Billy farewelled to chorus of boos

It may have been the final game of Billy Slater’s illustrious career but the boos rang out before the game even started.

Billy Slater leaves the field for last time at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Billy Slater was semi-naked when they started booing him. A pre-match tribute was being shown on the big screen for retiring players and shortly after Johnathan Thurston received a rousing standing ovation, Slater’s name came up. He was in the Melbourne Storm dressing room right at that moment, barefoot and shirtless, throwing dummy passes while stepping to his right and left. He did not hear the hissing and hollering. Slater deserved a medal for winning this year’s Wally Lewis Medal. That was a bigger miracle than Cooper Cronk’s recovery from injury. Slater deserved another medal for getting off his judiciary charge this week.

Accused of a shoulder charge, all eight video replays showed a shoulder change. The verdict? Not guilty! The reaction in Sydney has been severe. Teflon Bill got away with another one. The ill-will has been partly due to the Storm being wholly unpopular up here but still, it was a remarkable response — one of the greatest rugby league players in history was howled down at the start of the final night of his career.

It was a nightmare for the G.O.A.T in the 21-6 defeat. Every time a high ball was coming his way, the fiercely Roosters-heavy crowd booed again before the ball even settled in his hands. When Latrell Mitchell scored the second try of a scintillating night, the young centre stood over Slater in an act of dominance … albeit declining to give him a mouthful.

Mitchell owned his opposite number Will Chambers, as he did in State of Origin, to the extent that Chambers threw a ball at Mitchell’s head after being bundled over the sideline. Latrell, movement. Latrell, thinking.

Luke Keary’s kicking game was so immaculate and tactically aware that it took Slater out of play as the Roosters built a 18-0 halftime lead.

The clock wound down on Slater’s career and he appeared disheartened. He kept trying to caterpault himself through holes, throwing one-handed passes and thinking there must be one last miracle out there somewhere. In the 75th minute he went on a jinking run and even though the result was beyond doubt, they kept booing him.

The fulltime siren sounded on the grand final and Slater’s career. He put his mouthguard in his sock. He walked to Cooper Cronk and hugged him. You would hope the booing stopped when the match had finished. When he was shown on the big screen being interviewed, he was booed again.

“It’s not what we planned,” Slater said. “That’s footy, eh? That’s the way it goes sometimes. They were better than us in the first half and got out a big lead. We just couldn’t pull them in.

“We did our best. I’m just really grateful for the career I’ve had and grateful for the friends I’ve made. I’m grateful for what rugby league has done for me.

“It’s taught me a lot of things. Selflessness. Respect.”