What about the headbutt?! Paul Rowley on ‘not a dirty player’ Adrian Morley

Adrian Morley’s claim that most of his red cards were for honest and mistimed contacts has been ridiculed by the Salford head coach Paul Rowley!

Legendary Great Britain forward Morley claimed on last week’s Love Rugby League Podcast that he was not a nasty player and that Barrie McDermott was far worse in creating pre-meditated mayhem.

Morley believes he would have adapted his game to cope with a more sanitised version of rugby league now, that prioritises player welfare and hits players with lengthy suspensions for mistimed big hits or late contacts.

He floored me: Paul Rowley on Adrian Morley headbutt

But speaking on this week’s podcast, Rowley – a former Leigh and Halifax hooker in his playing days before coaching his hometown Centurions – was jokingly keen to take issue with what he had heard.

Rowley laughed: “I don’t read a lot of rugby league media but I saw the stuff with Moz on Love Rugby League. You questioned him on his sending offs didn’t you? 

“If I recall he said most of them were clumsy or reactionary. He was using words that they use in the disciplinary so you can tell he is involved in that!

“I think he said he could remember just one in Australia where he cracked somebody. I kept thinking ‘I’ll keep listening as he must mention the headbutt on me somewhere he got a three-match ban for’.

“It was Leeds at The Shay. We won 21-20 and he got three matches for a headbutt in typical Moz fashion.

“I was hanging on to him for dear life, he was shaking me about. I think he just thought ‘what should I do now’ and then floored me. All the bashers came in – Daz Fleary, Farrell, Kelvin, Rhino. A good memory and I think he gave me a mention in his book for that! He’s a good guy.”

PODCAST: Paul Rowley on potent Salford, Leigh for SL, Toronto experience & remembering Ricky

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