Billy’s big day out may come undone
BILLY Slater’s storied career could end prematurely, with the Melbourne fullback facing an anxious wait to see if he will be rubbed out of the grand final due to a shoulder charge.
Slater scored two tries, laid on another and ran for a game high 179m in the Storm’s 22-6 demolition of the Sharks.
But his final match in Melbourne in front of 26,621 fans was marred by a first-half trysaving tackle.
In trademark Slater fashion, he raced across the field and collected Sosaia Feki with his shoulder before being penalised.
Despite not being placed on report, the 14th-minute tackle will come under the scrutiny of the match review committee, with its findings expected today.
Any shoulder charge has a base penalty of 200 points, meaning Slater needs to be cleared at the judiciary if he is to play again in what would be the cruellest of blows to one of the game’s best players. “I was coming across at speed,” Slater said.
“I thought Feki was going to step back on the side. Collision in the end.
“It was one of those things. Both players were running at speed to get to a position. No malice or anything in that.”
Slater’s Storm skipper Cameron Smith missed the 2008 decider because of suspension, joining Issac Luke and Luke Ricketson to be banned from recent grand finals while Justin Hodges was cleared at the judiciary in the lead-up to the 2015 premiership match. Seventeen gamer Jahrome Hughes is the man most likely to line-up at the back if Slater was suspended.
While the post-game fallout focuses on Slater’s uncertainty, the Storm were ruthless as they booked themselves a third consecutive grand final replicating their efforts of 2007-2009.
Only the Cooper Cronk led Sydney Roosters or a South Sydney side who they beat by just one point two weeks ago stand in the way of Melbourne becoming the first side since 1992-93 to defend a premiership title.
Melbourne rushed to a 20-0 half-time lead against a Cronulla side who boasted pre-game that they would not be pushed around by the Storm.
They Storm were at their bullying best as they suffocated the life out of a Cronulla side who struggled to gain any fluency with the ball.
The Sharks were on the backfoot for the bulk of the game as they battled without influential co-captains Paul Gallen and Wade Graham while the retiring Luke Lewis – who had a running battle with chief referee Gerard Sutton regarding Melbourne’s ruck control during the contest – was severely hampered with a leg injury.