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Cronulla prop Chris Beattie has returned fire at Gorden Tallis, claiming his former Queensland teammate was getting too old and should consider retiring to become a referee.
A stunned Beattie picked up Sunday's newspapers to find he had been branded a "grub" and a "cheap-shot merchant" by Tallis after the pair clashed heatedly during the second half of the Broncos' golden point win over the Sharks at Toyota Park on Saturday night.
Tallis declined to elaborate on his comments but after the game alleged he was head-butted by Beattie, an accusation the Sharks enforcer denied.
"I have played with him and against him before and never had a problem," Beattie said.
"All of a sudden he's got a problem. I go out there and play the game hard. Someone can have a problem with me on the field - big deal.
"I just find it extraordinary that he can go out and slam me like that.
"Someone that doesn't know me picks up the paper and - Gorden Tallis has a high standing in the game - they think Chris Beattie must be a grub.
"That's ridiculous. I would never do that to somebody. It was a thrilling game. The paper should have talked about that."
Beattie, who was part of the Queensland State of Origin side with Tallis in 2001 and 2002, went on report with teammate Jason Stevens for a lifting tackle on Brisbane's Brent Tate during the match.
But he wasn't penalised by referee Jason Robinson over the alleged headbutt, which prompted Tallis at the time to bark at Beattie: "If you headbutt me again I'm going to bash you."
Tallis claimed the Sharks had engaged in "niggling tactics" late in the game in an attempt to bait the Broncos.
"It's disappointing because nobody likes to see that," Tallis said.
"I'm just happy that our players didn't react because the second nature is to protect yourself."
Beattie said if Tallis had a problem, he should have taken it up with him after the game.
"I was trying to play the ball, he was trying to stop me from playing the ball quickly," Beattie said.
"If I am trying to play the ball quickly and he's trying to stop me of course there's going to be a bit of confrontation.
"We're both out there competing in a game. We're not out there ballroom dancing.
"I think Gorden is getting old and he can't do it physically (any more) so he's shooting his mouth off.
"His physical features aren't getting him in the paper so he's shooting his mouth off.
"If he's so old and cranky why doesn't he retire from rugby league and become a referee."
However, Beattie did extend an olive branch to his former Queensland captain.
"If Gorden had a massive problem with something I did on the field he should have taken care of it on the field," he said.
"If he still had a problem he should have come and seen me in the sheds and we could have sorted it out. He can give me a phone call and I'd have no problem talking to him about it."
http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?id=9411
A stunned Beattie picked up Sunday's newspapers to find he had been branded a "grub" and a "cheap-shot merchant" by Tallis after the pair clashed heatedly during the second half of the Broncos' golden point win over the Sharks at Toyota Park on Saturday night.
Tallis declined to elaborate on his comments but after the game alleged he was head-butted by Beattie, an accusation the Sharks enforcer denied.
"I have played with him and against him before and never had a problem," Beattie said.
"All of a sudden he's got a problem. I go out there and play the game hard. Someone can have a problem with me on the field - big deal.
"I just find it extraordinary that he can go out and slam me like that.
"Someone that doesn't know me picks up the paper and - Gorden Tallis has a high standing in the game - they think Chris Beattie must be a grub.
"That's ridiculous. I would never do that to somebody. It was a thrilling game. The paper should have talked about that."
Beattie, who was part of the Queensland State of Origin side with Tallis in 2001 and 2002, went on report with teammate Jason Stevens for a lifting tackle on Brisbane's Brent Tate during the match.
But he wasn't penalised by referee Jason Robinson over the alleged headbutt, which prompted Tallis at the time to bark at Beattie: "If you headbutt me again I'm going to bash you."
Tallis claimed the Sharks had engaged in "niggling tactics" late in the game in an attempt to bait the Broncos.
"It's disappointing because nobody likes to see that," Tallis said.
"I'm just happy that our players didn't react because the second nature is to protect yourself."
Beattie said if Tallis had a problem, he should have taken it up with him after the game.
"I was trying to play the ball, he was trying to stop me from playing the ball quickly," Beattie said.
"If I am trying to play the ball quickly and he's trying to stop me of course there's going to be a bit of confrontation.
"We're both out there competing in a game. We're not out there ballroom dancing.
"I think Gorden is getting old and he can't do it physically (any more) so he's shooting his mouth off.
"His physical features aren't getting him in the paper so he's shooting his mouth off.
"If he's so old and cranky why doesn't he retire from rugby league and become a referee."
However, Beattie did extend an olive branch to his former Queensland captain.
"If Gorden had a massive problem with something I did on the field he should have taken care of it on the field," he said.
"If he still had a problem he should have come and seen me in the sheds and we could have sorted it out. He can give me a phone call and I'd have no problem talking to him about it."
http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?id=9411
