole (@9_Moley) May 19, 2023

Also I think the tackle from Lomax is worthy of a sin-bin, it's dangerous.

— Matt Vandenberg (@M1D3V) May 19, 2023

Radley is lucky not to have been sent then. He's got a lot of issues #NRLDragonsRoosters

— Matt Jones (@mattjonesy6) May 19, 2023

@nrl the refs have lost the plot #NRLDragonsRoosters

— Jay (@nichj1) May 19, 2023

At halftime, the Fox League panel was perplexed by the difference between a headbutt and “leading with the head”.

“He did lead with the head, the vision is there, so have we stopped sin binning people this week?” Greg Alexander asked.

“We’re just putting that back in the back pocket, preparing ourselves for I don’t know what but any other day Victor gets sin binned for that.”

Cooper Cronk said that if a headbutt is in the bench, it should have been a sin bin. But he questioned whether it was because Origin was a matter of days away.

But the heat wasn’t taken out of the game as the Dragons hit the Roosters with everything they had in the next set.

It was a steely Dragons who came to play at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium after a week that saw the club’s coach Anthony Griffin sacked.

After a long range try to Mosese Suli in the seventh minute which was backed up by a four-pointer to Ben Hunt, the Dragons have been more than willing against the Roosters.

On the other side of the field, the Roosters’ struggles have continued as the Dragons took a 12-0 lead into halftime.