‘The Pom is out!’: Raiders roast Ashes villain with hilarious NRL try celebration

Piers Morgan has taken aim at the Canberra Raiders after they celebrated a try by taking the mickey out of England’s Ashes villain.

The Raiders mimicked Jonny Bairstow with an all-time try celebration.

Not everyone was a fan of the Canberra Raiders’ try celebration on Friday night.

The Raiders defeated the struggling St George Illawarra Dragons 36-26 in Wollongong on Friday night, and it didn’t take long for the party tricks to come out.

It took eight minutes for the Raiders to score their first try when Jordan Rapana went over in the corner.

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The Raiders have a large contingent of English players and they have clearly been paying attention to the Jonny Bairstow dismissal controversy that has taken the Ashes cricket world by storm this week.

Betting agency Sportsbet has pledged to donate $5000 to charity for every try celebration in ‘Try July’, and the Raiders took the opportunity to imitate Bairstow’s stumping by Alex Carey.

Rapana bowled the Steeden to English forward Elliot Whitehead, who was appropriately acting as Bairstow as he went out of his crease on the try line.

He was then ‘stumped’ by hooker Zac Woolford, as the Raiders celebrated the four-pointer as well as a hilarious try celebration.

But while the celebration left the NRL world in stitches, the move didn’t sit well with Piers Morgan who took aim at the Raiders in a scathing tweet.

“Just found out the batsman in this shameful spirit-of-the-game mocking stunt is not only English, but a Yorkshireman,” Morgan tweeted.

“What on earth are you doing Elliott Whitehead? Are you a closet Australian?”

Jordan Rapana celebrates a try. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Predictably, social media lapped up the moment, praising the Raiders for their creativity and taking the mickey out of Bairstow.

Sports reporter Tom Decent tweeted: “Call it off. Won’t be a better celebration in 100 years.

Broadcaster Quentin Hull said: “The fact that it’s an Englishman - Elliott Whitehead - that is dismissed ensures this goes into the try celebration Hall of Fame.”

AAP’s Jasper Bruce posted: “How’s the Bairstow try celebration from the Raiders - bonus points for having Whitehead moonlighting as Jonny.”

Try July is OVER, because the Raiders just won it #NRLDragonsRaiders

— Matt Bungard (@TheMattBungard) July 7, 2023

Don’t think that try celebration was in the spirit of cricket #NRLDragonsRaiders

— All Things Rugby League (@ATRugbyLeague) July 7, 2023

“Hello, here we go,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox League as the Canberra players got set up to treat the in-goal like a cricket pitch.

“The stumping and the Pom is out! This is a very well done celebration.”

The Raiders’ post-try celebration antics in the Gong even making it on to Sky. Probably the first time Wollongong has rated a mention on their cricket coverage. Funny stuff. #Ashes

— Brendan Crabb (@JarOfTripsis) July 7, 2023

Just found out the batsman in this shameful spirit-of-the-game mocking stunt is not only ENGLISH, but a YORKSHIREMAN. What on earth are you doing Elliott Whitehead? Are you a closet Australian? pic.twitter.com/BvT1008Gmf

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 7, 2023

The try celebration went global, with England cricket great Mike Atherton even sharing the hilarious vision on Sky Sports’ Ashes commentary.

This year’s Try July proceeds will be donated to former player Nathan Stapleton and ex-NRL coach Daniel Anderson, who became a quadriplegic after a freak body surfing accident in December.

The Raiders led 24-6 at halftime through further tries to Matt Frawley, Joe Tapine and Matthew Timoko.

The Dragons fought back with four second half tries, but it was too little too late as Canberra secured their third win in a row to move up to fourth on the ladder.