Maroons rabid over 'dog act'
http://www.smh.com.au/news/origin/maroons-rabid-over-dog-act/2009/07/16/1247337218521.html
Brad Walter, Glenn Jackson and Jamie Pandaram | July 17, 2009
Angry Queensland players yesterday maintained the rage over the incident that sparked the most dramatic end to an Origin match in the concept's 29-year history and vowed to take vengeance on Blues prop Justin Poore for picking up an unconscious Steve Price by the jersey and dropping him back to the ground.
While NSW second-rower Trent Waterhouse was sent off after crash-tackling Price to the ground as he was knocked out by Brett White, Poore was the player the Maroons were most angry with, and he was branded as "gutless" by Petero Civoniceva, while Cameron Smith said that his actions could have resulted in a serious injury or even death.
Others, including Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges and Sam Thaiday, warned that the Maroons would seek to get square with Poore if they got the chance.
"To be honest, that was a dog act," Inglis said. "Pricey's one of our brothers, and that was a dog act."
Smith said that what Poore did was "definitely reckless" and could have had tragic results.
"If any bloke is on the ground in the state that Pricey was in, you don't touch them," Smith said. "That's the first thing you get told not to do. Pricey could have had any sort of injury to his head or neck and Poorey has come in and grabbed him and pulled him up and let him go back down again.
"Anyone with a serious neck injury could end up paralysed and, I guess, thinking in the worst terms, you could be talking about death. It's a very silly thing that he did and I think that's what the boys were so upset with last night. I think that showed with the way the boys reacted last night. We wanted to show the passion for our team and our teammates.
"If Poorey is a part of their team in game one next year I don't think the boys will look at him too kindly. I think there will still be a little bit of fire in the belly for next year."
An angry Civoniceva, who missed the match with a foot injury that requires season-ending surgery, said he was "disgusted" by Poore's actions.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Civoniceva told AAP. "It was one of the lowest acts I've seen on a football field. If the guy is trying to build his character or being tough … I thought it was pretty gutless."
In another interview with Channel Nine, Civoniceva said: "There were a few things that happened out there that most of us weren't happy with, so we've got some scores to settle."
Poore declined to comment on the incident as the Blues left their Brisbane hotel yesterday morning or when they arrived at Sydney Airport. However, he is believed to have told teammates he had not realised Price was unconscious when he picked him up, and panicked when he saw he was convulsing, and dropped him.
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