‘Didn’t have a clear head’: Truth about Eels star’s bizarre ban call as ‘dirty’ Buzz hits out at NRL
Winless Parramatta receive a welcome boost with Ryan Matterson returning from suspension for Thursday night’s grand final rematch with Penrith — and new details around the star’s backrower controversial three-match have been revealed.
Matterson surprised many by opting to sit out the first three rounds of the season, instead of paying a $4000 fine for a crusher tackle on Dylan Edwards in last year’s competition decider.
The decision continues to be debated, and Matterson has copped plenty of flak for it, but veteran Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield on Monday voiced his support for the player.
Rothfield said Matterson “didn’t have a clear head” when he opted to take the suspension in the days after the grand final and criticised the NRL for not allowing him to change his decision soon after.
“He’s come under enormous criticism for electing not to pay the fine last year and miss the first three rounds of the competition. I’m pretty dirty about the circumstances of that,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“Parramatta were given 48 hours after the grand final to make a decision on what he was going to do. Now, like all grand final teams, they get on the drink for two or three days and Ryan Matterson didn’t have a clear head when he said ‘bugger the NRL … I’m sick of paying fines .. they can get stuffed. I’ll miss the first three games.
“Now, when he became clear on his senses, Parramatta immediately went to the NRL .. this was not long after the grand final and said, look he wants to change his mind and they wouldn’t let him.”
Rothfield said the NRL’s firm stance would likely have been to avoid setting a precedent for players to change decisions but he stressed Matterson’s circumstances were unique.
“He had a pretty decent argument to be able to change his decision,” Rothfield said.
“He hadn’t had an opportunity to sit down with (chief executive) Jim Sarantinos or Brad Arthur. He’s been painted in a bad light and on face value it is poor that he’s chosen three games over $4500 but if he’d had his time again…”
Parramatta teammates haven’t missed the opporunity to poke fun at Matterson over the decision but teammate Dylan Brown told the Daily Telegraph there was no bad blood.
“Nah we obviously made fun of him but at the same time, no one knows what he was going through at the time when he made the decision so whatever the reason was, I’m sure it was valid for him and his family,” Brown said.
“We support him either way.
“Things would have been racing through his mind (after the grand final).
“I’m pretty sure they rushed him into making a decision, which is something I personally don’t agree with.”
Matterson’s return is a huge boost given the Eels’ backrow stocks have been depleted due to the injury to Shaun Lane (jaw) and exits of Isaiah Papali’i (Wests Tigers) and Marata Niukore (Warriors).