Raiders’ Corey Horsburgh admits ‘dumb’ act, but coach blasts NRL

Raiders firebrand Corey Horsburgh has been clipped over an alleged punch but his coach has turned it around on the NRL.

Corey Horsburgh "let a little one go". Photo: Fox Sports

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has gone in to bat for Raiders enforcer Corey Horsburgh after the red-headed firebrand was sin binned over punch in his side’s 26-18 win over the Parramatta Eels.

While Eels coach Brad Arthur was fuming about the lopsided 10-3 penalty count against his side, Stuart lashed out at a double standard after he claimed Horsburgh “pushed a player in the head”.

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At the 23 minute mark of the first half, Horsburgh and Ryan Matterson came face-to-face with the Raiders enforcer winding up in the sin bin after throwing a punch.

After a knock on from the Eels, it exploded as Matterson came in and pushed a tackle after the referee had blown his whistle.

Horsburgh ran in and appeared to swung a punch at Matterson as the melee ended up on the ground.

“I think he’s thrown one,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox Sports.

“We might be losing some players.”

Michael Ennis added: “Someone’s going to get sat down here, without a doubt.”

Corey Horsburgh "let a little one go". Photo: Fox Sports

But despite the Raider being sin binned, Matterson was penalised for coming in after the whistle had been blown.

Ginnane speculated there may have been “bad blood” may have stemmed from an incident in 2020 when Horsburgh suffered a foot injury after going head-to-head with Matterson.

He left the field in tears and flipped the bird at the crowd in Parramatta.

After the match, Horsburgh admitted he shouldn’t have done it.

“Safe to say I wasn’t really thinking, but that’s how I play footy,” Horsburgh said to Fox League.

“I was kind of in the moment there and stuff happens, but I have got to live with that.”

Raiders legend Mal Meninga said he thought ‘what the bloody hell are you doing that for?’

“It was one of them things where you don’t think for a split second and you let a little one go,” Horsburgh said.

“I’m still working on it. That’s how I’ve been since I was young. I’m getting better but it’s them little split seconds I guess.”

But even though Horsburgh admitted slipping in the punch, Stuart hit out at the NRL for “changing interpretations” after Latrell Mitchell was allowed to play on after twice pushing the head of Melbourne hooker Harry Grant.

“Corey Horsburgh pushed a player in the head, Corey got pushed in the head as well when he was held by the jumper,” Stuart said. “(Latrell) Mitchell last week pushed a player to the head twice and nothing happened, he got to play the ball. We get a player sent to the bin.

“If you’re going to changing interpretations around like that, it’s just c**p. You can’t change interpretations week to week.

“I feel sorry for the referees because they’re the ones under pressure when the interpretations keep getting changed.

“Why this week when you push someone in the head you get 10 minute sin the bin and put pressure on us as a team because last week we saw a situation that you’re allowed to do now, you’re allowed to push players in the head.”

Ricky Stuart claimed a double standard. Photo: NRL.com

At halftime, Meninga called out Horsburgh’s brain snap.

“I think it is dumb,” Meninga said. “You just don’t do that.

“He has let the team down. 10 minutes in the bin and Parramatta scores.

“He has been a great player all year, but I just feel that wasn’t the right thing to do.”

Horsburgh is believed to be pushing a case for selection in the Queensland State of Origin squad for game one to be announced on Sunday May 21.

Queensland Origin great Cooper Cronk doesn’t believe the incident will hamper his chances however and he shouldn’t be suspended for it.

“I agree he let the team down, but at the end of the day that’s where it finishes,” Cronk said.

“That happens on the field and I think it was dealt with.”