Former New South Wales prop Aaron Woods has fired another shot at a second former Queensland representative star after he branded Maroons coach Billy Slater a ‘grub’.
The saga between Slater and Woods has exploded ahead of State of Origin II, with the Maroons boss shocking some footy fans on Tuesday after he made a controversial comment about former North Queensland boss Paul Green, who tragically died in 2022.
But in the build-up to tonight’s match in Perth, Woods has also shot a barb at Brisbane Broncos great Gorden Tallis, after the three-time premiership winner claimed he wasn’t as brave as he is on the radio as he was on the pitch.
Tallis, speaking on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin show, rose to the defence of Slater, stating: ‘He [Woods] got sacked from six clubs so he knows what it feels like, and when Queensland start listening to a bloke that played his last six years in reserve grade, we’ve got problems.’
‘He wasn’t that brave when he was a player, he’s braver on the mic,’ Tallis added.
But Woods wasn’t going to let Tallis, who is nicknamed ‘The Raging Bull’, get away with the shot, taking to Triple M on Wednesday morning to twist his comments back on the former Queensland star.
Former NSW prop Aaron Woods (pictured) has aimed another dig at a second former Queensland representative star
Woods hit out at Gorden Tallis (right, with partner Jemma Elder) after the former Broncos star claimed Woods ‘wasn’t brave when he was a player
‘When your spokesman is Gorden Tallis that’s when you know you’re in trouble,’ he said on the Triple M breakfast show.
‘He said my son got a photo with Billy Slater. My son doesn’t know who Billy Slater is.
‘If you’re going to get your information correct – maybe say the right stuff.
‘We don’t call him the raging bull in our house any more – it is the raging something else.’
Woods began his first-grade footy career with the Wests Tigers back in 2011, before moving around the NRL, spending time at Canterbury, Cronulla, St George and wrapping up his career with the Sea Eagles in 2024. During his final year at the club, he had made two appearances off the bench for the first-grade side, spending the majority of the season playing for Blacktown Workers in the NSW Cup.
Woods has also admitted he stands by his sledge at the Queensland boss.
‘Those comments I made last Tuesday, I stand by them,’ he began.
‘You say something about a person, that person is owed a right to reply … He’s had seven days to reply … he has taken his time, he’s been very well thought-out, he’s been very measured in what he’s had to say.
Speaking with Beau Ryan (left) and Cat Lynch (centre) on Triple M’s breakfast show on Wednesday, Woods slammed Tallis telling him to get his information correct
Woods (front) had also blasted Tallis claiming: ‘We don’t call him the raging bull in our house any more – it is the raging something else’
‘A lot of the comments, I agree with.
‘But one in particular comment that he did make, I just thought Billy went a little bit over the boundary, and I just think it was really – I just think it was completely unnecessary for the situation.’
Slater has since apologised for his comments in regards to Green, both in public and to the former Maroons coach’s family.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Slater had slammed Woods, claiming that he had no right to a voice in the media.
‘When you hold a position in the media or in our game, I feel that’s a privilege. And with that privilege comes a responsibility,’ Slater said.
‘When you degrade someone personally in a derogatory manner, you probably don’t deserve one of those privileged positions that we’re all in.
‘You don’t know what people are going through.
‘And although I might be able to handle it, the next person mightn’t be. Maybe our last coach didn’t,’ he added, speaking on Green.
The spat comes after Woods took a shot at Queensland coach Billy Slater (pictured) last week
Slater had fired back at Woods, but appeared to make a controversial comment about the late Maroons coach Paul Green (right), who tragically died in 2022
Slater admitted on Wednesday that he had overstepped the mark with his comments.
‘Yesterday I wrongly made the link between Paul Green’s death and the pressures of coaching, which wasn’t accurate, nor was it appropriate,’ Slater said.
‘I feel terrible about what I said and I spoke to Amanda Green this morning and apologised for any hurt that it may have caused her and her family.
‘I just want to say this, Paul had CTE. It’s a different disease from what I was referring to.
‘Once again, I’m deeply and genuinely sorry.’
Green’s brother, Rick, has since broken his silence on the matter, stating that Slater’s comments were ‘unfortunate’ but added that they accepted Slater’s apology.
He also added that the family were keen to clarify that Green had died as a result of Chronic Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – not because of a battle with mental health issues.
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