No way happy as Hogs in mud
A WAR of words has erupted in Gold Coast rugby after Saturday’s rainfall washed out the highly anticipated grand final rematch between Griffith Uni Colleges and Helensvale.
Host Griffith was the only club on the Coast to have been washed out, sparking whispers it had cancelled the fixture because players “weren’t ready” for the defending champion.
Helensvale skipper Scott Stokes took to social media to stoke the embers of the Gold Coast’s hottest new rivalry.
“Wow can’t hide forever,” Stokes commented on the announcement that Knights fields had been washed out.
“The Death (Star) squad doesn’t like to get wet and dirty I’m guessing?”
Knights captain Jaye Paton countered: “I heard they found someone watering our field all morning? You (Stokes) fit the description, if you don’t want to play just let us know.”
Paton told the Bulletin the Knights’ home ground had been “pretty much underwater” but a Bulletin photographer assigned to cover the game rejected that description.
“Not that I saw,” the photographer said.
“It didn’t appear that bad – the other ground I went to (Surfers Paradise vs Palm Beach Currumbin, which did go ahead) was really slushy but it was about the same. I didn’t see it to be any worse (than the Knights ground).”
Stokes said his Hogs team was filthy at calling the match a draw because of weather.
“A lot of players are dirty,” he said. “We thought we could have played through it.
“We wanted to play but it takes two to tango, and if they weren’t willing to play we can’t force them.
“The offer was made to swap home games and we’d play them at Helensvale but they said no, so the decision was made to split points.
“I don’t know if they were trying dodge us, I just think they weren’t quite up to it yet.” Paton denied that. “They can talk all they want,” he said.
“Our field was pretty much underwater so there’s nothing really to say – we’re ready to play.”